“A video recently went viral when an Italian priest in Ireland stepped in to cut short a eulogy at a funeral Mass. I thought the priest was within his rights to do so. My wife, who is Irish, strongly disagreed, thinking the priest rude and completely out of order. Which of us is right?”
You are right. Strictly speaking, a eulogy has no place in a funeral Mass. We would think it very odd if a person came up from the pews and gave a personal reflection at any other Mass. A funeral Mass should be no different. Having said that, it would be a very brave priest – or an Italian member of one of the new movements – who tried to prevent a eulogy. At least in the Anglophone Western world, eulogies can be the norm at funeral Masses. A few dioceses have banned eulogies at funerals, but, in the absence of clear directives from the bishop, this issue can be a minefield for parish priests to navigate.
