text: The average Catholic, frankly, doesn't go to websites or read diocesan newspapers, in my observation.  The average Catholic isn't going to be aware of this word-from-on-high, I suspect.  They'll go on as usual, until suddenly there is a death among family or friends.
  
  As they sit before a priest, grieving, intending to plan a funeral, they will suddenly be told no funeral if the same-sex spouse is mentioned anywhere, or even shows up, depending on the priest.  At such a pained time, hearing such demands, they may well surrender the person they knew and turn their back on someone they'd considered part of the family; or the spouse may swallow their own tears and step away in an effort to soothe the grief of the family of the one they love, knowing that family wants the funeral.
  
  Cold and calculating.  And every such surrender will be deemed somehow a "victory" for the Church.