Complex sentence: By the 8th century the Roman Catholic Church had established the final form and content of its Office of the Dead ritual; a ceremony that was designed to bring solace to the living just as much as comfort to the dead.
Split into simpler sentences: By the 8th century the Roman Catholic Church had established the final form and content of its Office of the Dead ritual. This ceremony was designed to bring solace to the living just as much as comfort to the dead.