This pamphlet has been produced to help and guide you to plan a
dignified funeral within your family's financial means. We come from
different cultural and family practices, so this pamphlet may seem
naive or even irrelevant to some. But the Church's job is to preach
the Good News. Part of this is to be involved in the ordinary aspects
of people's daily lives, including funerals.
The reality is
that these days people are dying younger and in great numbers. Many
funerals take place each week, and often a single family can suffer
repeated bereavements. So the Church's task is to offer guidelines o
funeral matters. This pamphlet comes with love and good will to all
the people of God in this Diocese, in the hope that you will find it
helpful.
PREPARATION
Ecclesiastes 7:2 tells us that death is the destiny of all human beings. We all need to prepare for death. But how should we do that? Here are some practical ideas:
Consider taking out a life insurance policy.
Consider joining a funeral scheme. they are available from some banks and from most Funeral Directors / Services. Look around and compare their costs and benefits.
Find out about local bereavement schemes (societies) in your community.
Life policies are more expensive than funeral schemes, so choose
wisely.
Payouts from life policies normally cover the funeral
costs and still leave some money behind. Payouts from funeral and
bereavement schemes normally cover funeral costs only.
WHAT TO DO WHEN A DEATH HAS OCCURRED
Death is a very painful and emotional experience. People who are directly faced with death may be traumatized by the event and may not be able to think straight and make rational decisions. This is the time when much support and great understanding should be exercised by those close to the bereaved. Here is what you will need to do at this time.
Report the death to your priest or church leadership immediately.
Notify the insurance company or the funeral scheme about the death.
Notify the person in possession of the will (usually a lawyer or family member).
PLANNING THE FUNERAL
It is very important to consult with your priest or church leaders to make arrangements concerning:
The day and time of the funeral;
What form the funeral service should take; and
The length and contents of the programme.
It is very important to arrange these details with the church before going to the funeral directors.
Inform the funeral directors of the church arrangements.
If
there is no insurance policy or funeral scheme, ask for advice from
funeral directors about cost-effective services.
If no
financial help is available to you, contact the local Department of
Social Welfare to see if they can help.
MINIMIZING THE COSTS
In this Diocese, we encourage all to avoid funerals that are too expensive.
Minimizing costs does not mean giving your loved one a pauper's funeral.
It does not mean that the deceased was not loved. It also does not
mean that the family is displayed its poverty in public. This is all
about acting in a responsible manner. It is about simplicity and
humility.
People often say that they want to give their
deceased a great send-off. This is god - but let it be a send-off
that has dignity, and that will not leave great debt and hunger when
the whole event is over. A funeral is a solemn occasion, not an
extravaganza.
Here are some ways to cut the costs of funerals.
Don't pay for things that the family can do themselves.
Don't spend money on things the family can do without.
Spend money on reasonable items, not expensive ones.
Don't allow strangers to handle financial issues.
Don't deal with unscrupulous dealers or those with a bad reputation.
Expect value for your money. Don't buy something that won't work. Compare the relative costs of burial and cremation. (Cremation may be more expensive than a burial, depending on where the funeral is held.)
Don't leave the deceased too long tin the morgue, as this attracts storage charges.
The Church is not just paying lip service to this issue. This long-standing surplice fee for funerals was abolished at the 2002 Diocesan Synod. (This does not, of course, stop people from giving a thank-offering to the person leading the service.) So you are encouraged to do all in your power to minimize funeral costs.
FUNERALS AND CULTURE
The practice in African culture of slaughtering a beast for funeral ceremonies, was a long-standing tradition. Nothing was wasted of that slaughtered beast. The meat was prepared for mourners, people who had travelled long distances on foot or horse cart to attend the funeral. The skin of the beast was then used as a blanket to wrap the deceased as s / he was laid to rest.
FUNERALS AND CHRISTIANS
The Old Testament tells us that people were buried on the day that they died. Some were embalmed for burials. In New Testament times, the deceased were wrapped in linen for burial. The graves of those days were different from ours: they were like small compartments where the deceased were peacefully and respectfully laid to rest. There was nothing extravagant about the funeral ceremonies performed in those days. Things were still done in an orderly and dignified manner.
FUNERALS TODAY
We don't live in the Iron Age or the Stone Age. Much in life has changed for the better.
|
Resolution No. 5 of Diocesan Synod, June 2002 ''That this Synod agree in the name of Christ vehemently to oppose extravagant funerals.'' |
Technology makes great strides in improving the life of human
beings. We have refrigerated morgues, we have wood and steel coffins,
and there is also the option of cremation. Having said all this,
death itself has not changed. Death is still death, people still die
and need to be buried. Unfortunately in this era death seems to be
coming hard and fast on our generation. Let our strengths and
resources not be channelled towards burial ceremonies. Surely there
is more to life than funerals.
Part of the funeral ceremony
nowadays is the practice of unveiling the tombstone at the same time.
This is good for the family because then they won't need to dig deep
for cash to perform another ceremony. This is only encouraged as long
as the family won't be left with a huge debt to service. An
extravagant funeral plus an expensive tombstone do not help the dead
to rest in peace. Dying in the Lord Jesus Christ is what really
gives great peace to the dead - and also to the living.
MORE SUGGESTIONS FOR CURBING FUNERAL COSTS
A chipboard coffin which costs between R400 and R800 does the same
work as oak or steel coffins that range from R5 000 to R8 000 or
more. Some people still cover coffins with the skin of a slaughtered
beast or a new blanket - so why incur extra expense for the same
thing?
Whether a coffin is transported in a traditional hearse
or in a limousine or an air plane, it will eventually reach its
destination. Choose the cheaper option.
A huge slice of
peoples' income in many homes goes to providing basic food. With no
spare money for entertainment, that is how expensive food is these
days. There is no need to entertain mourners with a big feast.
A
follow-up party (''after tears'', as it is called) can extinguish the
solemnity of a funeral and turn it into a great extravaganza.
Some
people are dressed up in new clothes before being put in the
coffin.
What a shame this is - especially if the dead person
never knew what it felt like to wear a suit or even to put on decent
shoes while s / he was still alive!
THE CHURCH'S VISIBLE PROTEST AGAINST EXTRAVAGANT FUNERALS
Maybe we need to return to one of our church's many rich and
sacred traditions: covering coffins with a Pall during the
funeral service in the church. Some of our churches still practice
this tradition, and they are commended for that. The use of a Pall
hides any obvious disparity between poorer and wealthier families
when several funerals take place at the same time, and saves
embarrassment.
We are living in times of great poverty and
unemployment, with the scourge of disease and many other negative
things facing us. These are the challenges facing us. We must stand
up against these evils and not run away from them. We have been
blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, the mighty power of God to
face up to any evil, to speak out against any malady that affects the
lives of God's people.
This leaflet is one way in which we try
to show care for God's people, to intervene in situations where
things seem to be causing great hardship.
This article was compiled by The Revd Dintoe Letloenyane, (Diocese of Bloemfontein (CPSA) and edited and produced by Cyril Pink Frog DTP, Bloemfontein. Your comments and contributions will be greatly appreciated. Please send them to the Bishop's office,
P O Box 411, Bloemfontein, 9300, or e-mail to: bishoppatrick@global.co.za.
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