Sir, – In response to Patsy McGarry'sarticle on the Old Testament reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes, (July 22nd), I respectfully suggest he desist from attending funerals in the future.
As a member of a funeral team in a Dublin Catholic parish, our voluntary role is to assist families preparing a funeral Mass for their loved one. We provide a booklet containing a selection of readings from both the Old and New Testaments. Without any influence from us, the reading from Ecclesiastes which Mr McGarry finds so offensive is often selected by people who find it comforting, or even moving, as he concedes, on first reading.
Each funeral is a first for the family concerned. Furthermore, for a believer, the Scripture reading is the Word of God, not to be interpreted literally, but at a deeper level meaningful to the believer.
As a Christian, I find Mr McGarry’s expression, “blah, di-blah, di-bloody-blah” offensive. Would he have been so quick to use it to describe a quote from the Quran? I hope not. Regarding the “ever-repeated ritual”; it will continue for as long as we mortals continue to die, and as long as people require church funerals.
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The “ludicrous objects” brought to the altar are not ludicrous to the bereaved, but symbolise in some way something of significance about their loved one.
I also reject his assertion that the same all- purpose homily is given, or that the soul is the subject of the homily. In support of the priests who conduct funerals, it is often challenging for them to say something about a person they do not know or who was not a member of the church community; yet the expectation of the family is that he say something personal and comforting.
Belief in the Resurrection is a central tenet of Christian belief, and is therefore a perfectly reasonable subject for a funeral homily.
Thankfully, as a secular society, people now have a choice. Non-Christians, or anybody who chooses not to have a church funeral, can have a perfectly respectful and dignified humanist ceremony to remember their loved one. That is their right and I welcome it.
Out of respect for those who choose a secular funeral, I would not feel I had the right to raid their premises to remove poetry or literature or anything else they might choose to use in the funeral ritual. I am amazed that a journalist would suggest forming an organisation that would deny a certain sector of Irish society freedom of expression and the right to worship in peace. Surely a civilised society should defend the rights of people to at least bury their dead without ridiculing their rituals or threatening raids?
Nor do I believe the clergy, the few of them who are left, need to be patronised or educated in alternatives to God’s Word.
I hope Mr McGarry will be kind enough to respect the chosen readings of the bereaved family at the next funeral he attends. They have chosen the reading because of the spiritual meaning it conveys to them, and not for the entertainment of the congregation. Perhaps he should use ear-plugs if he must; it will drown out the sound of crying children who, incidentally, are also welcome in our churches. – Yours, etc,
MARGIE KENNEDY,
Donaghmede, Dublin 13.