Cremation
Since November is a time for remembering our dead, it seems a
good time to speak about funeral preparations, which may include the desire
for cremation. Although traditional burial procedure which reflects respect
for the body and belief in the resurrection of the body is still the normal
Catholic practice, cremation is allowed by the Catholic Church.
While cremation has been a common form of disposal of bodies after death in
many cultures, it was traditionally shunned by Christians and actually
forbidden to Catholics until recent times. The traditional resistance to
cremation was largely based on a resistance to the pagan or anti-Christian
ideology associated with cremation and not the practice itself.
The new Code of Canon Law (can. 1176.3) has substantially modified the older
restriction, stating that cremation is not forbidden “unless it has been
chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian teaching.” These remains
should never be scattered or handled in an undignified manner, and are to be
interred in a cemetery. |
