Carter’s funeral will be the fifth official state funeral for a president to be held at the National Cathedral, following those of Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, the National Cathedral said. said the Rev. Randolph Hollerith, dean of the church. reporters on Wednesday.
But “the funeral itself, whether it’s a presidential funeral or any other funeral, is completely unique,” Hollerith added.
He said the preparation period for cathedrals is usually limited, “often eight to 10 days.” News of Carter’s death meant that “the entire cathedral, the entire staff, everyone went into a mode of preparing to honor him.”
The service will consist of readings, prayers, eulogies and a sermon, and “there will be a lot of beautiful music and an honor guard will be in attendance,” Hollerith said.
“It’s going to be very dignified, but it’s also going to be a lot of fun,” he added.
Hollerith believes Carter will be grateful for setting aside partisan grudges over this service.
“When you have a presidential funeral or a national gathering like this, you’re uniting left and right, Republicans and Democrats, both sides of the aisle in the Washington, D.C., area,” Hollerith said. “And I know he loves to see America come together.”
— Gillian Morley
