Can a priest deny funeral for cremains?

[Sunbreak]

Can a priest deny funeral liturgy for cremains? The archdiocese allows it, but this priest refuses to do a funeral liturgy unless the body is present. All he would do is a memorial Mass. The deceased was a long-time parishioner and this upset quite a few people in the parish who knew her.

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

The universal law of the Church does not forbid cremation, therefore no individual priest may do so:

Can. 1176 §3. The Church earnestly recommends that the pious custom of burying the bodies of the deceased be observed; nevertheless, the Church does not prohibit cremation unless it was chosen for reasons contrary to Christian doctrine.

Unless the priest has evidence that the deceased chose cremation to show an unbelief in the resurrection of the body (or some other Church teaching) then the funeral rites cannot be denied.