Bishop of Waterford and Lismore urges people to not attend large funeral gatherings

Photo © Diocese of Waterford and Lismore

The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore says he understands why people have flouted guidelines on attendance at funerals during lockdowns.

However Alphonsus Cullinan says we have to be conscious of the dangers of spreading Covid-19 at gatherings such as this.

He was speaking after the Bishops of Munster issued a statement in relation to guidelines for funerals under Level 5 restrictions.

They highlight the limit of 10 people attending a funeral, asking people not to congregate outside the church, no wakes or large gatherings for prayers and that priests should not be pressurised into holding services in funeral homes.

Bishop Cullinan is urging people not to have large funerals at this time.

“You know it’s very understandable but it is also from a contagion point of view it’s a very serious situation.”

“There have been some high profile things in the media regarding funerals and it’s jut not sensible at this time.”
The Statement in full on Funerals from the Bishops of the Cashel Province

We express our closeness in prayer and support for those with the Covid-19 virus and those impacted in any way by it in what are very difficult circumstances. We want to highlight some points that we consider important in relation to the implementation of public health guidelines in the context of bereavements and funerals. We do so for the benefit of all concerned – mourners, undertakers, neighbours and friends as well as priests and public authorities –, that we might have a common understanding of good practice around funerals aimed at keeping people safe from the virus. In offering these points, we recognise and thank the vast majority of Catholics for their careful observance of the public health guidelines.

1. Public health guidelines are clear: attendance at funerals is to be restricted to 10. We appreciate there are some who believe that for the sake of accommodating the immediate family it would be better to allow a number higher than 10 for the funeral liturgy in a church. We too look forward to when that number can be increased. However, it is important that undertakers and priests clarify as early and sympathetically as possible with bereaved families regarding the limit of 10 people in the church.

2. As recommended in our statement last March, there should be no removal to the church the evening before.

3. People not attending the funeral liturgy should avoid congregating immediately outside the church building or around the hearse. For the sake of the great majority trying to keep to the public health guidelines, we ask people, difficult as it is, not to approach the bereaved in the church grounds or cemetery to sympathize.

4. As per the public health guidelines regarding social and family gatherings, there should be no wakes or large gatherings for prayers in the house of the deceased nor gatherings in cemeteries.

5. Support for the bereaved can be expressed through social media as an alternative to attending the funeral. Often it is possible to link to a local church for a funeral ceremony via a webcam/Facebook Live. We invite people to pray for the deceased and family of the deceased in their own homes at the time of the funeral Mass. We realise that this is far from being an adequate way of expressing one’s sympathy but under these exceptionally difficult circumstances, it is the best that can be done.

6. Priests should not be pressurised into holding services in funeral homes.

We wish to express our thanks to priests and sacristans as well as the many volunteers in our churches who ensure that all the requirements around the sanitising of our churches are observed. We also acknowledge with gratitude the care and help of undertakers in implementing the restrictions.

May our deceased loved ones rest in peace and may the bereaved be comforted.

The Bishops of the Cashel Province: Archbishop Kieran O’Reilly; Bishop William Crean; Bishop Brendan Leahy; Bishop Ray Browne; Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan; Bishop Fintan Monahan; Bishop Fintan Gavin.