What is ‘green burial’ and does the Catholic Church allow it?

[Michie]

In an era of increasing environmental consciousness, the practice of “green burials” is growing in popularity — including at numerous Catholic cemeteries throughout the United States.

The funeral and burial economies in the United States — commonly grouped together as the “death care industry” — are both financially lucrative and highly resource-intensive. The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) says on its website that the death care industry as a whole generated about $16 billion in the latest annual data.

Just over $3.3 billion of that amount is linked to “cemeteries and crematories.” Industry estimates, meanwhile, indicate that cemeteries bury tens of thousands of tons of steel coffins every year, along with several million gallons of “embalming fluids” such as formaldehyde and methanol.

The significant environmental costs of those materials has led many to seek alternative forms of interment, such as “green” or “natural” burials, which use considerably fewer resources and are more environmentally friendly as a result.

Continued below.

What is ‘green burial’ and does the Catholic Church allow it?

The practice of “green burials” is growing in popularity including at numerous Catholic cemeteries throughout the United States.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

 

[chevyontheriver]

In an era of increasing environmental consciousness, the practice of “green burials” is growing in popularity — including at numerous Catholic cemeteries throughout the United States.

The funeral and burial economies in the United States — commonly grouped together as the “death care industry” — are both financially lucrative and highly resource-intensive. The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) says on its website that the death care industry as a whole generated about $16 billion in the latest annual data.

Just over $3.3 billion of that amount is linked to “cemeteries and crematories.” Industry estimates, meanwhile, indicate that cemeteries bury tens of thousands of tons of steel coffins every year, along with several million gallons of “embalming fluids” such as formaldehyde and methanol.

The significant environmental costs of those materials has led many to seek alternative forms of interment, such as “green” or “natural” burials, which use considerably fewer resources and are more environmentally friendly as a result.

Continued below.

What is ‘green burial’ and does the Catholic Church allow it?

The practice of “green burials” is growing in popularity including at numerous Catholic cemeteries throughout the United States.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

There are some monks somewhere that will make you a wooden casket. It can be used as a bookshelf until you need it.

Trappistcaskets.com although there may be others. A simple casket for less than $2000, blessed, made of sustainable lumber.

 

[RileyG]

There are some monks somewhere that will make you a wooden casket. It can be used as a bookshelf until you need it.

Trappistcasketa.com although there may be others. A simple casket for less than $2000, blessed, made of sustainable lumber.

I assume I would be around for several more decades, but that sounds like a wonderful thing to invest in.

I would prefer not being embalmed, but I doubt I would have that option, since the body decays rather rapidly after death.