Late Bishop Emeritus Francis Okobo buried in the Cathedral
INTRODUCTION
Bishops are traditionally buried inside the cathedral because the cathedral is the mother church of the diocese and the very place where a bishop’s pastoral ministry is exercised. The Church’s law, liturgical practice, and centuries‑old custom all point to the cathedral as the proper resting‑place for a bishop. But why is this so?
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
From the early centuries the faithful coveted burial “near God’s holy ones,” and the bodies of martyrs and distinguished bishops were often placed inside churches.
The Catholic Encyclopedia on cemeteries notes that, despite early prohibitions, “the custom of permitting certain favored individuals to be interred… within the church” became widespread, especially for bishops and royal personages.
The Acts of Peter of Alexandria recount a similar practice: the people placed their bishop “in his episcopal chair, and then buried him”. This long‑standing custom underscores the honor attached to a bishop’s burial within the cathedral.
CANONICAL STIPULATIONS
Canon 1242 states that bodies may be buried in a church only in the case of the Roman Pontiff, Cardinal, or Diocesan Bishops (including retired ones).
Canon 1178 adds that the funeral of a Diocesan Bishop must be celebrated in his own Cathedral Church unless he has chosen another location. The law therefore both allows and expects the Bishop’s burial to take place in the cathedral that he governed.
LITURGICAL AND PASTORAL SIGNIFICANCE OF BURYING BISHOPS INSIDE THE CATHEDRAL
The cathedral is the church that houses the Bishop’s chair, symbolising his teaching authority and his spiritual marriage to the local Church. The Catholic Encyclopedia explains that a Bishop “finds there a last resting‑place” and that the cathedral is the place where the clergy “should feel at home… and … find by right their place whenever occasion arises”. Burying him there completes the intimate bond between the shepherd and his flock.
Because the cathedral is where the bishop celebrated the Eucharist, taught, and governed, his interment there serves as a lasting testimony to his ministry. It also provides a tangible reminder of his role as the “head” of the diocesan community, encouraging the faithful to honor his memory and to seek his intercession.
This burial makes the tomb a focal point for the faithful’s prayers, fulfilling the corporal work of mercy of burial (CCC § 2300) and expressing the Church’s hope in the resurrection of the body.
More so, the tomb, often placed near the altar, visibly testifies to the bishop’s lifelong service and to the unity of the Diocesan Clergy with their shepherd. And, the faithful can visit the tomb to pray for the deceased Bishop’s intercession, strengthening communal memory.
Conclusively, the burial underscores the apostolic succession: the new bishop inherits the cathedra that once housed his predecessor’s remains.
CONCLUSION
Burying the bishop in the very place that expresses his episcopal authority completes the bond between shepherd and flock.
Rev Fr Ibi Emmanuel
