On Wednesday, 12^th of May 2010, the bells of St. Michael rang at 10 a.m. as the funeral procession for Paul Augustin Cardinal Mayer, O.S.B., arrived at the church of the Benedictine Abbey in Metten accompanied by a brass band.

Four monks brought the casket to the front of the altar, where on a small table to the side lay the insignia of Priest, Bishop and Cardinal.

Friedrich Cardinal Wetter celebrated the requiem in the presence of Archbishop Jean-Claude Périsset, the Apostolic Nuncio for Germany, Bishop Dr. Gerhard Ludwig Müller (Regensburg), Bishop Wilhelm Schraml (Passau), and Bishop Gregor Maria Hanke, O.S.B., (Eichstätt), about 20 abbots and abbesses from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and many priests and nuns. Many Officials also attended: among them the Mayor of Metten, Prince Christoph of Bavaria, and Deputy Helmut Brunner as representative of the state government.

In his homily Cardinal Wetter listed the most important parts of Cardinal Mayer’s life, and pointed out that the deceased never wanted to make a career, but always remained a monk in his heart.

The choir sung a polyphonic Kyrie, Sanctus/Benedictus, and Agnus Dei; and during distribution of Holy Communion a violin was played with organ accompaniment.

After the requiem the casket was lowered into a tomb behind the altar rails, and the choir sang the Gregorian chant hymn:

In paradisum deducant te angeli;
in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres,
et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Jerusalem.
Chorus angelorum te suscipiat,
et cum Lazaro, quondam paupere,
æternam habeas requiem.

Monika Rheinschmitt

14.5.2010