Friends and family members who celebrate a life of crime at their liturgy have become increasingly problematic for parish priests in recent years.
Floral designs of screwdrivers and balaclavas, along with egregious readings from the altar, are among the ways deceased criminals are remembered.
However, Fr Bill O’Shaughnessy, a priest based in Tallaght, Dublin, has taken a stand against funeral Masses like these after witnessing shocking scenes at the local St Aidan’s Church in August.
During the funeral procession of a local man, cars were rammed and set on fire amid a large Garda presence.
Another service saw one individual wearing a balaclava while entering the church carrying a coffin. During this funeral Mass, items left on the altar included tools used to break into homes, along with floral displays of alcohol and cars.
‘As parish priest I want to publicly take responsibility for the glorification of criminality that has taken place while I have been asked to serve here,’ Fr O’Shaughnessy said, as reported by The Echo.
‘I want to apologise to all who have been scandalised by what has happened and I can assure you that from now on, no similar funeral will ever take place in this church while under my pastoral responsibility where such blatant mockery of our Christian faith and its humiliation of the victims of criminality, will never take place again.
‘In fact, steps are being taken, not only in our own parish but in the wider Tallaght area, in conjunction with other parishes to not allow this on church grounds ever again.’
Fr O’Shaughnessy, who is the parish priest for Springfield, Jobstown and Brookfield, said the church should never be a place of such blatant anti-Christian activity. He added: ‘Unfortunately there is much criminality in this area alone; men and women, children and teenagers engaging in serious drug violence and intimidation that is causing colossal damage to the lives of far too many people around here.
‘The church is a place where all of us are sinners, welcomed with open arms, welcomed with a firm challenge to change our ways and accept Christ into our lives and repent our ways.’
Fr O’Shaughnessy added that incidents like these cause ‘immense pain’ to parishioners who come to Mass every week.
He also criticised those who believe the ‘more affluent the funeral the more affluent the reward’. The priest said: ‘Where does it say that in scripture?
What saint or Pope or spiritual master for the past 2,000 years has ever said anything remotely close to that false spiritual notion? It is neither Christian nor common sense.’
He continued: ‘A life of crime is aligned with the devil and grooms young people to grow up and lose their innocence and lose their faith in Jesus.
‘As Jesus warned us all, Hell is a very real place where the worm of corrosion does not die and the fire does not go out. This is deadly serious.’
Fr O’Shaughnessy said that taking a stand against these types of funerals will also increase the safety of those who volunteer within the church.
‘Many extraordinary men and women give so much of their free time to volunteer here with us and for them to be put in harm’s way is something I can’t stand by in any shape or form,’ he said.
‘On top of this any glorification of criminality within our church grounds is very much our responsibility. I think it’s time we take a stronger stance against the use of symbols being brought to the altar along with extreme vulgar language used during eulogies or prayers – it has to be stopped.
‘People who wish to do these things can do so in secular venues but churches need to be off limits for this type of behaviour.’
Fr O’Shaughnessy added that numerous priests from adjacent parishes have also agreed to follow suit. He added: ‘This is an issue that needs to be dealt with in a unified manner with priests, volunteers and anyone else involved in Church activity.
‘We’ve already had a number of meetings with the local parishes in the area and thankfully Archbishop [of Dublin] Dermot Farrell is behind us.’