Due to the changing
trends in funeral practices, the Bishops of New York State have prepared this
brochure to answer common questions regarding the important elements of Church
teaching concerning cremation. The responses are consistent with the
What is cremation?
Cremation
(using fire and heat) is the process by which the body of the deceased is
reduced to its basic elements. Cremation is permitted for Catholics as
long as it is not chosen in denial of Christian teaching on the Resurrection
and the sacredness of the human body.
Does the Church have a preference for either
cremation or burial of the body of the deceased?
Although
cremation is permitted, Catholic teaching continues to stress the preference
for burial or entombment of the body of the deceased. This is done in
imitation of the burial of Jesus’ body.
“This
is the Body once washed in baptism, anointed with the oil of salvation, and fed
with the bread of life. This is the body whose hands clothed the poor and
embraced the sorrowing. Our identity and self-consciousness as a human
person are expressed in and through the body… Thus, the Church’s reverence and
care for the body grows out of a reverence and concern for the person whom the
Church now commends to the care of God.”[1]
What are the steps to be taken?
When
cremation is chosen for a good reason, the full course of the Order of
Christian Funerals should still be celebrated, including the Vigil Service
(wake), the Funeral Liturgy, and the Rite of Committal. The preservation
of this order allows for the greater expression of our beliefs and values,
especially, the sacredness of human life, the dignity of the individual person
and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the first born of the dead.
Through
its funeral rites, the Church commends the dead to the merciful love of God and
pleads for the forgiveness of their sins.
Should cremation occur before or after the
funeral?
The
Church clearly prefers and urges that the body be present during the Vigil and
Funeral Mass, and that if cremation is to be used, that it take
place following the Rite of Final Commendation.
The
cremated human remains would then be interred during the Rite of
Committal. However, the diocesan bishop may for a good reason permit the
cremated remains to be present for the Funeral Liturgy.
What should become of the cremated remains
following the funeral?
Church
teaching insists that cremated remains must be given the same respect as the
body, including the manner in which they are carried and the attention given to
their appropriate transport and placement.
The
cremated remains of a body are to be buried or entombed, preferably in a
Catholic cemetery, and using the rites provided by the Order of Christian
Funerals. The following are not considered to be reverent dispositions
that the Church requires: scattering cremated remains, dividing cremated
remains and keeping cremated remains in the home.
The
remains of a cremated body should be treated with the same respect given to the
corporeal remains of a human body. This includes a worthy container to
hold the cremated remains.
Conclusion
If
you are considering cremation, it is wise to discuss your choice with your
family, your parish priest, or the
For
further information on Catholic teachings on cremation, see the 1997 statement
of the Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy, Reflections on the Body, Cremation,
and Catholic Funeral Rites, available from the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops publications (800-235-8722).
[1]
“Reflections on the Body, Cremation, and Catholic Funeral Rites,” Committee on
the Liturgy,