Cremation

lismore said:

Hello All!

A Q in fellowship. I have two relatives who died recently, they were Roman Catholics. One had a Church Funeral and interment. The other a cremation and service in a crematorium (led by the Priest).

I had never been to a Catholic cremation before.

Obviously if the priest led the cremation service then cremation is allowed by the RCC.

Is cremation fairly common now among Catholics in your experience?

Thank you

Click to expand...

It’s allowed but not preferred. The ashes still need to be buried in sacred ground.

Can Catholics be cremated?

What We May and May not Do with the Body After Death

lismore said:

Hello All!

A Q in fellowship. I have two relatives who died recently, they were Roman Catholics. One had a Church Funeral and interment. The other a cremation and service in a crematorium (led by the Priest).

I had never been to a Catholic cremation before.

Obviously if the priest led the cremation service then cremation is allowed by the RCC.

Is cremation fairly common now among Catholics in your experience?

Thank you

Click to expand...

I'd say it varies depending on a) which country one have in mind, and b) if the area of interest are located near a crematorium or not.
Cultures differs greatly and some (whom has both the a and b criteria fulfilled...) have numbers close to fifty/ fifty while in others cremation is frowned upon.

As for church teaching it basically consider burial to be the norm, but that we're allowed to be cremated if thats a more viable option. The conditions can be economically motivated (cremation being far cheeper than burial), lack of plots available and so on so fourth.

Cremation is allowed but you’re not supposed to spread the ashes because of the belief of the Resurrection of the body on the last day. Obviously, if you get killed by an axe murderer you can’t help your body parts being spread around, but if you’re in control of the decision the ashes should be via internment or buried.

Cremation has become quite common around the U.S. Everyone in my family who has died in the past 20 years or more has been cremated. I know of dioceses that have built mausoleums on their cemetery grounds, and parishes with columbariums. In the past, people would buy cemetery plots for future use; now they buy niches for their cremains.