Australia's Catholic church bans pop songs at funerals...

Football club songs and pop or rock music have been banned from funerals in Catholic churches in Australia under new guidelines distributed this week to priests and funeral directors.

A funeral should not be a "celebration" of the deceased's life, Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart said in the rules, but a final sacred farewell. Celebrations of that life should be held at social occasions before or after the funeral, he said.

Source

So even after you're dead, the Church gets the final say on how you are sent off. Your or your family's wishes be damned. I mean, as long as it's in good taste, it shouldn't matter if the family or the deceased want secular music played at a funeral. and as far as it not being "a "celebration" of the deceased's life", that is the largest pile of steaming feces I've heard since the last time I heard Sarah Palin speak!

The article does list the ten most popular songs played at funerals in Australia:

The top song was Frank Sinatra's version of "My Way," followed by "Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong, "Time To Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, and "Unforgettable" by Nat "King" Cole.

Rounding out the top 10 were "The Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler, "Amazing Grace," "We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn, "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland, "Abide With Me" by Harry Secombe, and "Danny Boy."

I see no problem with any of these songs being played in a church. If it's what the family or the deceased wants, then it should be done.

The list of top 10 most popular unusual funeral songs included listed as Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust," AC/DC's "Highway to Hell, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" by Monty Python, and "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" from "The Wizard of Oz."

OK, these might just be abit over the top for a Church service, but still...

It's fun to watch fundamental people trying to rebel against change!

I don't want my funeral to be a study in somberness. I want it to be a party and there will most certainly be lively music playing along with some of my personal favorites.

It was my life it should be my death!

i heard about this the other morning and there was one quote that fit the bill perfectly imo -

A priest is invited to a funeral by the family. The family is not invited by the priest.

I'd say stick it to any god botherer that told me how to celebrate a loved ones passing///

As a Catholic (almost) I say play whatever type of music you want.However if you are truly a Catholic respect the customs.In other words dont get a Catholic priest to preform the funeral and then play obscure music.Thats like going to Taco bell and asking for a big mac.

"We'll Meet Again" by Vera Lynn, was played at my Granddads funeral, he married my Grandmother during shore leave from the Navy during WWII and that song was very special to them both it made EVERYONE cry. If the church had told us that we couldn't play it we would have found another church.

Were exactly are they drawing the line for being "pop" music, even classical music was "pop" at one time, or is it only hymns that are allowed?