Sir, – Noel Whelan (Opinion, August 17th) is disturbed by Bishop Michael Smith’s effort to rein in family involvement in funeral Masses that might detract from their liturgical character. He suggests the church should be more concerned about tearing down than erecting barriers, especially since most Irish attend church only for weddings or funerals.
However, if the church should conduct itself only in a way to draw in more people, why not rent out the churches for funerals and weddings and let the mourners or celebrants do their own thing, much like a funeral parlour or a wedding hall?
On the other hand, if one takes the funeral Mass seriously then decorum appropriate for so solemn a function is appropriate. – Yours, etc,
JOHN P McCARTHY, PhD,
Prof Emeritus of
History,
Fordham University,
New York, US.