Hi, Jo —
The Latin Rite at present does not have this tradition. The Byzantines do, I know (I go to a Melkite parish and am Ukrainian Catholic). It is possible that the Latin Rite did in the past, as with so many other Eastern customs, but I can't speak to that, perhaps one of my colleagues can.
The reasoning you mentioned is not grounded in any doctrine or teaching whatsoever. You are under no obligation to believe it and it seems problematic to me. Forty is a number symbolic of formation in the Christian tradition:
- the Israelites wandered for forty days in the desert (being formed for entering the promised land)
- Jesus fasted for forty days in preparation for starting His Ministry, and
- human gestation is approximately forty weeks.
I can't say why the memorial service is that long, other than the general sense of the number forty. Again, perhaps one of my colleagues knows why.
Eric
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