Let mourners sympathise in person in church, says councillor

Mourners should be allowed to sympathise personally with bereaved people inside all churches in Kerry after funeral Masses, a local councillor has said.

The bishop of Kerry may now be asked to act to reduce pressure on bereaved families by allowing mourners to sympathise with them inside diocesan churches.

The way in which mourning is conducted in Kerry churches has been a vexed issue over the years.

Guidelines under the former bishop of Kerry, Dr Bill Murphy, had sought to curb what was seen by some as a growth in secular practices in churches during funerals - overuse of inappropriate music, inclusion of inappropriate or too many personal mementoes, and lengthy personal reflections.

Funeral liturgy

However, practices continue to vary between parishes. A new booklet is currently being drawn up on funeral liturgy, but it does not include suggestions on how to deal with those at funerals wishing to sympathise with the bereaved.

Fianna Fáil councillor Dan McCarthy, from Kenmare, has placed a motion on the agenda for Monday's meeting of Kerry County Council asking it to pass a resolution requesting the bishop, Dr Ray Browne, to allow time in churches at the end of funeral Masses for people to sympathise with bereaved families in parishes where this is not currently allowed.

Cllr McCarthy said he has become increasingly concerned at the pressure being placed on bereaved people during funerals - particularly in churches where sympathisers are not allowed to shake hands with them after the Masses.

Unnecessary pressure

He said he regularly observes “five and six people” surrounding a bereaved person outside a church, and “two to three hands”, reaching out at one time. This, he said, puts unnecessary pressure on the bereaved.

“Five to 10 minutes in church is only a small ask, to facilitate the family who are bereaved,”Cllr McCarthy said.

This approach would also save people standing around “in the sleet and the rain”, he added.

Cllr McCarthy wants fellow councillors to support him in asking the bishop to allow time for sympathies to be extended in an orderly fashion inside all diocesan churches.

A spokesperson for the diocese of Kerry this weekend said the request would be studied.

Funeral attendance remains very high in Kerry, with most funerals attracting many hundreds of people.