“Even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are masterpieces of God’s creation, made in his own image, destined to live forever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect – Pope Francis”
Although this is widely unknown, cremation is a practice that has been accepted by the Catholic Church for over 50 years. The Church maintains that cremated remains should still be treated with the same respect as corporal remains. Scattering of ashes or placing ashes in one’s home is against the teachings of the Church; rather, they should be placed in a sacred place, such as a columbarium, burial plot or mausoleum within a Catholic cemetery. This prevents the departed from being forgotten or their remains from being shown a lack of respect. It is also preferred that the body of the deceased be present during the Vigil and Funeral Mass, with cremation taking place after the celebration of life. The Vatican recently stated that Cremation, in and of itself, does not constitute a denial of belief in the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body, the instruction says. Nor does it “prevent God, in his omnipotence, from raising up the deceased body to new life.”
