Funeral dismissals

In Paul Turner's Blog by Paul Turner

The OCF gives two dismissals for the end of the funeral Mass: OCF #176 and, in the Cremation Appendix, #437.

The rubrics at 437 (“when the committal is delayed or when the body is to be cremated…” raise a number of questions:

  1. Is this dismissal used ANY TIME committal is delayed, or only when cremated remains are present?
    1. If the latter (a body is present) and committal is delayed, is the usual blessing and dismissal from Mass used?
  2. If the committal of cremated remains is not delayed, is the dismissal at #176 used?

In other words, there are four possibilities, which dismissal is used when?

  1. Body present; immediate committal
  2. Body present; delayed committal
  3. Cremated remains present; immediate committal
  4. Cremated remains present; delayed committal

Thanks,

==

A: 1. OCF 437 is used only when cremation is involved. It’s in that special section of the OCF.

a. If the body is present and is to be cremated before interment, then 437 is indeed used—but not if the body is to be interred without cremation.

2. Yes, if there’s no delay, then go back to OCF 176, even when there’s a cremation.

Of the four options, the only one that 437 governs is #4, unless #2 is a delay due to an upcoming cremation.