“Order of Christian Funerals” said:“The cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium [a cemetery vault designed for urns containing ashes of the dead]
. The practice of scattering cremated remains on the sea, from the air, or on the ground, or keeping cremated remains in the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires.”
The catechism, while of course very valuable, isn’t actually the best primary source of information on a question like this. It is, rather, intended as a definitive secondary source of information for Catholics, a sort of collection of fundamental principles. The primary sources, which are of greater interest, are the binding documents from which the Church operates, such as canon law and binding liturgical norms set down by the Holy See and by the bishops of their respective dioceses.Would someone in this thread that is stating that scattering ashes is a violation of Church law please provide a link to the portion of the Catechism where it is stated this is forbidden? I have yet to see that link.
Thank you and God Bless
Can. 1176 §1. Deceased members of the Christian faithful must be given ecclesiastical funerals according to the norm of law.
§2. Ecclesiastical funerals, by which the Church seeks spiritual support for the deceased, honors their bodies, and at the same time brings the solace of hope to the living, must be celebrated according to the norm of the liturgical laws.
OK, so what is the “norm of liturgical law”? In this case, it is the Order of Christian Funerals:§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.
The “Appendix” of the Order of Christian Funerals adds: “The cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium. The practice of scattering cremated remains on the sea, from the air, or on the ground, or keeping cremated remains in the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires. Whenever possible, appropriate means for recording with dignity the memory of the deceased should be adopted, such as a plaque or stone which records the name of the deceased”
#417.
Keep in mind that liturgical norms that differ from one diocese to the next are still made into local norms by the bishop obtaining permission from the Vatican for what he intends to do in his diocese. The bishop is the chief and supreme liturgist in his diocese, but he still has to confirm that his norms are in keeping with the boundaries of what is allowed by the Universal Church.Archdiocese of Portland:
• Archdiocesan and parish cemeteries should make provision for the interment of cremated remains.
• Burial at sea is allowed. Cremated remains should be submerged in a container–not scattered.
• A priest or parish minister should not preside or lead prayers in a committal service during which the cremated remains are scattered, rather than interred.
Actually, it is not only the Church that has a say in this. You count, too, as do your parents’ other relatives. You are the ones who will not have a gravesite to visit, after all. So don’t discount your own feelings about this. If nothing else, your mom might be persuaded to delay an action which cannot be undone. Cremated remains in a mausoleum could be scattered later, but once scattered, ashes cannot be gathered back in.I am aware of the Church’s teachings on the proper interment of cremains. My parents have decided to have their ashes scattered, which is clearly against our beliefs (they are both Catholic as well). Before my father passed away, I tried to explain kindly to my mom that she should look into other options. I think I basically told her at the time that the church didn’t want us to bury the dead in that manner, but I’m not sure whether I mentioned that carrrying it out would actually be against the teachings of the Church. I didn’t want to try to guilt trip her about not doing the right thing, as she was already going through a lot, but I’m wondering whether I did enough to prevent this sin. For the record, I will NOT be assisting his “burial” or whatever it is to be called…
After losing my dad today, I can’t stand the thought of having my dad’s ashes thrown off a mountain. (This is supposed to be a “respectful” way to say goodbye???) I don’t know if my guilt is warranted or if I’m just being too scrupulous about the whole thing - I mean, who else in my family is going to tell they’re committing a grave sin? Probably no one but me…
Since you presented this as an authoratative document, I’d be interested in what you make of that statement…The scattering of ashes, while not explicitly forbidden, is not encouraged by the Church.
Abhorrent? The idea that “under such and so conditions, respect for me requires that I will automatically get whatever I say I want, no matter whether or not it is moral or how it affects anyone else” is what is abhorrent. Where did that come from? At no time in our lives do our individual desires become supremely binding moral directives.It is abhorrent to think you would try to subvert your father’s wishes.
The scattering of ashes may be against RCC teachings, but so is the disrespect of your parents.
Respect his wishes.
The cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the human body from which they come. This includes the use of a worthy vessel to contain the ashes, the manner in which they are carried, the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition. The cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium. The practice of scattering cremated remains on the sea, from the air, or on the ground, or keeping cremated remains in the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires.
In our archdiocese it is explicitly forbidden for a member of the clergy to preside at a ceremony at which cremated remains are to be scattered. Therefore, I highly doubt that a member of the clergy is going to ever say, “As long as I’m not there, go ahead, have at it, scatter your dad, and God bless you all.”Thank you for your kind reply. I would like to point out that on page 6 of the document you refer to (Order of Christian Funerals) it says :
Since you presented this as an authoratative document, I’d be interested in what you make of that statement…
God bless
Is there a document from the Vatican that says this one way or the other? I hear people claiming this to be a Grave Sin, and yet the only document seems to differ from diocese to diocese. I would think if this was such a clear cut case of ***Grave Sin ***that the Catholic Church would have a catholic (universal) prohibition against it.It’s not expressly forbidden in the sense that the words “this is forbidden” don’t appear in the norms. It is expressly forbidden in the sense that the norms make it clear that it’s forbidden.
Here is the language found in Appendix 2, #417:
I see what you’re saying.Is there a document from the Vatican that says this one way or the other? I hear people claiming this to be a Grave Sin, and yet the only document seems to differ from diocese to diocese. I would think if this was such a clear cut case of ***Grave Sin ***that the Catholic Church would have a catholic (universal) prohibition against it.
I understand the Church’s desire that we treat the remains of the departed with the utmost respect… I have no issue with that and have made plans to have my ashes buried in a Catholic Cemetary. But I’m worried that some of us on this thread are implying the Churches preferance in this matter is the Church’s LAW in this matter, and I respectfully contend that it is not the case.
God bless
My condolences on the loss of your father.I am aware of the Church’s teachings on the proper interment of cremains. My parents have decided to have their ashes scattered, which is clearly against our beliefs (they are both Catholic as well). Before my father passed away, I tried to explain kindly to my mom that she should look into other options. I think I basically told her at the time that the church didn’t want us to bury the dead in that manner, but I’m not sure whether I mentioned that carrrying it out would actually be against the teachings of the Church. I didn’t want to try to guilt trip her about not doing the right thing, as she was already going through a lot, but I’m wondering whether I did enough to prevent this sin. For the record, I will NOT be assisting his “burial” or whatever it is to be called…
Funny (sort of) story. A friend of mine had an uncle who passed away. This uncle wanted to be cremated and have his remains scattered from an airplane. Since I have a small single engine airplane, my friend asked me if I’d take him up for Uncle Charlie’s last trip. Neither of us had any experience with this, but I thought to myself, “how difficult could it be.” Well, we learned some interesting lessons about air pressure and the fine points of cleaning lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of ash and dust out of a tiny airplane cockpit. And out of hair, ears, noses, eyes, and clothes too. Phew!!!I know some people, not Catholic, who carried out the wishes of someone who wanted their remains scattered. This brings up a practical problem: the wind does not always do what you want it to do. These people wound up with cremated remains in their hair and all over their clothes. That happens all of the time.
100% agreement with you…In other words, this is as much about how to handle feelings as it is about what moral law requires. A trip to the OP’s pastor seems to be in order, IMHO. Figuring out what to do goes way beyond just avoiding sin. The OP has a mother to grieve with, and decisions to make. It is time to explore the actual options with someone who knows what the rules really say and can ask and answer questions on the ground in a compassionate and informed manner.