One of the biggest reasons as to why Catholicism has been so against cremation for centuries is due to that very fact: Catholics believe the deceased should be buried in the same was as Jesus Christ, who was laid in a tomb after his death. This is because Catholics believe in the resurrection of the body.
For centuries, religious authorities believed that cremation prevented resurrection of the body and forbade Catholic families from cremating their loved ones. Over time, the Church has amended its stance on cremation, lifting its ban and issuing guidelines for how to handle ashes with care.
As a Catholic, may I be cremated? Yes. In May 1963, the Vatican's Holy Office (now the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith) lifted the prohibition forbidding Catholics to choose cremation.
Nor can the ashes be scattered in the air, land or sea since doing so would give the appearance of "pantheism, naturalism or nihilism," the guidelines said. It repeated church teaching that Catholics who choose to be cremated for reasons contrary to the Christian faith must be denied a Christian funeral.
In Christian countries, cremation fell out of favor due to the Christian belief in the physical resurrection of the body. Christians also used burial as a mark of difference from the Iron Age European pre-Christian Pagan religions, which usually cremated their dead.
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.
New Testament
Since the Bible does not ban nor promote cremation, most Christian denominations do not consider cremation to be sinful.
The Catholic Church has long held that burial is the preferred method for laying bodies of the faithful to rest because burial is seen as a way of honoring the body, which is considered to be a temple of the Holy Spirit. Cremation, on the other hand, has traditionally been discouraged by the Catholic Church.
Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics, yet receiving ashes is a universal practice among Christians to begin their Lenten journeys. Most Catholic parishes offer Ash Wednesday Mass, and in some places, it is possible to receive ashes without attending Mass.
The Vatican decreed that the ashes of loved ones have no place in the home, and certainly not in jewelry. It urged that cremated remains be preserved in cemeteries or other approved sacred places.
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.
Rosary Beads and Other Religious Tokens
Catholics may choose to be buried with their rosary beads. These may be placed in the hands of the deceased for an open-casket visitation. The rosary beads would need to be removed from the casket if the body is eventually cremated.
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.
During cremation, the body parts that do burn consist of organs, soft tissue, hair, and skin, while the water in our bodies evaporates. The body parts that do not burn are bone fragments.
Answer: There is nothing in canon law that would prevent a non-Catholic from being buried in a Catholic cemetery. However, local diocesan law could prohibit it. In places with limited burial space, it would make sense, to ensure that Catholics can receive a full Catholic burial, to limit non-Catholic burials.
There are no set implications of keeping ashes in the house. By keeping ashes in the house, you will be allowing the psychic connection between the deceased loved one and the remaining family members to continue, which often helps grieving families come to terms with their loss.
It marks the first day of Lent in Western churches. The ashes symbolize penance and the dust from which God made people. When priests mark Christian's forehead the ashes they often say, “Repent and believe in the Gospel,” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Ostentatious urns, statuary, and space capsules are examples of “designer” containers now being offered that are unacceptable in Catholic funeral practices. It is also unacceptable to have any part of the cremated remains be made into jewelry, dishes, art works, etc.
By having their foreheads marked with the sign of the cross, this symbolizes that the person belongs to Jesus Christ, who died on a Cross. This is the imitation of the spiritual mark or seal that is put on a Christian in baptism, when he is delivered from sin.
The transgression of a divine law in a grievous matter with full knowledge and consent. The matter may be serious either in itself (as blasphemy) or because of the circumstances (as striking one's father or mother) or on account of its purpose (as telling a lie in order to destroy a person's character).
Like Orthodox Judaism, Islam has very strict views in opposition of cremation; of all the major faiths it is perhaps the most strongly and universally opposed to the practice. For Muslims, cremation is totally forbidden because it is viewed as sacrilegious and haram, meaning a sinful and unclean practice.
Of all world religions, Islam is probably the most strongly opposed to cremation. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, there is little diversity of opinion about it. Cremation is considered by Islam to be an unclean practice.
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 reunion of believing loved ones
When Paul writes to believers who grieve the loss of a loved one, he offers them this comfort: “We who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17, emphasis mine).
No matter what a person's preference is, from the Christian perspective, cremation does not prevent one from going to Heaven.