A Mormon Buried in a Catholic Cemetery?

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A Mormon’s earthly remains were recently buried in our local Catholic cemetery. Sure enough in place of a crucifix, cross or a star of david, the grave marker has a engraving of the angel moroni blowing a horn.

I am aware that there is no canon that would keep a Mormon from being buried in a Catholic cemetery – even in this case if they have no Catholic relatives. So while I think it’s fine for a Mormon to be buried in the Catholic cemetery, I find the angel moroni engraving to be a little offensive and certainly out of place.

The diocesan cemetery boss thought it was just dandy as long as she had the $$. I beg to differ. I don’t think the angel moroni belongs in any Catholic cemetery. Your thoughts?
 
I would tend to agree. I am a little confused as to why a Mormon would want to be buried in a Catholic cemetary, unless it was to be buried with family.
 
Gene_Church said:
I would tend to agree. I am a little confused as to why a Mormon would want to be buried in a Catholic cemetary, unless it was to be buried with family.
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She was a genealogist. She helped map the cemetery and “liked” it.
 
Look at it this way: she’s Catholic now.

Whether her post-mortem conversion does her any good we’ll never know from this side.
 
Spiller said:
A Mormon’s earthly remains were recently buried in our local Catholic cemetery. Sure enough in place of a crucifix, cross or a star of david, the grave marker has a engraving of the angel moroni blowing a horn.

I am aware that there is no canon that would keep a Mormon from being buried in a Catholic cemetery – even in this case if they have no Catholic relatives. So while I think it’s fine for a Mormon to be buried in the Catholic cemetery, I find the angel moroni engraving to be a little offensive and certainly out of place.
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The angel motif in LDS sacred art is derived from this verse in the Bible:

Revelation 14:

6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

I don’t see why a Catholic should be offended by such a motif.

zerinus
 
The average person walking through the cemetery will not know it’s Moroni. They will probably think it’s Gabriel.
 
OutinChgoburbs said:
The average person walking through the cemetery will not know it’s Moroni. They will probably think it’s Gabriel.
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Maybe, but there will be some who might know and even take some offense seeing that this is a Catholic cemetary and the Moroni statue seems to indicate that “all religions are alike and okay”–that’s called the heresy of indifferentism. (I knew of a person who actually had her deceased relative moved to another cemetary because a grave marker on another row had FreeMason symbols and she knew that in life the relative would not have approved.)
 
AMDGtoo said:
Maybe, but there will be some who might know and even take some offense seeing that this is a Catholic cemetary and the Moroni statue seems to indicate that “all religions are alike and okay”–that’s called the heresy of indifferentism. (I knew of a person who actually had her deceased relative moved to another cemetary because a grave marker on another row had FreeMason symbols and she knew that in life the relative would not have approved.)
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I am very tired of people finding a heresy under every tombstone.

Show me in canon law where this is prohibited. You brought it up, so you have to prove it. I want it from canon law of 1983, not 1917, not the CCC, not the Blatimore Catechism. No proof, no sale.

And it is not a statue, it is engraved on the stone. Most cemeteries today do not allow tombstones or markers that are beyond a certain height, width or decor. Most prefer, in fact, a flat stone, so the cemetery lawn mower can drive right over it. Second in the approved list is a tombstone about three feet high, three and a half feet wide, and three inches thick. Third is a niche in a columbarium or masoleum.
 
I would think that the regulations for the Diocese of Winona are typical (italics mine):
“The most suitable ornament on a memorial in a Catholic cemetery is the cross, which accordingly, should be found on every memorial. Epitaphs and symbols on memorials should be in the spirit of the Catholic Christian Church. Hence no memorial work of any kind will be allowed unless there is represented or engraved thereon a cross, or other Christian symbol in keeping with the design and size of the memorial, except that, when a monument bears such symbol, it may be omitted from corresponding markers if desired.”

Having said that, unless the angel is expressly identified as Moroni, it’s just an angel blowing a trumpet. That does not offend the spirit of the Catholic faith. In that case, it would seem best to let it go.

Your diocese may have regulations which the cemetery boss may be ignoring. If neither your bishop nor her board of directors have policies to the contrary, though, there’s not much to be done about it.
 
AMDGtoo said:
I guess you can start your research here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indifferentism
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Indifferentism is a heresy, but perhaps an angel is just an angel?

Burying non-Catholics who were not hostile to the Church in life is allowed. Not to be flippant, but a cemetery or diocese could hardly write a regulation that says, “Angels with trumpets are OK as symbols on grave markers, unless the deceased was Mormon. Mormons have to have a quote from the Nicene Creed, instead.”
 
AMDGtoo said:
Maybe, but there will be some who might know and even take some offense seeing that this is a Catholic cemetary and the Moroni statue seems to indicate that “all religions are alike and okay”–that’s called the heresy of indifferentism. (I knew of a person who actually had her deceased relative moved to another cemetary because a grave marker on another row had FreeMason symbols and she knew that in life the relative would not have approved.)
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Precisely.
 
OutinChgoburbs said:
I am very tired of people finding a heresy under every tombstone.

Show me in canon law where this is prohibited. You brought it up, so you have to prove it. I want it from canon law of 1983, not 1917, not the CCC, not the Blatimore Catechism. No proof, no sale.

And it is not a statue, it is engraved on the stone. Most cemeteries today do not allow tombstones or markers that are beyond a certain height, width or decor. Most prefer, in fact, a flat stone, so the cemetery lawn mower can drive right over it. Second in the approved list is a tombstone about three feet high, three and a half feet wide, and three inches thick. Third is a niche in a columbarium or masoleum.
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Not where this lady is buried. She is buried in one of the oldest, most historic and prominent areas of the cemetery. Her marker looks exactly like a upright veteran’s marble marker, but it is not.
 
Spiller said:
Not where this lady is buried. She is buried in one of the oldest, most historic and prominent areas of the cemetery. Her marker looks exactly like a upright veteran’s marble marker, but it is not.
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If the diocese has a policy that this marker violates, you can report the violation to the chancery office. If the cemetery has a written policy which it violates, you can contact the board of directors or trustees of the cemetery. Otherwise, alas, there’s not much you can do, save making certain that you read the rules for the cemetery where you want to be buried.
 
The rule for being buried in a Catholic cemetary is (see here):
  1. Catholic churches are consecrated or blessed buildings which have an important theological and liturgical significance for the Catholic community. They are therefore generally reserved for Catholic worship. However, if priests, ministers or communities not in full communion with the Catholic Church do not have a place or the liturgical objects necessary for celebrating worthily their religious ceremonies, the diocesan Bishop may allow them the use of a church or a Catholic building and also lend them what may be necessary for their services. Under similar circumstances, permission may be given to them for interment or for the celebration of services at Catholic cemeteries.
 
EasterJoy said:
Indifferentism is a heresy, but perhaps an angel is just an angel?

Burying non-Catholics who were not hostile to the Church in life is allowed. Not to be flippant, but a cemetery or diocese could hardly write a regulation that says, “Angels with trumpets are OK as symbols on grave markers, unless the deceased was Mormon. Mormons have to have a quote from the Nicene Creed, instead.”
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You are so right Easter Joy!

And AMDGtoo- Wikipedia is only a secondary source, as it is not always reliable, as it is compiled by conjecture and opinion. No reliable research can be done on Wikipedia in most univerisities as a result. I want it in the Canon Law of 1983 that this cemetery did something sinful. I did not ask for places to my research. I already know the definition of “indifferentism”. *You *are the one who brought up that you considered this engraving indifferentism. So- you prove it is.
 
Just_Lurking said:
The rule for being buried in a Catholic cemetary is (see here):
  1. Catholic churches are consecrated or blessed buildings which have an important theological and liturgical significance for the Catholic community. They are therefore generally reserved for Catholic worship. However, if priests, ministers or communities not in full communion with the Catholic Church do not have a place or the liturgical objects necessary for celebrating worthily their religious ceremonies, the diocesan Bishop may allow them the use of a church or a Catholic building and also lend them what may be necessary for their services. Under similar circumstances, permission may be given to them for interment or for the celebration of services at Catholic cemeteries.
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About as close as one can get- Thank you!🙂
 
Spiller said:
Not where this lady is buried. She is buried in one of the oldest, most historic and prominent areas of the cemetery. Her marker looks exactly like a upright veteran’s marble marker, but it is not.
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Well, you are the one who brought it up.

Is the angel labeled “Moroni, Angel in the Book of Mormon, drinker of wine with Joseph Smith” or is it even labeled “Moroni” or is it just an angel with a horn? Is it engraved on hte stone, or is it a statue?
 
OutinChgoburbs said:
Is the angel labeled “Moroni, Angel in the Book of Mormon, drinker of wine with Joseph Smith” or is it even labeled “Moroni” or is it just an angel with a horn? Is it engraved on hte stone, or is it a statue?
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Believe me, if anyone has ever seen a statue (or engraving) of “Moroni”, there can be no doubt that it is not a Catholic symbol. As my Mormon convert daughter once told me when I gave her some little angel Christmas decorations, “We don’t believe in angels like you do”. Honestly, LDS and Christian angels even look different. LDS “angels” have no “wings”. They are either dead people or pre-existent beings.
 
AMDGtoo said:
Believe me, if anyone has ever seen a statue (or engraving) of “Moroni”, there can be no doubt that it is not a Catholic symbol. As my Mormon convert daughter once told me when I gave her some little angel Christmas decorations, “We don’t believe in angels like you do”. Honestly, LDS and Christian angels even look different. LDS “angels” have no “wings”. They are either dead people or pre-existent beings.
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I looked it up, and you’re right: statues of Moroni have no wings. Nevertheless, these are statues of a guy in long garments blowing a trumpet. A Mormon would immediately take it as Moroni, but it isn’t so distinctive as the blind-folded woman holding the scales. It is a guy blowing a trumpet.

I suppose that cemeteries could decide “no guys blowing trumpets” right in there with “no guys with goat horns growing out of their heads” or just could have “allowed symbols” and forget about what else might not be allowed. Still, there are worse things to have on a grave marker in a Catholic cemetery than a guy blowing a trumpet. I wouldn’t say that a cemetery who allows that just has $$$ in their eyes, or that they suffer from indifferentism. Nevertheless, the cemetery might have rules that are being violated. That is well within possibility.
 
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