Bishop seeks to end 'dumbing down' of funeral eulogies

A new directive issued by Bishop of Meath Dr Michael Smith means that funeral eulogies including songs, poems and readings, that do not fall within religious guidelines, could be banned.

The guidelines would apply in Bishop Smith's diocese which includes most of counties Meath and Westmeath, plus parts of Offaly, Longford, Louth, Dublin and Cavan.

The Bishop has warned against the "dumbing down" at Catholic funeral services and says that priests must uphold the "integrity of the church".

"Secular songs, poems and texts devoid of a Christian content are out of place in the funeral liturgy," reads one guideline.

Fr Paddy Byrne, a curate in Portlaoise, does not agree with the ban, but admits there can be times where elements of a requiem Mass are inappropriate.

"I'm not sure whether bringing up a pint of Guinness to represent somebody's life is appropriate to place on a coffin in a sacred place," he said.

"Whether that would be better off later at the graveside, or even certain types of music…

"Ultimately, the requiem Mass is a strong statement of people who believe in the resurrection and therefore the music of the liturgy should reflect the good news, and within that contain gospel values."