SALT LAKE CITY — The funeral liturgy cuts to the essence of what Catholics believe – the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ. "The Catholic Funeral Rite is structured for the community of faithful to embrace both the bereaved and the dead, reaffirming that the deceased live on in the community because they are remembered, cared for and prayed for," said Maxine Kaiser, former director of the diocesan Office of Liturgy. "Prayers for solace, comfort, and remembrances of the departed are inherent to the days leading up to the burial – immediately following the death, for example, and when the family views the physical remains for the first time, gathering around the casket, and at the actual closing of the casket. The current ritual text, "Order of Christian Funerals," includes short rites and prayers for even these important moments," Kaiser said. "In the funeral liturgy, the body is the principle symbol because it reminds the worshipers of the frailty of our human condition, but also of the promise of eternal life," said Father Michael Sciumbato, pastor of Saint Ann Parish. The symbols used during the Mass reflect what Catholics believe by covering the casket, or the body of the deceased person, with a pall, which is a reminder of the baptismal garment the deceased person received at baptism as a reminder of Christ’s promise of eternal life, Fr. Sciumbato said. Other items that may be placed on the casket are the Bible and a crucifix; the Pascal candle is placed in front of the casket. "These are a reminder that if we die with Christ, we will live with him forever. Incense may also be used as a reminder our prayers rise to heaven. We also incense the altar, the gifts we use at Mass, the people and the body of the deceased, in which we recall that the body once was and will be again the temple of the Holy Spirit," Fr. Sciumbato said. "It’s a reminder that the body of the deceased is sacred. That is why we insist upon either burial in sacred ground or interment of the cremains in a niche as a sign of sacredness for the human body. We don’t encourage spreading the remains. Holy water incorporated during a Catholic funeral is more important than the other symbols "because it’s the tangible, tactile reminder of our baptism," Fr. Sciumbato said. "We are people of faith and if we live that faith out, he will not abandon us to the power of death, but will raise us up on the last day. A funeral is really a celebration or the reaffirmation of the promises made in baptism." The ground or the niche where the person is buried is blessed. "It’s a sign of the sacredness where the body will rest until Christ calls us forth in the resurrection," Fr. Sciumbato said.
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