Order of Christian Funerals (Part 2 of 2)
The Catholic Approach to Cremation
The Body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit
St. Paul teaches that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Cor. 3:16, 6:19, 2 Cor. 6:16, Eph 2:20-22). In our Catholic faith we believe that in baptism the body is marked with the seal of the Trinity and becomes the temple of the Spirit. Christians honor and respect the bodies of the dead and their resting places. The Christian tradition has been to bury or entomb the bodies of the dead (OCF, 9).
Permission for Cremation of the Body
In the early days of the Church, cremation was considered that which pagans did. Because of this, along with the Christian belief in the Resurrection of the body, Christians avoided the practice of cremation. The Catholic Church strictly forbade cremation for Catholics. In 1963, the Church lifted the ban on cremation and allowed it in certain circumstances as long as it was evident that cremation was not chosen for anti-Christian reasons.
Preference of the Catholic Church
In the 1983 revision of the Code of Canon Law, the Church reinforced its preference for the burial of the body. Canon 1176 states, “The Church earnestly recommends that the pious custom of burying the bodies of the dead be observed; it does not, however, forbid cremation unless it has been chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian teaching.”
Although cremation is now permitted by the Church, the preference is for the body of the deceased to be present for the funeral rites, “since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the Church affirms in those rites” (OCF, 413).
The Church’s Recognition of the Current Reasons for Cremation
The Church recognizes that there are times that cremation best meets the needs of the family. Such needs might be for reasons of hygiene, finance, transportation across state or national borders, or some other particular situation.
In March 1997, the Holy See granted an indult, an addition, to the Order of Christian Funerals. Even though the Church’s preference is to have the body of the beloved present at the funeral liturgy (and then cremation happens after the funeral Mass), prayers are now provided in the Catholic funeral rites for those times when cremation happens before the funeral and the cremated remains are present for the funeral liturgy.
What’s Different at the Funeral
The cremated remains are to be in an urn or some type of “worthy vessel” which is then carried in by a family member in the entrance procession or placed on a stand next to the Easter candle before the funeral liturgy begins. Because the form of the body is no longer present, the white funeral pall, recalling the white baptismal garment, is not used at a funeral in which cremation happened before the funeral. The prayers of the funeral liturgy and the rite of committal do not make reference to the “body.” Instead the term “earthly remains” is used in some of the prayers.
Pastoral Concerns Regarding Cremation
Care of the Cremated Remains
In the world of commerce today, we find offerings of some trendy ways to store cremated remains. Advertisements abound for jewelry, paperweights, and knick knacks containing ashes of the beloved dead. Just because these things are available and we hear of others purchasing such items, this does not make these trends the most appropriate or sacred way to honor the dead. The cremated remains are to be treated with the same respect that is given to the body of the deceased.
The remains are to be placed in a worthy vessel, transported with the same care that a casket is, and placed in a final resting place where throughout the years friends and relatives may return again and again to visit and pray for the dead. Keeping the ashes in one’s home or sprinkling them over land, sea, in a memory garden, etc. are not the reverent disposition of the earthly remains that the Church requires. Just as in the case of burying a body, a plaque or grave stone recording the memory (names and dates) of a deceased loved one is appropriate, so too such a custom is appropriate for the cremated remains.
Providing for Prayer at the Final Resting Place
In the Order of Christian Funerals, the funeral rites call for the Vigil, the Funeral Liturgy, and the Rite of Committal. When, for various reasons, family members put off bringing the cremated remains to the final resting place (a cemetery, mausoleum, or a columbarium), a significant moment of prayer that the Church has to offer is also put off or sometimes not ever done. The Rite of Committal is one more time of prayer for the dead. It is also prayer of consolation and support for the bereaved that gives them courage to say the final good-byes to the earthly remains of their loved one and to entrust her/him to the spiritual realm of being with God forever. The Rite of Committal is an important part of the grieving process, of the leave-taking that is necessary to do. Whether the cremation happens before or after the funeral liturgy, the Rite of Committal is still prescribed. We are encouraged to make the necessary arrangements with the Church for this prayer to happen. Either a priest or a lay minister may lead the Rite of Committal.
Part 1: Understanding the Catholic Approach to the Funeral Rites
Part 3: The Community’s Ministry of Consolation