(As seen in the bulletin February 24, 2019)

Cremation was formerly forbidden by the Church because it was promoted years ago, especially in Europe, by groups who used cremation to argue against faith in the resurrection of the dead.  How could God possibly collect all those ashes and smoke together to make us rise again?!  While no longer forbidden by the Church, we have norms about the care, placement and treatment of ashes because these affect the ability of mourners, especially children growing in faith, to grieve with hope.  The Church encourages and prefers bodily burial in a grave or tomb, as the Lord Himself willed to be buried, for spiritual reasons.  We all need to say goodbye; we all need reminders of Jesus’ death and resurrection in which we hope to share as we gather in the presence of a beloved’s body at visitation, bring their body with us one more time to Mass, and, at last, tuck the body into a grave for peaceful rest until the great day which we look forward to, the day of resurrection and reward, finally comes.  These experiences make tenets of our faith more memorable and touching, especially for children who learn more by what is seen and done than words alone.  When cremation is chosen, the Church highly recommends use of a classic funeral urn, asks that the ashes be placed in a grave or a niche in a mausoleum known as a columbarium (not scattered or kept in possession of the family), that human ashes not be divided among several recipients or be mixed with those of another individual or pet (out of respect for the integrity of the deceased as a special individual).  While cremation is, of course, an individual choice, I suggest that families should be sure that they, their children included, are psychologically and spiritually comfortable with these arrangements.  While funerals do honor the deceased and respect their wishes, funerals must also help the living to learn to grieve rightly and with hope!