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Catholics and Cremation

As it has throughout history, the Church “earnestly recommends the pious custom of burying the bodies of the dead be observed ….” (Canon 1176 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law)

While the Church favors traditional burial, it now allows cremation. In the past the Church prohibited cremation because the practice had been associated with a denial of the Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead and the immortality of the soul. The Church removed this prohibition in 1963 and now forbids cremation only if it is done “for reasons that are contrary to Christian teaching.”

Even when cremation is chosen, the funeral liturgy requires the presence of the body — not only to reaffirm the Catholic reverence for the body as the temple of the Holy Spirit but to contribute to the grieving process of family and friends. Even in death, the body is a reminder of the Incarnation and a foreshadowing of our resurrection from the dead: “…in baptism the body was marked with the seal of the Trinity and became the temple of the Holy Spirit,” (OCF 19.)

When, through lack of understanding, a body is cremated before the funeral liturgy, the Church ordinarily would celebrate a memorial Mass without the presence of the cremated remains.  However, a dispensation to allow the presence of the cremated remains at a funeral liturgy may be granted by the Diocesan Bishop on a case-by-case basis, provided that the request does not reflect a denial of the church’s teaching.
 
Whether the body is cremated before or after the funeral Mass, the cremated remains of the body must be treated with the respect belonging to a child of God. The cremated remains should be placed in a “worthy vessel” designed for this purpose and interred in a grave or mausoleum.  At the cemetery, the cremated remains are laid to rest with a final liturgical prayer,  “The Rite of Committal.”

In keeping with the Church’s teaching of the sacredness of human life, the cremated human remains should not be scattered, kept at home or divided among family members.

To encourage the respectful disposition of cremated remains, Catholic Cemeteries offer a number of options:

• An adult grave may be purchased for burial of up to four cremated remains.
• Smaller sized plots with pre-set vaults are available for the burial of cremated remains.
• Urns may be placed in above ground columbarium niches designed specifically for cremated remains.