An inexpensive, user-friendly resource is being released by Canada’s bishops, designed to help families and pastors as they plan the funeral liturgies for their loved ones.
In conjunction with the launching of the Lectionary: Ritual Masses, Masses for Various Needs and Occasions, Votive Masses, Masses for the Dead at the September 2014 annual Plenary Assembly, the National Liturgy Office of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), in collaboration with CCCB Publications, has released the funeral-planning guide.
It is intended to assist in choosing appropriate readings from Sacred Scripture. In addition, lectors will be able to use it as an aid to prepare and practice the readings.
There are brief notes to assist those who are choosing and planning the readings, and a «pull out» Selection Page that can be given to the priest or deacon or to another person designated by the parish.
The booklet is in the same format as the CCCB English-language Ritual Lectionary and contains all of the suggested Sacred Scripture passages from the section «Masses for the Dead» in the new Lectionary. This includes additional English-language readings which have been approved for use by the Bishops of Canada and the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
The new pastoral resource, Sacred Scripture Selections for a Funeral Liturgy, is now available from CCCB Publications.
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
Read Fr. McNamara’s guidance on respecting pastoral sensitivities regaring funerals without watering down Catholic teaching:
http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/funeral-masses-by-another-name
