Cremation: Recalling Some Basic Catholic Truths

Cremation: Recalling Some Basic Catholic Truths | John M. Grondelski | Homiletic & Pastoral Review

The Church rescinded its prohibition on cremation, but does not consider burial and cremation equally valid methods.

The Newark Star-Ledger reports that acceptance of cremation is growing: 40% of deaths in America (and 40% in New Jersey) result in cremation.  In some Western states, the rate reaches 70%. 1

Most writers note that the Church rescinded its prohibition on cremation in 1963, and Catholic acceptance of cremation is fast mirroring the general population.  In light of the seemingly growing Catholic acceptance of cremation, it is appropriate for priests to bring some points to the attention of the faithful.  While November, with its focus on prayer for the dead, seems especially appropriate, the pastoral need to address this phenomenon is year-round.

The Church encourages burial and discourages cremation

The first point that merits emphasis is simply that the Church does not consider earth burial and cremation equally valid methods of dealing with the body of a deceased Christian.  The Church considers burial to be its norm; cremation is an exception. 2

For a long time, those who chose cremation did so for ideological reasons: they were often materialists, intent on rejecting the Christian notion of the dignity of the body and its doctrine of the resurrection of the dead.  Belief in such principles was obviously incompatible with Catholic faith.  When the Holy Office lifted its prohibition on cremation in 1963, it did so because it judged that now other reasons (e.g., limited land) motivated people seeking cremation, reasons that had nothing to do with explicitly rejecting basic elements of Christian anthropology and eschatology.

At the same time, the Church did not say that cremation was now the functional equivalent of burial in terms of dealing with Christian remains.  One suspects that the selective way in which the changed teaching on cremation was received was a little like the change in mandatory Friday abstinence which took place at roughly the same time.

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