While the Catholic Church continues to prefer burial in the ground, it accepts cremation as an option, but forbids the scattering of ashes and the growing practice of keeping cremated remains at home, said Cardinal Gerhard Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The newest guidelines from the Vatican state that Catholic people can be cremated, but their ashes should not be scattered at sea, and the urn should not be kept in the home. The guidelines state that the cremains should be kept in a sacred place like a church cemetery.
To set the faithful straight, the Vatican said ashes and bone fragments cannot be kept at home, since that would deprive the Christian community as a whole of remembering the dead. Rather, church authorities should designate a sacred place, such as a cemetery or church area, to hold them.
Some people worry it's bad luck to keep ashes in their house, or it might mean the spirit or ghost of the person will stay in the house. Whatever your beliefs, there is no right or wrong when it comes to handling the ashes of a person who's died.
There is no requirement to keep ashes on the forehead all day or for any period of time after they are given, but many Christians choose to keep them on their foreheads throughout the day on Ash Wednesday.
Vestments, altar cloths, and linens must be destroyed. Polluted or excess holy water must be poured into the ground. Palms are to be burned, and the ashes then used for distribution on Ash Wednesday or returned to the ground.
Here are the top cremation myths and what the Catholic church has to say about them. Cremated ashes can be scattered. Though the Pope and the Church approve of cremation, scattering of one's ashes is strictly prohibited.
In the Bible, there are no passages that prohibit or encourage cremation and scattering of ashes. However, many Christian sects believe a burial funeral aligns with best end-of-life practices. As a result, some Christian clerics may discourage cremation or prohibit it entirely.
Your loved one's ashes don't have to stay together either. Families can choose to split the ashes of the deceased among the wider family, where the individual families can choose what they want to do with them.
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59.
Cremation occurs at such a hot temperature all micro-organisms are destroyed, and the remaining ashes are inert. After cremation there are no public health risks associated with handling ashes.
The Catholic church permits cremation, but cremated remains must be treated with the same respect as corporal remains. They must be buried or inurned in a sacred place, such as a columbarium, burial plot or mausoleum ideally within a Catholic cemetery.
A. The U.S. Bishop's Committee on the Liturgy has determined that urns must be simple and unadorned. Ostentatious urns, statuary, and space capsules are examples of “designer” containers now being offered that are unacceptable in Catholic funeral practices.
Cremains contain what is known as rest energy, sometimes referred to as free or dormant energy. This type of energy is still subject to the restraints of natural law, and can have no physical or spiritual impact on those around it.
As we scatter his (her) ashes, we commit his(her) body to you and pray that he finds eternal rest for the glory of your holy name. Lord, forgive us where we have strayed during this grieving season. Fill us with thanksgiving for his well-lived and full life. In Jesus' name, we believe and pray, Amen.
No matter what a person's preference is, from the Christian perspective, cremation does not prevent one from going to Heaven.
What does the Bible say about cremation? According to most Biblical study websites, there is no explicit scriptural command for or against cremation. There are no passages that forbid cremation, according to most Biblical scholars.
The Bible makes several references to dust to dust and ashes to ashes. Some include: In the book of Genesis 3:19 the reference to ashes and dust reads, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."
"This rite may be celebrated by a priest or deacon who may be assisted by lay ministers in the distribution of the ashes. The blessing of the ashes, however, is reserved to a priest or deacon."
On Ash Wednesday many people, including numerous irregularly practicing Catholics, request the imposition of ashes. There is no good reason to refuse anyone, and indeed this gesture might light a spark of repentance.
How long after death should a Catholic be buried? The funeral and burial take place between 2 and 7 days after someone has died — typically around three days after. The ceremonies are usually not held on a Sunday, as this day is reserved for the traditional Sunday church service.
Holy palms should be returned to nature. After the Palm Sunday service, the priest or an assistant may collect palms for disposal from the worshipers. If you would prefer to take your palm home, it may be kept as a holy item. Should you wish to dispose of it, you may bury it or burn it and spread the ashes outside.
On Ash Wednesday ashes are applied to believers' foreheads in the shape of the cross. This year, due to the pandemic and in accordance with Vatican instructions, ashes will be sprinkled on top of the head rather than applied to the forehead.
Similarly, do not remove the ashes by trying to wash them off! Instead, rub them off with a towel (not moistened with water) followed by, as the text from Matthew's Gospel suggests, some olive oil or other vegetable oil to help remove the residue.