Funeral frolics upset Catholics

The Catholic Church will move quickly to introduce formal guidelines for funeral services in New Zealand if funeral-goers become as unruly as some of their Australian counterparts.

Raucous music, dirty jokes and even beer bottles opened at the altar are among the indignities being performed at Catholic funerals in Australia, and church leaders there have decided to crack down.

Australian National Liturgical Commission executive officer Peter Williams said there was "a collision between the church's rites and people's expectations in memorialising someone important to them who has died".

That had resulted in instances of inappropriate behaviour at Australian Catholic funerals, including long-winded eulogies and, on one occasion, a verbal attack on the church itself.

A commission subcommittee is reviewing guidelines for funeral services and is due to report back to bishops next year.

Catholic Church communication director Lyndsay Freer said funeral services in New Zealand left "some scope" for secular contributions, "but it has to be within a framework".

"The point is it is a sacred occasion and the dignity of that occasion must be maintained."

Mrs Freer - a regular funeral singer - said she had never seen behaviour of the Australian type.

"I am sure if it did happen [in New Zealand], if there were a number of things that were happening that were inappropriate, there would be guidelines.

"If anything was outlandish or inappropriate ... in the context of a church ... it would certainly be outlawed here."

The Anglican assistant bishop of Auckland, Richard Randerson, said his church had no formal guidelines for funeral services.

"It would be up to every priest to establish what was appropriate."

Bishop Randerson, the Dean of Holy Trinity Cathedral, said that although it was important a funeral did not degenerate into "some sort of a farewell party" for the deceased, there was nowadays a greater diversity in what was said and the type of music played.

"I think the only guideline we exercise here at the cathedral is that any element of a service ... should be seemly and appropriate to a cathedral setting."

Manukau Baptist minister Grahame Craggs said there was always "an element of risk" that funeral-goers would act or speak inappropriately.

"The risk is, perhaps, that people have had a few too many before they turn up, and say something inappropriate, but I have never had it happen to me in 15 years."