An excellent pieceby Kathleen Flake on the funeral of Mormon leader Gordon Hinckley. Flake describes the family as more or less in charge of funerals for Mormons. Theological questions aside (if possible): would you prefer that families have more "control" over Catholic funerals (where the presider/priest may not even know the deceased) or is the impersonality, in a sense, of the typical Catholic funeral service a relief?

John T. McGreevy is the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at the University of Notre Dame.

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