Catholic Funeral Mass Versus Memorial Mass

Strictly speaking, a Catholic funeral Mass—i.e., one which follows the Order of Christian Funerals—is only for Catholics (see CCC 1680ff.). However, God in his mercy allows a memorial Mass to be celebrated for any deceased person, including on the occasion of their death or funeral, and such a Mass was offered in the case of hockey great Gordie Howe (a non-Catholic Christian) in the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2016 (see CCC 846-48, 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9).