The Final Rite in Peace

Trinidad and Tobago hosted its final farewell to former Prime Minister, the late Patrick Augustus Mervyn Manning, with the conduct of a State Funeral. On the passing of a former Head of State or Head of Government of Trinidad and Tobago, the sitting Government may offer to honour the deceased by conducting a State funeral.

There are four types of formal funerals, including:

• State Funeral;

• Official Funeral;

• Funeral with State involvement;

• Funeral with Military Honors;

With each of these more formal funerals, there are appropriated categories of persons in whose honour; each type of funeral is hosted. The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago however may offer to honour the deceased by conducting a State funeral, even if the late office holder or individual many not have been in the titled category at the time of passing. This more recent State Funeral was afforded to the family in reverence to the late former Prime Minister, even though according to the protocol the category should have been an Official Funeral.

The successful hosting of a State Funeral requires a number of accepted actions to be put into place, including:

• the body being carried on a gun-carriage;

• full military honours including a 21 gun salute;

• the body lies in State in the Rotunda of the Red House before being escorted to the place where the funeral will be held; [ of course alternate measure may be taken if this location is not available, as is currently the case]

• Colours [military insignia] will form part of the procession;

• All National Flags should be flown at half-mast from the announcement of the death up to the funeral. If the deceased was a sitting Head of State or Head of Government, the flag is not flown at half-mast on the day the successor is sworn in;

• the President’s Standard is lowered and replaced by the National flag, which is then flown at half-mast;

• the State meets the total cost of the funeral arrangements;

• the National Flag is placed over the coffin as though the flag pole was at the head of the coffin;

• the deceased person is buried in an area which has been designated as the State Cemetery, or as agreed with the family members.

There are a number of other measures that are usually instituted for the successful conduct of a State Funeral including, the placement of condolence books, the letter of condolence from the Head of Government to the Family, the official notification to Foreign Entities, the formulation of the official guest list comprising dignitaries on the table of precedence of Trinidad and Tobago, and of course, the actual service details, all of which must be deliberated with the family.

After the hosting of the funeral service, the State funeral procession proceeds according to military protocol. The procession proceeds after the 21-gun salute. At the final resting place, the last rites are performed by the appropriate member of the clergy, with the military then assuming its role in bearing the coffin from the caisson [wagon] to the graveside or final resting place, and for placing it [coffin] over the grave. The National flag is removed, folded and handed to the most senior or designated member of the family. The military then offers the appropriate ceremonial tribute.

The recently hosted State Funeral was not without the questions pertaining to the protocol surrounding a number of issues, including, order of precedence, forms of address, military roles vs. political roles and a number of other areas that can all easily be addressed. The more important factor here, should be affording and maintaining the dignity of the individual being honoured, without the peripheral chatter.

Let us afford the late Prime Minister the ‘final rite’ in peace.