The Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi has announced new regulations to curb the increasing trend of families spending huge sums of money to organize funerals for departed relatives. With immediate effect, the Church has banned its bereaved members from purchasing special clothes for the One Week and Final Funeral Rites as well as Thanksgiving Service by families and sympathizers. Keeping of corpse at the morgue has also been limited to forty days. A statement signed by Director of Communication, Fr. Michael Sarfo Kantanka said the measures are aimed at reverting to “simple Akan and Christological origins” of holding funerals for departed relatives. The funeral regulations were put together by a committee set up by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi, Most Reverend Thomas K. Mensah with the purpose of reducing ostentation and the cost involved in funeral celebration among Christians. According to the statement “the Archdiocese has also banned the arrangement and display of things in a convoy known as ‘adekyeredee’ [things to show] during funerals of church members. With regard to ‘adesiedee’ [burial materials], only the essentials like rings and handkerchiefs and a very small amount of money shall be allowed. ‘Adwaredee’ [bathing items] will be accepted on condition that the items will be directly used on the corpse”, the statement read. Other activities banned by the regulations include changing of clothing on the corpse during laying-in-state and the laying-of-wreaths; the serving of food and drinks during one week celebration, burial and final funeral rites of a deceased member has also been abolished. The regulations also insist that brochures for Requiem Masses of deceased members should have only the picture of the deceased, a general programme of the Mass, the biography and one or two tributes but only one shall be read together with the biography. “In order to respect the Sunday, the day of the Resurrection, one week celebrations falling on Sundays shall be transferred to either the day before or the following day, if that would not cause grave inconvenience for the family. Also the regulations state that the final funeral rites shall end with Thanksgiving Mass on Sunday. “To give respect to traditional authorities the regulations emphasize that bereaved families are entreated to observe traditional council regulations where they are in place”, the statement stipulated. The Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi is calling for close collaboration between the Church and the family of any deceased member in organizing funeral celebrations to ensure smooth enforcement. There will not be any stringent sanctions for any breaches of the regulations except that church will refuse to attend the funeral. Meanwhile, members of the Catholic Church who spoke to Luv FM in Kumasi have welcomed the regulation, saying the action is long overdue. Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/Luv FM/Kumasi