He said if that policy was approved and passed by the church, families who do not follow it will not have the privilege of a Catholic funeral or requiem Mass.

The Archbishop, who was speaking at a joint funeral Mass for two staunch members of the church recently, said many Ghanaians do not take good care of the aged and sick but are prepared to spend huge sums of money on funeral arrangements when these family members pass on.

He said in most cases, families kept the bodies of their dead relatives in morgues for several months, thus incurring more cost and also extending the grieving period.

Most Rev. Palmer-Buckle explained that having early funerals would cut down cost and put the minds of the bereaved at rest to enable them go about their normal duties.

Funerals in Ghana

In the past, funerals were held in a more simple way but these days, funerals have become social events where families show off their wealth and status.

Huge sums are invested into printing banners, funeral programme, renting of chairs and canopies and food and drinks for guests.

Funeral homes and coffin makers are also cashing in on the trend, providing a variety of “classy” coffins and state-of-the art morgues were the dead are preserved in a “VIP” manner.

These days, there are even private cemeteries charging huge sums of money to bury people whose families do not prefer the public cemeteries.

The one week celebration, which in the past was marked solemnly by a few family members, has even evolved into a big event similar to the main funeral.

Reactions

Reacting to the Archbishop’s comments, some members of the Catholic Church who spoke to the writer agreed the guideline will simplify celebration of funerals and cut down excessive waste of resources.

Others, however, were of the view that 40 days may be too short a period depending on the status of the deceased. They argued that a befitting funeral for a public figure or prominent person would require careful planning, lots of time and money.

Catholic funerals

The Catholic funeral celebration comes in three parts. First is the vigil where the body is received in the church with loved ones and relatives gathering to pay their last respect to the deceased and pray for his or her soul.

 It is also the time to eulogies the deceased, pay tributes and console the bereaved family.

The second is the Mass which is led by one or more priests who wear white, black or violet vestment.

The Mass consists of hymns, liturgy of the word and Eucharist.

The last is committal or burial stage when prayers are held and coffin and grave sprinkled with the holy water.

The rite of committal is an expression of the communion that exists between the church on earth and the church in heaven.

Joint funeral

Archbishop Buckle commended the Amoah and Ofori families for agreeing to have a joint funeral service that day and providing support for each other in the difficult times.