FUNERAL RITES AND CEREMONIES IN THE DIFFERENT RELIGIONS

Every Catholic, unless specifically excluded by norms of law, has the right to this ministry of the Church at the time of death.

First you should call the church to see what the availability and hours are. Arrangements for the Vigil, Funeral Mass, and Burial Rite will be made through the parish.

Christian symbols are the only ones that can be placed on or near the coffin during the funeral liturgy. National flags or insignia of associations must be removed from the casket before entering the church. They can be placed on the coffin once it has come out of the church.

A child, whom his parents wished to baptize, who dies before receiving baptism, is stillborn, or has died from a miscarriage, can receive the funeral rites of the Catholic Church. 

Funeral rites can be celebrated when the deceased has committed suicide.

Before the time comes, it is very important to accompany the person in their last moments, so that they can have a good time from the earthly world to the spiritual world.

Once he has passed away, and before the burial is celebrated, the corpse is washed for purification and wrapped in a white shroud. The men take care of the deceased men, and the women of the women.

Traditionally the Jews buried the body of the deceased directly without a coffin, but given how unhygienic this was, they had to change the rule, burying their deceased in coffins, in which no flowers are placed.

A six-pointed Star of David is placed at the head of the coffin. Those attending the ceremony put a stone on him, as a sign that they had been present at the farewell. In the Jewish religion cremation is prohibited, and burial is required on the ground.

In Islam it is taught that death is a divine decree, which can come at any time. It is recommended to face these hard times saying “We are all from God and to Him we must return”, an expression that behind comes to mean that you must accept the situation, be patient and show sadness, not anger or fury.

An interesting aspect of the Muslim religion is that it believes in resurrection, not reincarnation. From this religion death is seen as the end of one stage and, in turn, the beginning of another.

After death, the deceased is placed on his right side, facing the Qibla, that is, the direction towards the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The corpse is washed, the women taking care of the women and the men of the men. His eyes are closed and his body is covered with white cotton cloth. The body will be buried facing Mecca and should never be cremated, since this religion forbids it.

Many supplications are made for the deceased and the reading of the Qur’an is dedicated to him, either in part or in full. In all cases, a quick burial and a simple funeral are recommended. The funeral is a time for the congregation of the family and acquaintances, remembering the good moments with the deceased person and forgiving them for their mistakes.

The Evangelical Church believes in resurrection, which should not be confused with reincarnation or dissolution. Death implies passing into eternity in the presence of Jesus Christ. Death is not the end.

There is an element of sadness, of pain for the separation, but they are also times for hope and transcendence. The body of the deceased is veiled in the funeral home, where the religious leaders and members of the community will be present, since the evangelists are very close.

Before the burial there is a religious service, with songs and readings from the Bible. Sobriety prevails throughout the ceremony and simplicity is preferred. The important thing is the personal, solemn feeling, and not the superfluous ceremonial. There are no candles, no flowers, no crucifixes.

Jehovah’s Witnesses regard death as a painful but honorable event according to scripture:

They think that death is more important than life.

Motivated by this, they do not consider it a bad thing to meet at what is known as the funeral, where those close to the deceased and relatives gather to see off the remains of the deceased. Some, instead of funeral homes, choose a kingdom hall for this meeting or funeral if it is a believer.