What are the liturgical colors for a funeral Mass?
– May flowers be used at a funeral Mass? – May a casket be draped with an American flag? Response: The following discussion starts with the basics: What elements make a Catholic funeral? From an overview of the Catholic funeral rites, our discussion moves to particular questions about various elements of the Catholic funeral. Discussion: What is a Catholic funeral? Catholic funeral rites are the liturgical rites in which the Church “commends the dead to Gods merciful love and pleads for the forgiveness of their sins.”1 Through the funeral rites, Christians “offer worship, praise, and thanksgiving to God for the gift of a life which has now been returned to God, the author of life and the hope of the just.”2 There are three principal components to a Catholic funeral: the vigil for the deceased (sometimes referred to as the “wake”), the funeral liturgy (which often includes the celebration of Mass), and the rite of committal. These are outlined in the Order of Christian Funerals. A wake
