By Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
Funeral rites are celebrated for a deceased pope in accordance with the The Roman Ritual and The Roman Missal, and with the apostolic constitution, Universi Dominci gregis. Prior to the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the Holy See had not published information about the funeral rites for a pope who had resigned the papacy. The Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff is likely to announce how the funeral rites for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will be celebrated and to publish the texts for these rites as booklets (www.vatican.va/content/liturgy/en.html).
The apostolic constitution, Universi Dominci gregis, issued by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1996, deals with the vacancy of the Apostolic See and the election of the Roman Pontiff. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI had resigned the papacy, these provisions will not take effect. Chapter V of Universi Dominci gregis deals with the funeral rites of the Roman Pontiff. Some of the provisions of this chapter might apply for the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI may have asked for certain arrangements to be made for the funeral rites to be celebrated for him, which would be honoured.
The last funeral rites to be celebrated for a deceased pope were for Pope Saint John Paul II, who died in April 2005 while still in office. The arrangements for his funeral can be reviewed here.
The cathedral church is the appropriate place for the diocesan commemoration of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Parishes ought also to commemorate Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in parish churches.
The Roman Missal provides, from among the prayers for the dead, three sets of orations ‘For a Pope’, on pages 1465–1467. Of these, set B, page 1466, is better suited for a pope emeritus. There are five prefaces for the dead, on pages 656–665. Eucharistic Prayers I, II and III provide for the deceased to be mentioned by name, and Eucharistic Prayers II and III include a text for use in Masses for the Dead. There is a solemn blessing that can be used ‘In Celebrations for the Dead’, pages 720–721.
The Lectionary, volume III, provides a selection of readings from Sacred Scripture for ‘Masses for the Dead’, on pages 849–890. From among these texts, suitable readings should be chosen for use in a Mass to commemorate Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
In the universal prayer (prayer of the faithful), the following sample intercessions might be used as appropriate:
That God may grant Pope Emeritus Benedict a share in the heavenly liturgy,
for he devoutly exercised the ministry of priest and bishop in the earthly liturgy,
let us pray to the Lord.For Pope Emeritus Benedict, who governed Christ’s Church with love and fidelity,
that Christ may welcome him to the place prepared for him in the Father’s house,
we pray to the Lord.Let us pray for Pope Emeritus Benedict,
who united himself with the Lord’s Passion and Cross,
that through death he may come to share in the glory of the Lord’s Resurrection.
Lord, hear us.
The Divine Office, volume I, provides ‘The Office for the Dead’. Morning Prayer (Lauds), pages 471*–479*, and Evening Prayer (Vespers), pages 483*–489*, are well suited for public celebration. In addition to the selection of concluding prayers, a collect from the orations ‘For a Pope’ given in The Roman Missal could be used. Hymns for ‘The Office for the Dead’ are given on pages 573*–574*.
The Catholic Worship Book II provides a selection of hymns for funerals, numbers 141–157, and Latin funeral chants, numbers 158a–158e. Other suitable hymns are listed in the Liturgical Index under ‘Funerals’.
A biography of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is available on the Vatican website at www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/biography.index.html.
His papal coat of arms was:
Some suggested settings are:
Both of these Mass settings are intergenerational and well known, so will cater to the range of people present at Christmas services.
Use the verse appropriate to the day. It is useful to use one Gospel acclamation consistently throughout the season.
In the season of Advent, it is appropriate to use a Mass setting that is well known to the singing assembly but different from the one used in Ordinary Time. Advent is a season of quiet but joyful hope, expectation and penitence: the music is not as exuberant as the music used in the Christmas season. The Mass setting chosen should be used throughout the Advent season. It is preferable to have carol services and nativity plays after 16 December, if possible, to preserve the character of Advent.
In Advent the use of the organ and other musical instruments should be marked by a moderation suited to the character of this time of year, without expressing in anticipation the full joy of the Nativity of the Lord.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §313
Please note that there is no Gloria sung in Advent.
Some suggested settings are:
Missa Emmanuel helps parishes to find the ‘sound’ of Advent through the familiar Advent hymn ‘O come, O come Emmanuel’, which also underpins this Mass setting.
Use the verse appropriate to the day. It is useful to use one Gospel acclamation consistently throughout the season.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and Aid to the Church in Need are working in partnership to mark Red Wednesday throughout all parishes, schools and communities in our Archdiocese.
You are invited to join the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and participate in Red Wednesday, a day dedicated to praying for, and standing in solidarity with, Christians who face increasing violence, torture and often death for their peacefully held faith in Jesus Christ.
Red Wednesday is an initiative of the papal charity Aid to the Church in Need, dedicated to providing material and spiritual support to the persecuted Church.
Two-thirds of the world’s population live in countries where there are serious violations of religious freedom. We hear more stories of people bearing witness to their faith in horrific circumstances. Many of those families have found refuge and a new home in our city and surrounds.
By joining this international campaign, we can express something of being one Body of Christ, committing ourselves to being God’s hope-bearers and peacemakers in our world.
For further information, visit www.aidtochurch.org/RedWednesday.
All are welcome to St Patrick’s Cathedral for a Prayer Vigil with Exposition:
Wednesday 23 November 2022 at 7.30pm
St Patrick’s Cathedral, 1 Cathedral Place, East Melbourne
Joining many other cathedrals and churches around the world, St Patrick's Cathedral will be floodlit in red on this night.
Parishes are invited to celebrate their usual Mass on this day or hold another event for the intentions of persecuted Christians. You could even invite parishioners to wear red clothing.
Further information and resources, including a prayer card and suggested intercessions for the prayer of the faithful, can be downloaded below.
The Church around the world has entered the Continental Stage for the Synod of Bishops on Synodality. Groups around the country are praying with and responding to the Document for the Continental Stage, which was published recently. You can download prayer resources, including for use in liturgies, read the document and access the submission portal here.
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has also released three documents to support the parishes' ongoing participation in the Synod of Bishops journey:
2 Maccabees 7:1–2, 9–14
‘The King of the world will raise us up to live for ever.’
Psalm 16(17):1, 5–6, 8, 15
R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
2 Thessalonians 2:16–3:5
May the Lord strengthen you in everything good that you do or say.
Revelation 1:5a, 6b
Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead; glory and kingship be his for ever and ever.
Luke 20:27–38
He is God, not of the dead, but of the living.
It is fitting that there be a cantor or a choir director to lead and sustain the people’s singing. When in fact there is no choir, it is up to the cantor to lead the different chants, with the people taking part.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §104
Every member of the assembly is expected to have music on his or her lips. Music helps members lift their hearts to praise God and express their oneness in a unified voice. It is not the choir and cantor’s role to take over the assembly’s participation; rather, through their gifts of voice and music, their role is to foster the full participation of the faithful. The Catholic Worship Book II provides many resources to help us become a singing community.
‘The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose, near restful waters he leads me.’
—communion antiphon
Now that Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem and his ministry is centred at the temple, he encounters the Sadducees, who dominate temple worship. In this text, the Sadducees ask a question not to elicit Jesus’ teaching on the topic but rather to ridicule Jesus and disconcert him. However, Jesus turns the tide and provides two answers to their question. First, he highlights that they have completely misunderstood the meaning of resurrection. The transformation of life brought by death is incomprehensible to the Sadducees because they are not open to the power of God. Second, he highlights that even though Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have died, Moses is conscious that they have remained alive in a sense because Yahweh continues to be their God—a God of the living. Death is not the end of the story, and Christian faith is marked by a joy and hope that ultimately resting in God will bring. This is the destiny of all humankind.
The Creed that is recited at Mass each week affirms that ‘we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come'. Believing in the resurrection of the dead has been an essential element of the Christian faith since its beginnings (CCC, §991)—and it has always engendered some degree of incomprehension and opposition (§996). Although many people generally accept that life continues after death in a spiritual sense, the most difficult part of the concept to understand is the resurrection of the body. Catholics believe that ‘in death, the separation of the soul from the body, the human body decays and the soul goes to meet God’; however, through his divine power, God ‘will definitively grant incorruptible life to our bodies by reuniting them with our souls’ (§997) at the end times.
Traditionally, black has been the colour associated with mourning; however, since the Second Vatican Council, white vestments are worn at the celebration of a funeral. This colour change emphasises the connection between the joy that all believers feel for Jesus’ resurrection and their hope that they, too, will share this resurrection.
The Lord is faithful and will guard us from the evil one. We ask God to receive our prayers and answer them with justice and mercy.
We pray for Pope Francis and all the bishops and priests of our Church who proclaim the Gospel of life. May their positive affirmation of the dignity of each person reassure us that we are all welcome in God’s house.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray in support of all people who are being persecuted or rejected because of their faith. May they be strengthened in their resolve and stand firm in their beliefs, comforted by the words Jesus has given them.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We remember the women and men who have given their lives for our freedom. We pray for the members of our armed forces, that their efforts at this time will contribute to world peace.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for our faith community. May we all grow in appreciation of the hope of eternal life and of life to the full, as Jesus promised.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for …
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We pray for all who are ill in our parish and for all who have asked for our prayers.
We pray for those who have died recently and for those whose anniversaries we recall. May they be uplifted to a full life with Christ.
Lord, hear us.
Lord, hear our prayer.
We are confident, God of mercy, that you will continue encouraging and strengthening our hearts through grace. We pray that you will hear our prayers, through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Revelations 1:5a, 6b
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead;
glory and kingship be his for ever and ever.
Alleluia!
Wisdom 11:22–12:2
You are merciful to all, because you love all that exists.
Psalm 144(145):1–2, 8–11, 13b–14
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
2 Thessalonians 1:11–2:2
The name of Christ will be glorified in you, and you in him.
John 3:16
God loved the world so much, he gave us his only Son, that all who believe in him might have eternal life.
Luke 19:1–10
Salvation comes to the house of Zacchaeus.
The People of God, gathered for Mass, has a coherent and hierarchical structure, which finds its expression in the variety of ministries and the variety of actions according to the different parts of the celebration. The general ordering of the sacred building must be such that in some way it conveys the image of the gathered assembly and allows the appropriate ordering of all the participants, as well as facilitating them in the proper carrying out of their function.
The faithful and the choir should have a place that facilitates their active participation.
—General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §294
A sacred building that is used for the eucharistic celebration must be designed to encourage active participation from all ministers involved in the celebration. The space must create an immediate impression of a gathered assembly that is ready to participate. It is not a space for spectators, but one that facilitates active involvement.
‘You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, O Lord.’
—communion antiphon