Roman catholic funeral and burial practices Research Paper

Roman catholic funeral and burial practices - Research Paper Example They are also known as ecclesiastical funerals in the Church. When a member of the family or a loved friend passes away, the others are left grieving and wondering why it had to happen to him. However the truth lies that every person is going to see his end one day or another and thus, instead of feeling tremendous sorrow for the deceased one, people try and hope for the best and thank Jesus for all that he has done and everything he had provided the person with during his lifetime. The Roman Catholic Funeral rites thus help to offer a very profound journey for the dead that helps his family and friends to pass through the beautiful emotions of grief and loss as well as joy that the person is going to a happier place where he is believed to have an everlasting life in heaven or paradise. There are a number of varied beliefs on what happens after death, for all different religions. In the Roman Catholic Church, people are taught that after death, a body begins to decompose into the Ea rth. During this process, the soul however leaves the body and undergoes an immediate evaluation. This is according to the Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (KJV). They believe that there are very few people who end up going to heaven after their death. They are those people that spend their lives worshipping God and let God show them the way in every aspect of their lives. They are thus glorified and are rewarded by eternal bliss in heaven. Some saints, the Virgin Mary and Apostles qualify for walking on this path after their death. On the other hand, those who commit sins during their lifetime or reject the existence and worship of God are transported to Hell after their death. It is here that they are tortured for the rest of whatever they have left, their souls are not give mercy and they are stuck forever in this position that they are believed to have created for themselves, by inflicting upon them, deeds during the course of their lifetime. Yet another state that many dead people enter into right after their death is the state of purgatory. This takes place when a person loves God ‘imperfectly’ during his lifetime but dies in a state of grace. Purgatory is said to be the state where such people have to suffer for a long time in order o cleanse themselves of whatever imperfections have been accumulated within their souls because of their deeds in their lives. They might have committed certain mortal sins, but after some ablution these are cleansed off and forgiven in the Sacrament of Peace. However, such people are still believed to have some punishments which need to be discharged. (CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA) The Roman Catholics believe that Purgatory is much like Hell because when people are tortured here in order to cleanse themselves, they are tortured endlessly with fire. This happens till they are perfectly pure again to be able to qualify to enter the gates of Heaven. It is also belie ved that if the friends and family of the deceased pray to God for his soul, then his stay in purgatory is shortened, otherwise he has to endure fighting with fire till he is absolved. The difference from Hell is that one in Purgatory eventually gets to enter Heaven unlike those who already are in Hell. Moving on to the actual funeral rites in the Roman Catholic Church, these have three parts.

Virtual Tour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Virtual Tour - Essay Example French Baroque did not follow the same deigns as did its Italian counterparts. This was evident when Louis XIV held the opinion that the Baroque as it was practiced in Italy was not in French taste. He proved it by rejected Bernini's famous proposal for redesigning the Louvre. Thus, the Palace of Versailles proves to be an ardent display of this new classicism which seeped into the traditional Baroque form. It began construction under Louis XIV who aimed to use propaganda and art to glorify the French. The Marble Court, Garden Faà §ade and Hamlet of Marie Antoinette are just a few building that followed this kind of architecture under Louis XIV’s rule. Versailles was chosen as the fixed housing of the sovereign kings in 1682, two years after its completion. It began an ardent display of Baroque architecture which represented a world of civilization and pleasure. A magnificent Hall of Mirrors reflects this form of Baroque art as it allowed the king to bestow his power. Coupled with this were various salons. Amongst them was the Salon of Hercules which was decorated with beautiful ceiling fresco paintings. The Salon of Abundance was similar in its design as a Baroque piece of architecture. This classical form of architecture was further complemented by the construction of extensive gardens which surrounded the area. The Hampton Court in England plays its role as a palace for King Henry the VIII. However, at the end of his reign he was replaced by various Kings and Queens who continued to live. in his lavish apartments. It was during the reign of William and Mary that Sir Christopher Wren was given a commission to redesign the lavish palace. He rebuilt them using a beautiful Baroque style which is prevalent even today. The work done by Sir Wren is evident in the East Front and South Front of the Court. The magnificent East and South fronts were constructed in red brick with Portland stone carvings. The structure's forms were intended to rival Louis XIV's r ebuilding of Versailles. This building too possesses displays of strength and power to glorify the force of England. Similar to the Versailles it has a great stone centre piece, the focal point for the design of the East Front. This is surmounted by a massive pediment containing Caius Gabriel Cibber's relief of Hercules triumphing over Envy. Along with