​ Church not opposed to cremation, says Vatican instruction

KOTTAYAM: Clearing all doubts regarding Christian burial, the Vatican issued a new instruction reiterating the stand that the Church is not opposed to the practice of cremation. The instruction was issued by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. However, the new document insists that ashes should not be kept in private houses and that the scattering of ashes on land or at sea is not permitted.The instruction also says that though it is not against cremation, it continues to recommend that the bodies of the deceased be buried in cemeteries or other sacred places.
The move by the Vatican has given more clarity to the topic," says Fr Jimmy Poochakkatt, official spokesperson of the Syro Malabar Church. The Church in its Synod two years back had given approval for cremation. "The canon law allowed cremation and we had implemented that only. But now the Vatican has given more clarity to it," he said.
The instruction says that, "In circumstances when cremation is chosen because of sanitary, economic or social considerations, this choice must never violate the explicitly-stated or the reasonably inferable wishes of the deceased faithful. The Church raises no doctrinal objections to this practice, since cremation of the deceased’s body does not affect his or her soul, nor does it prevent God, in his omnipotence, from raising up the deceased body to new life.”
Clear instructions are also given regarding the preservation of the ashes of the departed.
The conservation of the ashes in a domestic residence is not permitted and the ashes may not be divided among various family members. It is also 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 jewellery or other objects.
“When the deceased notoriously has requested cremation and the scattering of their ashes for reasons contrary to the Christian faith, a Christian funeral must be denied to that person according to the norms of the law,” adds the instruction.
The official spokesperson of the Kerala Catholic Bishop's Council Fr Varghese Vallikkatt said that the Vatican has given an option by allowing cremation. “This was already a debate amongst us. The changing situation, lack of space and city life has made cremation a reality. Vatican has now approved it,” he said.