By Fr. Dr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Amos
As the Catholic Church in Benin City continues to keep wake at the passing of its Metropolitan Archbishop, Most Rev. Dr. Augustine Obiora Akubeze, another liturgical question has quietly begun to emerge among priests, religious and the lay faithful. Since the Archbishop died on July 9, 2026, but will not be buried until August 13, 2026, will the customary Month’s Mind Mass, traditionally observed around the thirtieth day after death, be observed before his Funeral Mass and interment?
At first glance, the question appears unusual. In reality, it touches on one of the Church’s most beautiful yet least understood traditions concerning prayer for the dead.
Contrary to popular assumption, the Month’s Mind is not prescribed by universal canon law. Nowhere in the Code of Canon Law (Canons 1176–1185), which governs ecclesiastical funerals, is there any legislation requiring a Month’s Mind celebration. Likewise, neither the Order of Christian Funerals nor the Roman Missal establishes the practice as an obligatory liturgical observance. Instead, it belongs to the Church’s rich treasury of devotional customs, particularly cherished in Ireland, England, Scotland, the Philippines, Nigeria and many parts of the Commonwealth.
Historically, the Month’s Mind developed from the ancient Christian conviction that the Eucharist remains the greatest prayer that can be offered for the faithful departed. Medieval Christians often marked the third, seventh and thirtieth days after death with solemn Masses, drawing inspiration from biblical patterns of mourning and remembrance. Over time, the thirtieth-day Mass became firmly established in many local Churches as a privileged moment to commend the deceased once again to God’s mercy.
Significantly, however, the Church has never taught that the Month’s Mind depends on burial but death.
Theologically, death, not interment, is the moment at which the Church’s suffrages begin. The instant a Christian dies, the Church commences her prayer. The first prayers after death, the Vigil, the Funeral Mass, the Rite of Final Commendation, the Rite of Committal, anniversary Masses and the Month’s Mind are all distinct expressions of the same uninterrupted communion of prayer. They are not sequential obligations that invalidate one another if their order changes because of extraordinary circumstances.
The Order of Christian Funerals reflects this theology by treating the Funeral Mass as the Church’s principal liturgical celebration for the deceased while also encouraging continued remembrance through subsequent Masses and prayers. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal equally provides formularies for Masses for the Dead without making burial a prerequisite for offering the Eucharistic Sacrifice.
History itself illustrates this pastoral flexibility. Throughout the world, the funerals of popes, cardinals and bishops have occasionally been delayed because of state ceremonies, transportation of remains, civil protocols, public veneration or extraordinary pastoral circumstances. During such periods, dioceses have never suspended prayers for the deceased while awaiting burial. Cathedral chapters continue celebrating Masses, religious communities continue offering suffrages, and the faithful continue praying the Rosary, the Divine Office and the Office of the Dead. The Church has always understood that her prayer accompanies the soul from the moment of death, not merely from the moment of burial.
In Archbishop Akubeze’s case, the interval between his death and burial should therefore not be interpreted as a liturgical obstacle. Rather, it provides an opportunity to appreciate the distinction between a devotional memorial and the Church’s official funeral rites. Month’s Mind, where celebrated, would simply become another Eucharistic act of intercession offered for a beloved shepherd whose earthly journey has ended but whose eternal destiny remains entrusted to the mercy of God.
Conversely, should the Archdiocese of Benin City decide not to observe a formal Month’s Mind celebration, choosing instead to preserve the singular focus of the Funeral Mass and the sacred rites that will follow just a few days later, such a decision would be equally consistent with the Church’s liturgical discipline. Since the Month’s Mind is a venerable devotional custom rather than a universal canonical obligation, omitting a diocesan celebration in these exceptional circumstances would in no way diminish the Church’s prayer for her late shepherd. Rather, priests, parishes, religious communities and individual members of the faithful may continue to offer Masses, Rosaries and other suffrages in their respective churches and communities for the repose of Archbishop Akubeze’s soul, thereby ensuring that the uninterrupted communion of prayer which began at the moment of his death continues until his body is finally committed to the earth in Christian hope.
For this reason, whether the Archdiocese observes a formal Month’s Mind or reserves its principal communal celebration for the Funeral Mass itself, both approaches remain firmly within the Church’s liturgical and pastoral tradition. What is indispensable is not the observance of a particular custom, but the Church’s unceasing prayer for the faithful departed. This unusual convergence of dates has therefore become an unexpected catechesis, reminding Catholics that while funerals belong to time, Christian hope belongs to eternity. The Church measures neither her charity nor her prayers by the calendar alone. From the moment death opens the door to eternal life, the Eucharist continues to speak with its timeless voice: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul rest in peace. Amen.”
Thanks for reading.
Fr. Dr. Okhueleigbe Osemhantie Ãmos
Catholic Priest of Uromi Diocese and lecturer @CIWA
Comments are closed.