Secular History | Church History | Ministry to the Dead and Bereaved |
A description of life in the USA around 1900 is given in Chapter d26 The Early Twentieth Century.
In the USA, various states make laws regarding funerals, burial practices, requirements for embalming, cemeteries, etc.
As cities develop and land becomes expensive, often the cemetery is no longer next to the Church but on the outskirts of the city, at some distance from the parish church.
As immigrants become integrated into American society and culture, their ethnic secular and religious customs brought from the "mother country" gradually die out.
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A summary of the liturgical developments during this period can be found at Chapter d26 The Early Twentieth Century Be familiar with the Liturgical Movement, the memorandum of Archbishop Groeber of Freiburg, and the work of Pius XII, John XXIII, and Paul VI.
The developments in historical research, biblical studies, prepare for the reforms of Vatican II.
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There are few developments regarding the ministry to the dead and bereaved during this period.
a. The Ritual of 1614 continues in use, in Latin.
b. The focus remains on the dead and not on the bereaved
c. The focus remains on purgatory and "temporal punishment due to sin."
d. The liturgical color is black. (Note: one change during this period was allowing white vestments in those areas where the color of mourning was white rather than black. This not the "white of resurrection" but the white of mourning.)
e. As the official, liturgical prayers and rites were all in Latin, non-liturgical pious devotions develop; for example during the wake the Latin ritual prayers are seldom (never?) used and are replaced by the Rosary recited in the vernacular.
A word about "popular devotions": In the years before the Second Vatican Council there was a sharp distinction between liturgical prayer and devotional prayer. The liturgical prayer was in Latin, in the official books and one need to be deputed (by ordination or religious profession) to perform it. Devotions were in any language, could be multiplied at will, need no approval or approval of local bishop. The Second Vatican Council said in this regard:
SC 13. Popular devotions of the Christian people are to be highly commended, provided they accord with the laws and norms of the Church, above all when they are ordered by the Apostolic See.
Devotions proper to individual Churches also have a special dignity if they are undertaken by mandate of the bishops according to customs or books lawfully approved.
But these devotions should be so drawn up that they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy, are in some fashion derived from it, and lead the people to it, since, in fact, the liturgy by its very nature far surpasses any of them.
MOODLE 2010:
The entire period from Trent to Vatican II was a gradual slow growth period in change of the rite. It was mainly changed in nuance and that through the pastor but always anchored to the Roman Ritual. Although internally unchanged the rite was accommodating to the modernization of the urban and city expansions and customs of modern life like distant cemeteries, embalming etc.
Ethnic rituals of immigrants began to fade out. Roman Ritual begins to accommodate to urban life.
Catholic funeral remained something the Church performed for the deceased. The 1614 ritual practices continued.
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© Copyright: Tom Richstatter, Franciscan Province of St. John the Baptist, Cincinnati Ohio, Order of Friars Minor. All Rights Reserved. This page was created by Fr. Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M. Every effort has been, and is being made, to acknowledge sources when the ideas are not my own. Any failure to comply with the United States Copyright Act (Title 17, United States Code) will be corrected immediately should I become aware of it. This site was updated on 08/13/10 . Your comments on this site are welcome at tomrichs@psci.net.