Dying Catholic without a Catholic Mass or Burial

Dying as a Catholic without a Catholic Mass or Burial

Eileen Renders

Although I do my best to never miss Mass on Sundays, I understand that it is a mortal sin, but more importantly, it is our opportunity to unite with Christ, body, mind, and soul. The Homilies are great, yet often a bit repetitive. I would love and encourage a small addition to the Homilies, however, and that would be to answer serious questions many Catholics have that are not found within the Catholic Bible, at least not to my knowledge.

An example is the question posed in the title of this article. It is thought-provoking. People die in explosions, drownings, or are lost at sea. They were often good people who met with tragedies, and through no fault of their own, were not afforded a Catholic Mass and burial. Perhaps there was no one to claim their body, or no remaining family. How does this change or not change their standing with our God?

The Catholic Church states that the soul departs from the body at death, and the Chruch does not have a specific doctrine regarding the fate of a good Catholics who did not have a Catholic Mass or burial due to circumstances beyond their control.

The Church does, however, emphasize the importance of burial, viewing it as a corporal act of mercy, and while it does not oppose cremation, it prefers burial practices. The Church does teach us that the soul meets God upon death. However, the body is given incorruptible life by God.

The Church does encourage believers to pray for the souls of those who have passed away, regardless of their practices. Thus, the Church acknowledges the complexities of death and the importance of honoring the deceased, but does not impose strict requirements on the practices of the faithful.

Of course, a Mass said for the departed soul, as well as prayers from the faithful, and with the interment of burial with the presence of a priest, are all good practices to ensure that the body rests in peace through the protection of God.

For decades, in burying the dead, everything has always centered on the belief in the intact body, since baptism makes individuals temples of the Holy Spirit. Catholic belief is that upon death, the soul meets God, and God gives incorruptible life to bodies by reuniting them with their souls.

Today, we understand that God said, “From dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return.” We believe and trust that God is all powerful, and He can return our cremated bodies once again to be reunited with our souls should that be His desire.   

We, as Catholics, work toward pleasing God in our daily lives, dying in the state of grace, and, of course, desire a Catholic Mass and burial.