In anticipation of the approaching Feasts of All Saints and All Souls, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published a new instruction today on the proper burial of the dead and on the conservation of ashes in the case of cremation.

Vatican Radio is reporting on the instruction which reiterates the Church’s long-held view that it is not against the practice of cremation, but it continues to insist that the ashes of the deceased be buried in a sacred place rather than stored in private homes. It is also opposed to the practice of scattering ashes on land or at sea.

The document confirms the 1963 instruction on the burial of the dead and the practice of cremation, entitled Piam et Constantem, in which the Holy Office established that “all necessary measures must be taken to preserve the practice of reverently burying the faithful departed.” The document added that cremation is not “opposed per se to the Christian religion” and that no longer should the sacraments and funeral rites be denied to those who have asked that they be cremated . . .”

However, this is under the condition that the choice to be cremated “has not been made through ‘a denial of Christian dogmas, the animosity of a secret society, or hatred of the Catholic religion and the Church’.”

The new document cites the increasing popularity of the practice of cremation that has been accompanied by new ideas that are contrary to the Catholic faith, which is why the Vatican saw fit to issue a new instruction.

“When, for legitimate motives, cremation of the body has been chosen, the ashes of the faithful must be laid to rest in a sacred place, that is, in a cemetery or, in certain cases, in a church or an area, which has been set aside for this purpose, and so dedicated by the competent ecclesial authority.

“ . . . [T]he conservation of the ashes of the departed in a domestic residence is not permitted. Only in grave and exceptional cases dependent on cultural conditions of a localized nature, may the Ordinary, in agreement with the Episcopal Conference or the Synod of Bishops of the Oriental Churches, concede permission for the conservation of the ashes of the departed in a domestic residence. Nonetheless, the ashes may not be divided among various family members and due respect must be maintained regarding the circumstances of such a conservation.”

The document continues: “In order that every appearance of pantheism, naturalism or nihilism be avoided, it is not permitted to scatter the ashes of the faithful departed in the air, on land, at sea or in some other way, nor may they be preserved in mementos, pieces of jewelry or other objects.”

As the document explains, the Church prefers the practice of burying the bodies of the deceased, “because this shows a greater esteem towards the deceased”; however, it’s important to note that the practice of cremation does not affect the soul of the deceased, “nor does it prevent God, in his omnipotence, from raising up the deceased body to new life. Thus cremation, in and of itself, objectively negates neither the Christian doctrine of the soul’s immortality nor that of the resurrection of the body.”

The Church bases these directives on belief in the resurrection of Christ, which is the culminating truth of the Christian faith.

“Because of Christ, Christian death has a positive meaning,” the document explains. “The Christian vision of death receives privileged expression in the liturgy of the Church: ‘Indeed for your faithful, Lord, life is changed not ended, and, when this earthly dwelling turns to dust, an eternal dwelling is made ready for them in heaven.’ By death the soul is separated from the body, but in the resurrection God will give incorruptible life to our body, transformed by reunion with our soul. In our own day also, the Church is called to proclaim her faith in the resurrection: ‘The confidence of Christians is the resurrection of the dead; believing this we live’.”

Therefore, it is in memory of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord that burial is above all the most fitting way to express faith and hope in the resurrection of the body.

“By burying the bodies of the faithful, the Church confirms her faith in the resurrection of the body, and intends to show the great dignity of the human body as an integral part of the human person whose body forms part of their identity. She cannot, therefore, condone attitudes or permit rites that involve erroneous ideas about death, such as considering death as the definitive annihilation of the person, or the moment of fusion with Mother Nature or the universe, or as a stage in the cycle of regeneration, or as the definitive liberation from the ‘prison’ of the body.”

This is why burial in a cemetery or another sacred place “corresponds to the piety and respect owed to the bodies of the faithful departed who through Baptism have become temples of the Holy Spirit and in which “as instruments and vessels the Spirit has carried out so many good works.”

In anticipation of the approaching Feasts of All Saints and All Souls, this document presents a beautiful exposition of the Church’s teachings on death and resurrection.

Click here to read the document in full.

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