# data[].attributes.body
Many Catholics believe that death is the passing from the physical life to the afterlife where the soul of the deceased will live on in either Heaven, Hell or Purgatory. When Christ returns, it is believed that the bodies will be resurrected

# data[].attributes.body
Heaven:
Heaven is traditionally known as the throne of God as well as the holy angles. Heaven is considered as a state or condition of superior fulfillment. Heaven is also known as the house of righteous death in the afterlife ("Heaven in Christianity", 2017).

Hell:
In Catholicism, Hell is “the state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed” meaning that hell is the consequence of sin. In a catholic sense, Hell is where people willingly separate themselves from God, who is the source of all life and happiness ("Heaven, Hell and Purgatory", 2017).

Purgatory:
Purgatory is the state before you enter into complete communion with God. In Purgatory, every sign of sin must be erased and every inadequacy within the soul must be corrected. Purgatory is the condition of existence in which your soul is perfected to go into communion with God ("Heaven, Hell and Purgatory", 2017).

# data[].attributes.body
The purpose of a Catholic Funeral is to express faith in Jesus’ resurrection and to pray for the diseased person. The two main purposes of a funeral however are to pray for the deliverance of the deceased person into Heaven and to help the person’s loved ones not into grief but to have faith that one day they will be resurrected and their body and soul will once again be connected.  A catholic funeral is also there to thank God for the gift of the person's life (A Catholic Understanding of Funerals, 2017).

# data[].attributes.headline
Who Is Involved In The Ritual And What Do They Do?

# data[].attributes.subject
Who Is Involved In The Ritual And What Do They Do?

# data[].attributes.body
In a traditional Catholic funeral, the main religious figure that leads the service is a priest or deacon. They commonly wear black, white or violet vestments. During the service the priest does the Eucharistic Prayer and the giving of Holy Communion. At the graveside the priest also says the Rite of Committal. He also blesses the site before leading the grieving family and friends into prayer.

# data[].attributes.body
At a Catholic funeral many readings, prayers and psalms are said by the priest to the congregation to proclaim to them the promise of eternal life. The Priest also conveys to the people at the funeral hope, that by being gathered in God’s kingdom they will wish for the person to go to heaven and to live eternal life there. At the funeral the family members are able to choose the readings and the psalms that are said. These usually relate to the life and personality of the family member that they have lost.

# data[].attributes.headline
What Symbols And Colours Are Used In This Ritual?

# data[].attributes.subject
What Symbols And Colours Are Used In This Ritual?

# data[].attributes.body
The many symbols that are used in a Catholic funeral liturgy usually reflect the sacrament of Baptism. There are 4 traditional symbols that are used in funerals. These include the paschal candle, incense, the cross and white vestments.  The paschal candle reminds the family and friends attending the funeral of Christ and his victory over sin and death. The candle is also a reminder of the Easter vigil, the night where the Lord’s resurrection was awaited and as a new light for the living that the deceased has kindled. The incense that is used during the final commendation at a funeral mass is a sign of honour to the body of the deceased. It is also a symbol of the prayers that are said for the deceased rising to the Lord as a symbol of farewell. The cross in a funeral is usually placed in or on the casket of the deceased person and is there to remind the people attending the funeral that they are all marked as Christians with sign of the cross through baptism and that through Jesus’ suffering they are brought to his resurrection. White vestments are also an important part of a Catholic funeral as the colour white is also used throughout the Easter season. At a funeral the white vestments are worn by the residing priest as a countenance of Christian joy ("Symbols in the Funeral Mass", 2017).

# data[].attributes.body
During a catholic funeral, many actions take place to honour the deceased person and to honour Jesus Christ. At the beginning of a funeral, the reception of the deceased takes place which is a reminder that the church is the home of all Christians. This means that at the entrance of the church, when everybody enters they receive a sprinkling of holy water to remind them of the persons baptism and their initiation into the Catholic community. Another action that occurs in a Catholic funeral is the presentation of gifts. This is the ritual where bread, wine and water are brought the altar and the family members and friends of the deceased are invited to serve as gift bearers. This ritual is a reminder to all of the people who are present of their commitment to become what they will soon share, which is the blood and body of Christ.

# data[].attributes.body
There is a rich history behind the Catholic funeral. Some of the earliest fragments of manuscript from funerals can be traced back to the 600’s and 700’s in the Second Vatican Council. The churches that were built in the fourth century were often built on the burial sites of the martyrs. Even in that time the Christians prayed joyfully to God whilst at the same time mourning the deceased family member or friend. During the 20th century however, Catholic funerals became more solemn, as the focus was predominantly on rescuing the sole of the deceased from purgatory and sending them to live with God in heaven. One of the major changes that occurred in the 20th century in 1970 was that different funerals were no longer held for different classes of people. The ceremony was the to advocate ‘the equality in death expressed in liturgy’ (Catholicsentinel.org, 2017). This new type of funeral was there to hope for forgiveness from God for all those who passed away. Today funerals have changed yet again to a more environmentally friendly option called a green burial. This is a new type of cremation that decomposes the body by submerging it in an alkaline solution. This however is not a popular practice amongst most Catholics as it is believed to not uphold the respect for the human body. From the fourth century to the twenty-first  many aspects of the catholic funerals traditions and rituals have changed unrecognisably.

# data[].attributes.body
Organ Donation:

Organ donation is debated in the catholic community. Most Catholics accept it and see organ donation as the final charitable act that their loved one can make at the end of their life (Zone, 2017).

Embalming:

The purpose of embalming a body is to preserve to delay composition and to give it a more life-like appearance for a short time. This procedure entails removing all bodily fluids and replacing them with formaldehyde-based chemical solutions the slow down the decomposition process. There are many reasons for embalming, these include if there will be a viewing or a wake or if the funeral is an open casket funeral. Another reason for embalming was to prevent the spread of disease even though this has not been scientifically proven and is widely discredited. The final reason for embalming is if the body has to be transported long distances such as over national borders.

Green Embalming:

Another form of embalming is green embalming. This happens in an environmentally friendly way. Traditional embalming fluid (formaldehyde) is replaced with non – toxic, non – carcinogenic and formaldehyde – free embalming fluid which is often made from biodegradable essential oils.

# data[].attributes.body
Australia, C. (2017). Catholic Funerals & Traditions - Funeral Zone Australia. Funeralzone.com.au. Retrieved 20 October 2017, from https://www.funeralzone.com.au/help-resources/arranging-a-funeral/religious-funerals/catholic-funerals

Catholic Funeral Traditions. (2017). Everplans. Retrieved 16 October 2017, from https://www.everplans.com/articles/catholic-funeral-traditions

Heaven in Christianity. (2017). En.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 18 October 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven_in_Christianity

Heaven, Hell and Purgatory. (2017). Ewtn.com. Retrieved 18 October 2017, from https://www.ewtn.com/library/PAPALDOC/JP2HEAVN.HTM

Priest studies funeral traditions' long history - Catholic Sentinel. (2017). Catholicsentinel.org. Retrieved 26 October 2017, from http://www.catholicsentinel.org/Content/News/Local/Article/Priest-studies-funeral-traditions-long-history/2/35/19650

Symbols in the Funeral Mass. (2017). Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church. Retrieved 22 October 2017, from https://holytrinityrcparish.org/symbols-in-the-funeral-mass

Zone, C. (2017). Catholic Funerals | Catholic Funeral Services & Burial Rites - Funeral Zone. Funeralzone.co.uk. Retrieved 26 October 2017, from https://www.funeralzone.co.uk/help-resources/arranging-a-funeral/religious-funerals/catholic-funerals