No, the ashes must be buried, just as you would a body.
Is it really possible to insure that the scattered ashes are going to be honored and treated with respect, as the relics are?
No, the ashes need to buried in a cemetery.
Well, I know theres civil laws supporting this in some areas, but in locales where ashes can be legally buried in a private garden, is there Church doctrine prohibiting this as long as it is a reverent disposition, including a suitable urn and marker?
As long as local laws do not prevent this, your pastor will bless the ground at the grave side.
I think the danger of not being buried in a cemetery is because private residential land, unlike cemeteries are not protected by civil laws to prevent desecration of graves. For instance, if a community wishes to build a shopping center or highway where a cemetery is located, they need to disinter all the bodies and reinter them elsewhere. They are not allowed to disturb the graves. Now, if one buried a body (in casket) or ashes (in urn) in his back yard, if the property was sold, the new owners could do whatever they wanted. There would be nothing to prevent them from digging in the yard and discarding the cremains.
Thank you for your answer Br. Rich, always wondered about the religious side of this.
Totally agree. I’ve seen in my city where construction of new freeways actually went around established cemeteries in 2 places, as disinterring is almost impossible because many times contacting relatives is impossible, and if they can be contacted, the family refuses permission.
