A catafalque is a raised bier, box, or similar platform, often movable, that is used to support the casket, coffin, or body of a dead person during a Christian funeral or memorial service. Following a Roman Catholic Requiem Mass, a catafalque may be used to stand in place of the body at the absolution of the dead or used during Masses of the Dead and All Souls' Day.
Catafalque of nobleman Krzysztof Opaliński, 17th century Poland
Voltaire's catafalque
The Lincoln catafalque in the United States Capitol
The Lincoln catafalque is a catafalque constructed in 1865 to support the casket of Abraham Lincoln while the president's body lay in state in the Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C. The catafalque has since been used for many who have lain in state in the Capitol rotunda.
The Lincoln catafalque on display (2007)
A ceremonial Honor Guard prepares to move the flag-draped casket of former President Ronald Reagan during his state funeral in the Capitol rotunda
The catafalque being moved into the rotunda for Daniel Inouye's lying in state