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Dear Parishioners, Advent is a time when we not only PREPARE for the coming of Christ at Christmas but we also look forward to the coming of Christ at the end of time. Recently, several people have asked about whether the Church accepts cremation of a deceased loved one and what should be done with cremated remains as we await the final resurrection. The Church’s guidelines are as follows: 1) Cremation is accepted by the Catholic Church as long as it is not chosen as a sign of denial of Christian teaching, especially that of the resurrection of the dead and the immortality of the soul. 2) Although the Church urges that the human body be present for the funeral rites, the Church realizes that this is often not possible for economic or family reasons. 3) If the body has been cremated, it is appropriate for the cremated remains of the body to be present for the full course of the funeral rites, including the Vigil, the Mass and the Committal. 4) The remains of cremated bodies should be treated with the same respect given to corporeal remains of a human body. The cremated remains should be entombed in a mausoleum or columbariurn or in an ordinary grave. The Church feels that the practice of scattering the ashes or keeping them at home are not the reverent disposition that should be given to the ashes of the person. The practice is therefore discouraged. Please mark on your calendar the dates of December 20 at 3 PM and December 22 at 7:30 PM for our Penitential Services as we PREPARE for the coming of Christmas. Sincerely, Fr. Ring |
