mother during her life; and when she will finish her days, bury Let one tomb unite those

her in the same sepulchre with me.

whom one wedlock has joined together, because they are but one flesh; and whom God has joined together, let not man separate :' St. Jerome.

Chap. 3. Let each woman follow her husband, whether living or dead. The sister of St. Benedict is interred in the monument which he had erected for himself. So that even the grave separates not the bodies of those, whose soul was always united in the Lord' Pope Gregory the Great.

Likewise Joseph, dying in Egypt, GEN. 1. enjoined on his brethren to carry his bones after his death and deposite them in the monument of his fathers. Also, it was said to the Prophet, who had, contrary to the command of the Lord, eaten in Bethel, Thy dead body shall not be brought into the sepulchre of thy fathers: 3 KINGS Xiii. 22.

From which we learn, first, that interment in the tombs of their fathers was granted as reward for their piety to the just, and refused as punishment for their wickedness to the unjust; and secondly, that, although it is strongly urged and recommended by nature and religion, to bury the married couple together, yet there is no positive law for it, but, on the contrary, it is decreed,

Decret. Greg. Lib. 3, Tit. 28, c. 7, With regard to the wife, whether she, as well as the husband, should enjoy the freedom of sepulture? No distinction ought, in our opinion, to be made in this respect, between the husband and wife; for it is our opinion, that each of them enjoys an equal privilege; whereas the election refers to that state, particularly, in which the woman is freed from the law of the husband: Pope Lucius III.

Con. Arela 3, Can. 4, An. 461. Let the Laity who undertake funerals, act with fear, awe, reverence; let no body sing there profane verses, nor indulge in dance, or joke, which are pagan inventions from the instigation of the devil. Who is ignorant that it is sinful and not only foreign to the Christian religion, but also contrary to human nature, to appear merry, to dance, laugh, get drunk there, and, in contempt of all piety, and charity, as if to exult for a neighbor's death, where grief and cries should resound for the

loss of a dear brother? We read, indeed, in many places that the fathers of both the Old and New Testaments bemoaned in tears. the death of holy men ; but no where do we read, that they exulted for the departure of any persons from this world. All Egypt mourned for seventy days the Patriarch Jacob's death, GEN. 1.; Joseph and his brethren, when they carried their father's corpse to be interred in the land of Chanaan, spent seven days in weeping and great lamentation. The lamentation was so vehement that the place got the name The mourning of Egypt: GEN. 1. 11. And we read of St. Stephen, that devout men took care of his funeral and made great mourning over him: Acrs viii. 2. Consequently, let such silly merriment and sinful canticles be forbidden by the authorities. But should any person feel desirous to sing there, let him chant the kyrie eleison; otherwise, let him be silent altogether. But if he would not observe silence, let him, as an example to others, be reprimanded next day by the priest :' Vide Summam Council.

Con. Toletan 3. Can. 21, in Hispania. Those who by the decrees of Providence depart this life, should be accompanied to the grave with hymns and psalms. We strictly forbid that the usual profane dirges be sung; or that the family or neighbors be striking themselves on the breasts. Let it suffice that, from the hope of resurrection, sacred songs do accompany the Christian funerals: for St. Paul forbids to weep over the dead. Regarding those that sleep I would not have you to be sad, like the rest who have no hope. The Lord wept not for Lazarus' death, but rather deplored that he would be raised again to encounter the miseries of this life. Let the Bishop, if possible, prevent this practice amongst the Christjans' Vide Summam Conciliorum.

DECRET. GRATIAN, Dist 44. Chap. 7. Let no Clergyman, when he attend the funeral or the anniversary of the dead, become drunk, or drink in memory of that or any other deceased person, or force others, or allow himself, to be forced to drink; let him not sing, excite bustle, or laughter, or relate silly anecdotes; let him not tolerate in his presence the indelicate exhibitions of bears or monkies, or masquerades for such practice is diabolical and contrary to the Canons.' Con. Nanneten.

13, Quest. 2, C. 12. The very illustrious lady Nereida has complained to us that your Brotherhood demand of her one hundred shillings for the burial ground of her daughter. That sin we have strictly forbiden in our Church, since the time we were promoted by God's grace to Episcopal dignity; nor have we at all suffered the base custom to revive. Being mindful that when Abraham would purchase from the sons of Ephron, that is, from the sons of Seor, the site of a Sepulchre for the interment of his wife, he refused taking the price for fear he would appear to make profit by the dead body. Whereas that pagan was possessed of so much tenderness of heart, how tar should we who are priests, be from committing that crime? I therefore conjure you, that this sin of avarice be not again attempted even upon strangers. But, when you allow any person to be entombed in your church, if his parents, friends, or neighbors freely offer any thing for lights, we do not forbid that it be accepted, but we strictly forbid that any thing be demanded or exacted, lest the charge of venality (which God forbid) attach to the Church, or that you would appear pleased with the deaths of man, by seeking in any manner whatever profit from their bodies: Greg. Mag. to the Bishop of Sardinia. An. 599.

Chap. 13 After Ephron was tempted by the price to sell for money the tomb, Abraham urging him to it, the letter vau which was with them read for O, was taken from his name (GEN. xxiii. 11; Acтs. vii. 16 and instead of Ephron, he is called Ephran ; the Scriptures hereby signifying that the man is not endowed with sound and perfect virtue, who would be guilty of selling the monuments of the dead. Consequently let them, who would sell the graves, being not compelled to receive the price, but even exacting it from unwilling people, know that their name is changed and that they have lost all merit. Whereas the very man who has been forced to accept the price, is privately reprimanded:' St. Jerome on GEN. 23.

Chap. 14. It is written in the BooK ECCLE. vii. 37. Restrain not grace from the dead; knowing that we must all die. And again, All things that are of the earth, shall into the earth return : xl. 11; GEN. iii. Why dost thou, earth, sell the earth? Remember that thou art earth, and into earth thou must return; that death is to

come upon thee; that it approaches and hurries.

Remember that the earth is not man's property, but, as the Psalmist, PSALM Xxiii. sings, The earth and those who inhabit it, are the Lord's. If thou sellest the earth, thou wilt be guilty of usurping another's right. Gratis hast thou received from God, give gratis for his sake. Therefore, it is strictly forbidden all Christians to sell the earth for the dead and to refuse unto them suitable place of interment ; unless the friends and relatives of the deceased freely offer any thing for his name and the salvation of his soul.' Con. Tribur, Can. 16.. An. 895. in Germania.

DECRET. GREG. Lib. 3, Tit. 28, c. 13. An abominable custom, that ought to be abolished, has grown up, it is said, in Mount Pessulan, that the grave be not opened for the dead, until a certain price be paid to the Church for the ground, in which they are to be buried. We command you, as being the Ordinary of that place, that you prevent the Clergy from having the presumption to domand any thing whatever in that respect:' Innocent III. to the Bishop of Magalan, An. 1208.

Hence, it is evident, that to charge price for graves or tombs, or to refuse the dead a suitable place of interment, is a sin of avarice disgraceful even to the pagans; that to sell the earth to the poor dead is a usurpation of God's right-an exaction from him of a price for a few feet of that earth which he bestowed gratis upon you. Remember, man, thou art but earth and into earth thou must return; that death will come upon thee, that it approaches and hurries. Do these spurious, nominal Christians, who traffick upon the bodies of the dead; who afford them cemeteries, graves, and tombs, not for God's sake, but for filthy gain; who seek profit through the moans, and tears, and deaths of their fellow man, ever think or reflect that they themselves will soon be laid low; that they must soon render to the Master a strict account of their stewardship? When he will accost them thus: I was hungry and you gave not to eat; I was sick and in prison and you visited me not; I bestowed upon you for performing works of mercy, your wealth and lands; but you would not restore unto me, without price, a small lot of my own ground for the interment of my poor! Depart from me. ve cursed, into the eternal fire that

is prepared for the devil and his angels. What defence will the grave-venders, grave-diggers, surgeons, and burkers who make merchandize of our very bodies: 2 PET. ii. 3. set up on the day of wrath and retribution?

EXTRAV. Lib. 3. Tit. 6. De Sepultura. Chap. Detestandæ. 'We decree that the detestable and ferocious practice with some Christians of mangling, to the horror of all pious minds, the bodies of human beings, be totally abolished. These Christians have the shocking custom, if any of their clan illustrious for rank, or title, die outside the limits of their own parts, and if he be, even from his own choice, buried either in his own, or in strange places, inhumanly to disinter, through some impious notions of charity, the dead body, and after cutting it into bits, limb from limb, to put them into water to be boiled on the fire; and finally, when the flesh is melted away from the bones, they carry or send them for interment in the aforesaid parts. Which practice is odious in the sight of God, abhorrent to the eyes of man.

'Anxious therefore, in fulfillment of our sacred duty, to remedy and totally to root out this wicked and barbarous abuse, We command, and by the Apostolical authority, decree that when any person of any rank, state or dignity whatever, in future, depart this life, in Cities, quarters, or Countries, where the Catholic worship prevails, the aforesaid or similar abuses be not by any means praetised upon his dead body; and that the faithful do not pullute their hands with such barbarity. But, to the end that the dead bodies be not thus brutally and inhumanly handled, let them be carried in the first instance, to where they would, when living choose to be interred; or let them be deposited for a time in the city, village, or place, where they die, or in the next place of Ecclesiastical interment; so that at last, when the corpse moulder into dust, they may be transferred to where they would prefer for their own interment, and let them be there buried.

If the Executor or Executors of the deceased person, or his relatives, or any other persons of any order, state, degree, or dignity whatever, even enjoying Episcopal dignity, presume to contravene