Q. 1. If someone has a miscarriage, should they have a funeral?

A. 1. The Catholic Church teaches that life begins at conception and that the child has a soul from that moment. As such, it is the appropriate thing to do that when someone has a miscarriage, that there should be a Catholic funeral for the child.

Having said that, I should add that when requesting the remains of a child as a result of a miscarriage, many hospitals and obstetricians will give the parents a hard time. The parents should remain persistent on this matter, indicating that such interference opposes their right to freedom of religion in accordance with their belief.

Two things that I would like to add:

1. Name your child. This will help you to say goodbye to your child at the funeral.

2. The "Book of Blessings" has a special blessing for parents after a miscarriage. Request this blessing from your parish priest. This will help you with your grieving and healing.