Religion vs. Flag?
Aug 15th, 2009 | 9 responses
I am a Catholic, and I didn’t know.
I didn’t know that the Catholic Church bars the draping of coffins with the American flag during funeral ceremonies in the church—even if the coffin contains the remains of a fallen military hero.
I imagine that this “policy” applies to all national flags, because in an article in the Times Union of Albany, N. Y., quoting Ken Goldfarb, spokesman for the Albany Catholic Diocese, I read:
Catholic funerals throughout the world follow a universal order…Only Christian symbols may rest on or be placed near the coffin during the funeral liturgy. Any other symbols, for example, national flags or flags or insignias of associations, have no place in the funeral liturgy.
The article recalls the funeral service of military veteran George Moll, back in March, 2007, at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in Stillwater, New York.
The 75-year old George Moll, who had served in the Navy aboard the USS Allagash during the Korean War, had been a lifelong parishioner at the church. A church that had previously allowed American flags to drape coffins in the entryway of the church before replacing them with cloth coverings known as palls.
However, when Moll’s flag-draped coffin arrived at the church for the services, the new parish administrator at the time, the Rev. James Kane, strictly enforced the rules.
After the service, Moll’s casket left the church without an American flag around it. His wife, Florence Moll said. “They had to put the flag on in the freezing cold near the hearse…I thought it was a problem, and I was really disgusted.”
Some may say, what’s the big deal? To the bereaved widow, this apparently was a big deal.
And it appears to be a big deal to some other parishioners, too.
Apparently, this issue has followed Kane to neighboring Mechanicville, N.Y., where he was recently assigned to The Church of St. Peter the Apostle and Assumption/St. Paul.
Mechanicville is very close to the Saratoga National Cemetery in Stillwater, and, according to the Times Union, it has a large population of veterans who are Catholic: “Residents say coffins with American flags were permitted to enter and depart the church’s vestibule in the past, and the change is emblematic of Kane’s inflexible style of leadership.”
The Times Union quotes Mary Lou Anatriello, a lifelong church member “who buried her parents at St. Paul’s”:
The flag is the symbol of the freedom we fight for. This type of demand is hurtful….There are young men and women currently fighting for our freedom so we can worship as we please…This is not going to bring people into the church. It’s going to push them away because people feel so strongly about the American flag.
I have been in and around the military for most of my adult life, and I don’t remember this ever being an issue. I am quite sure that I have seen American-flag-draped coffins of military dead in Catholic churches.
I even searched the internet, and almost immediately came across the following item in the October 26, 2006, issue of the Evansville Courier & Press:
Fallen Marine remembered: Services for Sgt. Brock Babb
The church doors swung open, and all eyes shifted to a bare gurney in the lobby.
Seconds later, eight Marines entered St. Boniface Catholic Church, carrying a flag-draped casket with the remains of Sgt. Brock Babb. They placed the coffin on the gurney and wheeled it down a long aisle, stopping near an empty row of pews reserved for family and fellow Marines.
A little farther down: “Babb’s uncle, Randy Babb, gave a short speech and then returned to his seat. He stopped at the coffin and extended his hand, gently patting the American flag hanging over it.”
(Marine Sgt. Brock A. Babb, 40, of Evansville, Ind., died Oct. 15, 2006, while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Anbar province, Iraq. Babb was assigned to Marine Forces Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines, 4th Marine Division, Terre Haute, Ind.)
As I mentioned, I am a Catholic. But, I guess, I am not that good of a Catholic to fully understand this inflexibility on the part of the Catholic Church—or, at least, on the part of the U.S. Catholic Church.
Just a personal opinion. What is yours?
9 Responses to “Religion vs. Flag?”
You do have religious freedom. Choose another religion. I noticed in Europe, political flags are not present in churches. Flags in churches are common in the U.S., and, I have seen the U.S. flag in catholic churches here. Maybe they remove them during services. Some say that the catholic church is more about control, than faith. The catholic church defies U.S. law in some circumstances such as harboring illegal aliens for one. Personally I think that the catholic church should have it’s tax free status revoked over defiance of law, but if they don’t want the American flag displayed in their building then fine.
Some of these issues reflect the human pettiness of particular Bishops and Priests. I have been to many Catholic churches for masses, funerals, weddings, baptisms. Some have American flags on coffins at the Alter, others do not, even though the person was a veteran but the vast majority had no problem with keeping a flag if the family so wanted. Some Catholic Churches have the American flag hanging to one side with the Vatican Flag on the other at all times, and others do not. The Catholic Church is going through another period of angry purging of the nonconformity. It is also increasing in its overall irrelevance around the world by its own choice for a variety of petty, narrow-minded, mean-spirited, reasons that may make control-freaks happy but ultimately damage the long-term benefit of the Church. I have more disagreement with the Church concerning larger issues as I discussed in prior TMV blogs. Many Catholics don't know where to go as the alternatives have even more problems theologically, spiritually, and even politically/economically. If the Catholic Church demands to influence public policy on a variety of issues, it may have to face the natural backlash that it submits to more civil laws in the future. At the opposite extreme, certain Christian denominations wrap themselves in the American flag and also believe that God is a card-carrying Republican. The Church is trying – a bit sloppily – to emphasize that nationality and politics are irrelevant in the eyes of a universal God – a valid view of an organization based upon a “catholic” (universal) religious tradition and history. The transition in the vestibules of Churches should be done respectfully and the family and Veterans should be fully informed of the separation for theological reasons. In Catholic churches they pray for the wisdom of our public servants to serve the public good, though some churches will go much farther with respect to particular political ideologies. What is needed in the long run is an ability to discere the important issues from the trivial and be more flexible and accommodating to local customs that do not denigrate the basic tenants of the faith. Moderation and this universal approach ensured the Church's 2,000 history and made it the largest single religious denomination on the planet. Stagnation in theology, ossification of needless traditions, anger, pettiness, inflexibility that ignores the real life sanity and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and the apostles, and an extreme need to control the lives and thoughts of others, is now taking over the hierachy of the church and doing long-term damage to the entire Church.and its members. I pray things will change but fear the worse is yet to come. Best regards from a fellow blogger in Phoenix, MP
It's not clear to me whether the problem you're describing is specific to the Catholic Church, or to Rev. Kane. From your post, though, it sounds as if Kane is a born bureaucrat — and that always causes problems.
hi ddw
Catholic here
Preventing a vet from 'wearing' the flag of their country during a Requiem or other kind of Mass, is not
Church doctrine,
not part of the Mysterium,
not a mortal sin,
not a Papal decree,
not an Infallible Teaching,
not a poof, you die if you do this, event.
It is, however, an opinion, just like the idea of Limbo is an opinion, not a doctrine, not a Papal orthydoxy etc.
I'm not a theologian, just an old believer,
but I do know from being a columnist at the largest Catholic newspaper in the US, from the commenters there, that there are some parishes not just here, but across the world, including Africa, India and China where the men of the cloth are cruel to others, Elmer Gantry-like, need far better humane formation. Often enough, such a priest draws to himself who believe likewise that others ought ever be chastised, held to a rote 'norm' they made up themselves, instead of holding to Christ's.
Just my two cents worth, but, the Christ seems to have been the God of Love, not the God of Prevent Flags.
dr.e
I asked for opinions, and I certainly got them.
Pachigordo and dr.e, in particular, there is a lot to think about and digest in your comments.
I was especially intrigued by one of Pachigordo's remarks: “At the opposite extreme, certain Christian denominations wrap themselves in the American flag…”, as it contrasts this one instance of a church (or a Reverend) not wanting to let the American flag in the church, not even when wrapped around the remains of a fallen hero.
But then, as dr. e comments, “Preventing a vet from 'wearing' the flag of their country during a Requiem or other kind of Mass, is not
Church doctrine,
not part of the Mysterium,
not a mortal sin,
not a Papal decree,
not an Infallible Teaching,
not a poof, you die if you do this, event.
It is, however, an opinion, just like the idea of Limbo is an opinion, not a doctrine, not a Papal orthydoxy etc”
I still believe that there are instances, such as these, where a church, any church or religion can show some flexibility, can make some exceptions.
Thank you,
Dorian
And, no, I won't “choose another religion.”
[And, no, I won't "choose another religion.]
Then fine, make your complaint to your bishop and I suggest that you leave the general public out of your argument because I suspect that you will never get the answers you want from either.
As I have told you before FT, I'll write what I want to, when I want to and I will tell the “general public” what I want to, when I want to, just as you are free to spew your insipid comments when you want to and where you want to.
Good day!
This, from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops:
The Flag
When persons who are or were in the military die, family and friends often wish to display the (national) flag as a symbol of national service. They want to drape the flag over the coffin, as is the custom at a “military” funeral. For Catholics, however, baptism remains the fundamental identity. Other emblems should not displace Christian symbols reminding the community of the person's baptism.
The flag could be put on a standard and placed near the entrance, where it will be visible to all as they enter. If, however, the family do want to have the flag placed on the coffin, it can be done when the coffin is being transported to and from the church where the main funeral liturgy is to be celebrated. The flag (which should be a suitable size) can then be removed and folded with appropriate ceremony and respect just before the pall is to be placed on the coffin during the welcoming of the body. The flag then becomes part of the ritual action in the liturgy. The pall will be removed after the liturgy, and the flag can again be placed on the coffin as it is being transported out of the church.
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