The following is a guide for parishioners who are arranging funeral liturgies for their deceased relatives.

Music for use in Funeral Liturgies

Please remember that in keeping with the guidelines of funerals for the Archdiocese of Armagh only religious hymns are allowed in funeral Masses.

Details of the proposed music should be given to the local clergy for their approval.

Readings for the Funeral Mass

The word of God is of great importance in the funeral rite. The readings proclaim the meaning that Christ himself gave to death, teach us to remember the dead, nourish our hope of being gathered together again in God’s kingdom, and encourage us to live the Christian life. Above all, the readings tell of God’s design for a world in which suffering and death will be destroyed. In the readings all present have an opportunity to hear God speak to them in their needs, sorrows, fears and hopes.

At the funeral liturgy the biblical readings may not be replaced by non-biblical ones. But during prayer services with the family non-biblical readings may be used in addition to readings from Scripture (see below).

Members of the family may be invited to read the scripture readings.

Psalms
The psalms express the suffering and pain, the hope and trust of people of every age. Above all they sing of faith in God and of redemption. They enable us to pray in the words that Jesus himself, who knew anguish and the fear of death, used during his life on earth.