The symbolism of an dove release is theologically problematic for a Catholic funeral in the same way that a Novus Ordo "Mass of Christian Burial" is theologically problematic. The dove itself signifies the Holy Ghost. Its ascent and white colour implies that the deceased is now amongst the Church Triumphant. Like a Novus Ordo funeral, a dove release implies a canonization event.

This was my thought. What's next, making holy cards and shouting "Santo subito"?

Heaven isn't a theme park. It's not simply a question of "Awww, let him in." where everyone inside is experiencing natural happiness.

Guess who casts a soul into hell? The soul itself. The soul, fixed forever in his state of separation from God, wants nothing more than to get as far from God as possible. The pains of hell are less than being forced to look at God while in the state of mortal sin. Hence the soul casts ITSELF headlong into hell. Yes, the soul sees the God-shaped hole in itself, and knows that only God would make it happy, that it will never have God, it could have EASILY had God forever -- that's the worm of remorse, the worst suffering of Hell. But faced with the reality of the damaged state it's in, fixed in opposition to God, it chooses eternal separation.

It's not God being mean, like a bouncer. God gave everyone a chance to save their soul, and the SOUL ALONE is at fault for choosing lesser good(s) over God. In fact, if you took a poll of hell's denizens, that would be the universal opinion. They WISH they could blame God honestly, but they can't. They only blame themselves. That is the worm that dieth not.

I told my wife, a few days after we got married, when we finally got her spousal visa, and we were on the plane flying to the United States, "one thing I want you always to remember, everyone in America has got their hand in your pocket --- they seek to separate you from your money, everything in America is all about money, money, and more money" (or words to that effect).  That was hyperbole, but not by much.  You see, she had grown up in Poland, under the "people's republic" (Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL), Gierek, Jaruzelski, Lech Walesa, Solidarity, the whole shebang.  (My son's grandfather was a member of Solidarity.)  Nobody had anything, everyone lived in those little Soviet rabbit-hutch apartments (they are actually not so bad inside, and they keep them immaculately clean and neat), they lived in each other's pockets, loaning each other a few zloty until the end of the month to buy groceries, her sister-in-law would bring things from the farm (she came in one day carrying a dressed duck!), they had nothing but each other.  Very often, you were dependent upon the good offices and good graces of the neighbor who had a Wartburg or a Trabant to take you to the next town over.  A lot of it was barter and endless IOUs. 

I just didn't want her to come to this country, and think that those telemarketers, real estate agents, MLM representatives, and so on, want to be your friends.  She was always frantic to make friends, friends, and more friends --- she didn't get how I could be the "Marlboro Man", rugged individualist, loner --- and didn't always use the best discretion.  We had many a conversation about that.  Let's just say it caused problems a few times.

Charging $110 for a white dove to fly away as your loved one is laid to rest, is about as "hand in your pocket" as it gets.  I am told, too, that these are specially bred doves --- nothing but the best! --- that have no survival skills once they are released.  IOW, they are likely to become cat food, "winner, winner, dovey dinner!". 

Meow Mix is much cheaper and isn't an attempt to declare an instant canonization.  (But I can imagine my father would have an issue with that too, something about spending money to feed those ****ing cats!).

I have heard of doves released for weddings but now funerals.  

Hmm, I did a quick search and found instead of a 21 gun salute for veterans they can release 21 doves.    Those poor doves!

Where's PETA??

If my father had been in different circuмstances --- if we had been in different circuмstances --- I would have been overjoyed to arrange for my father to have a military funeral with a gun salute.  (Not sure how many, if any, guns that a Private First Class would get.  He served honorably at an Army hospital as a medic for two years.  It was the 1950s.)  As I told the morticians as they carried my father out of the house and down the driveway with a flag covering him, my father signed the very same blank check, that everyone else who serves, signs.

As it stood, and I'd rather be spare of words about this, it was just a private graveside service.  That's what he wanted.  To tell the truth, he didn't even want as much as he got, but I could not bear to think of him just being put away in a crypt without any words or prayers being said.  As I told my mother, it's not for him, it's for me.

Funny thing, I just realized that my father's final resting place is near a free public gun range.  He would like "free".  Next time I go visit him, if I don't have to return to care for my mother for awhile --- she's pretty independent, it has amazed me how she has adjusted to life alone, I check on her at least twice a day, and my son has been staying with her the past few nights, TBH he's a little put out with me right now, and neither he nor Grandma can do any wrong in one another's eyes, they're thick as thieves --- I'll have to stop and send a few rounds downrange.  "Oh, I just took the long way home, it's a nice day, I felt like a little drive..." (that is no lie, I do have to drive a little out of my way, and take the country road home).  My mother admits the necessity of guns for home defense, and of proficiency in them, she just doesn't like to hear about it.  It's a generational and a gender thing.