Is it acceptable to keep cremated remains in the house?

[Santi2]

Our friend’s wife passed away a few months ago and he still keeps her cremated remains in the house. He has her urn on a table by a window, next to her favourite chair. He is a practising Catholic, as are all the members of the family. When asked, our friend said that he has not decided yet as to where his wife’s final resting place would be. According to the OCF 416 “…keeping cremated remains in the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires.” As our friend chooses to deal with interment of remains in “due course”, is there a particular guideline as to time table he must observe? The presence of his wife’s remains in the house is particularly distressing to their children and grandchildren.

 

[Leonie_Ambrose]

Santi2,

The following links should assist you in better understanding the Catholic Church’s teaching on the norms for proper cremation and burial of ashes. If you have any further questions or concerns that are not answered by these links, please [contact Catholic Answers (http://www.catholic.com/home/contact.asp) directly.

**Recommended Reading:
**

• Does the Church allow cremation?
• ** Is it correct to keep the cremains of a deceased relative in your home?**