The Funeral Ministry in the Covid-19 context: burials performed without the ritual of hope

Abstract

This paper aims to reflect on the suspension of funeral rituals, in times of the Covid-19 pandemic, due to governmental sanitary measures implemented to prevent the spread of the virus. If, for the Roman Catholic Church, performing the funeral liturgy before burial is a way, among others, to accompany the deceased person’s final moments, handing him over to God, as well as an opportunity to speak a word of comfort and hope to grieve family and friends, this text, through bibliographical and documental research, considers to what extent the non-realization of this religious service leaves a gap in the institution’s pastoral action. It is essential to highlight that the suspension of the funeral ritual in the pandemic context does not concern the entire Catholic Church but in specific and localized situations, such as the city of Campinas (SP), where part of the funeral ceremonies is no longer held.