What is the typical way that the Catholic Church ritualizes a death?
The Order of Christian Funerals has three important elements which constitute the Church s accompanying the family and friends of their deceased loved one as he/she makes the transition into eternal life. The Vigil for the Deceased is the principal rite celebrated by the Catholic community in the time following death and before the funeral liturgy. The time immediately following death is often one of bewilderment and may involve shock or heart-rending grief for the family and close friends. The ministry of the Church at this time is one of gently accompanying the family and friends of the deceased in their initial adjustment to the fact of death and to the sorrow this entails. Through a careful use of the rites, the minister helps the mourners express their sorrow and find strength and consolation through faith in Christ and His resurrection to eternal life. The members of the Christian community offer support to the mourners, especially by praying that the one they have lost may have
