Over the past couple of months, we have received questions with regards to what the Church teaches about cremation. In light of this, we have highlighted important sections of two key documents from the Vatican and the CCCB, which summarizes the catholic teaching on dealing with the remains of deceased loved one and their burial.

When it comes to the burial of the deceased, the Church has established that ‘all necessary measures must be taken to reserve the practice of reverently burying the faithful departed.’” This is based on our faith that “the resurrection of Jesus is the culminating truth of the Christian faith, for the risen Christ is the principle and source of our future resurrection. Christ’s death has given meaning to the Christian death, death, therefore, should not be seen “as the definite annihilation of the person, or the moment of fusion with Mother Nature, or a stage in the cycle of regeneration, or as the definitive liberation from the prison of the body.” Death is a separation of the soul from the body, “but in resurrection God will give incorruptible life to our body transformed by reunion with our soul’, so when we bury the remains of our deceased, we are planting ‘the seed of the body that will rise in glory.” By the proper burial of the deceased, we “express our faith and hope in the resurrection of the body and at the same time perform a corporal work of mercy.”

With regards to cremation, as many people are choosing this option for different considerations, the Church permits and does not object to this practice for she believes that it “does prevent God, in his omnipotence, from raising up the deceased body to new life. The Church, however, opposes this practice when it is chosen for reasons that are suspect or contrary to Christian doctrine. In the absence of such motives, the Church encourages that the cremated remains be treated with similar dignity as the bodily remains of the deceased. In light of the above and in keeping with the Christian tradition:

Cremated remains must be conserved in a single urn and must not be separated. It may not be divided among family members.

Cremated ashes must be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or a columbarium (cinerarium). It is not permitted to conserve cremated ashes in a domestic residence.

It is not permitted to scatter the ashes of the faithful departed in the air, or land, at sea, or in locations connected with the deceased, nor may they be preserved in mementos, pieces of jewelry or other objects.

The burial of the faithful departed in cemeteries or other sacred places is in line with Christian tradition, which upholds “the relationship between the living and the dead.” It ensures that they are not forgotten and that they are constantly being remembered in prayer.

It is understandable that mourning and planning a funeral are very challenging. “Families are encouraged to approach their pastor or a pastoral minister regarding arrangement of funeral services before they make plans with funeral home. This is even more necessary when cremation is chosen. Funeral liturgies are for the living and are a vital part of the grieving and healing process. They give families and friends a formal way of remembering and saying goodbye. No one should omit having at least some type of funeral service.”

Fr. Martin