The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-01-22

receive the Holy Viaticum on Good
Friday?
1t is only those who are in danger
of death from sickness, or a wound or
accident, who may receive Holy Com
munion on Good Friday. These re-
ceive 1t as the Viaticum. The spirit
of sorrow that pervades the Church on
Good Friday, out of sympathy for her
suffering Lord, withholds the faithful
from sharing in the spiritual joy of
Holy Communion. This spirit the
Church has made q part of her dis
cipline, forbidding the Holy Eucharist
to be administered on Good Friday,
except as Viaticum.
Are the following books recon-
mended as good reading novels:
"Within the Law" Bought and Paid
For?"
We know of no authority that
recommends these books as good
reading. On the contrary, their titles,
at least, smack very much of the sen
sational Why not read works of
reputable authors? There are many
such in fiction as well as in other
branches of literature. Call at your
Public Library and ask for some
works of fiction by such authors as
David Bearne, Robert Hugh Benson,
Maurice Francis Egan, Rev. Francis
Finn, Miles Gerald Keen, and host
of others whose books when read
in,
Is it proper to receive Holy Com.
munion at funeral Mass?
We know of no disciplinary regula.
tion of the Church that prohibits the
distribution of the Holy Eucharist at a
funeral Mass. In our Judgment the
deceased would appreciate much more
highly worthy Communion offered
for the repose of his soul then to see
Il bunch of flowers whitening ON his
Casket or in the yestibule of the
church. We admit that the flowers
express the love which the living have
for the departed, and this sentiment
is without doubt most laudable; but,
could not the affection be shown more
beautifully and much more effica-
CiouSly by offering to the Throne of
Mercy the sweet perfume of a loving
communion as plea for mercy and
pardon for the soul of the dead? The
natural sorrow that the mourners feel
at the burial of their dead would dis
tract them from the immediate prep
aration that ordinarily is made before
Holy Communion. This is the only
reason we know of why Communions
are not more common at funeral
Masses.
Is it right to pass the collection box
at funeral?
This practise is not very general
in itself, however, it implies no CON
1lict with faith or good morals. The
Offering that is made is intended to
be applied for Masses for the soul of
the departed. Is this not more edify-
ing then to spend the same or a much
larger amount of money for flowers,
that may please the eye of the living,
but have very little weight in behalf
Of the soul departed? One is good
but the other seems much better. 1t
is possible, of course, that some may
take offense at seeing a collection
box at a funeral; but such scandal can
be safely classed with that of the
Pharisces.
Is it right to have gorgeous dis
play of flowers heaped high upon the
casket of a Catholic funeral?
Flowers symbolic the love that the
sender has for the departed and his
sympathy for those in sorrow. In
this they are of value and duly appre-
ciated. But it is not the flowers that
the priest blesses at the foot of the
altar nor is it a mark of Christian
faith to use the flowers to hide from
ourselves the presence of the thought
of death. Consequently it is not ac-
cording to the general custom of the
Church to admit flowers even inside
the church. If flowers are brought
with the funeral they are set aside in
the vestibule of the church during
the religious services. In the case of
the burial of an infant, that is one who
has not come to the use of reason, it
is proper to place flowers upon the
casket and to leave them remain
there while the prayers are said. The
flowers signify the perfect innocence
and purity of the soul of the child For
the same reason a white casket is
commonly used.
Is it proper for a grown person to
be buried in a colored casket?
Black is accepted as the general
garb Of mourning. The relatives of
the deceased clothe themselves in
black to attend the burial of their
dead The priest wears black vest
nents during the Requiem Mass, the
altar is bare of ornaments, but occa-
iionally, through some strange incon-
sistency, the dead, the one for whom
all the mourning is assumed, is
clothed in a lavender, brown, or pink
casket, Is the underlying motive to
hide from ourselves the thought of
death2 1t is not at least consistent
with the Catholic ritual, and we are
happy to add that the incongruity is
but rarely seen at Catholic funeral.
When visiting the house of mourn
ing, is II proper to kneeI beside the
body of the dead and say a prayer for