"Simple" Funeral Wishes - Can They Be Too Simple?

[JReducation]

I have a question regarding Church teachings about funerals/burials/etc. I’m currently on the road to converting to Catholicism from Protestantism and realized some of the requests in my Will are not in line with Church teachings (like having my ashes scattered, etc.) I know it’s probably a little creepy that a 23 year old is planning this, but I’ve seen my family struggle with my uncle’s estate (died without a will) and I figure I should be prepared.

I’m a practical guy who craves simplicity deep down. I also have a desire to make the burden on my family as minimal as possible when I leave this world and allow my estate to provide generously to charitable organizations.

Therefore, I find myself wanting to have a very simple funeral - undecorated pine-box casket, a funeral Mass and a burial. I don’t want a fancy $20,000 casket with a plasma screen that will vacuum seal me in until the 2nd Coming.

I wholeheartedly believe in the Resurrection of the body, so I’m not trying to go Gnostic here. Am I right in assuming that God has the power to give us resurrected bodies, regardless of the condition they are in here on Earth?

I know the CCC lays some of the guidelines of out in paragraphs #2299-2301, but I figured I’d see what the opinions of the CAF crowd was.

There is nothing in this plan that is against Church law. You can even be cremated as long as the ashes are either scattered over the ocean or burried in a proper cemetery.

If you check out the Carthusian monks, an ancient religious order, they do not burry their monks in caskets. They wrap them and burry them. The reuse the casket.

For centuries the Franciscans never had fancy coffins. They used a wooden box and put the friars under the earth. They still use very simple coffins and bury their friars with very little fanfare.

Just to add another thought, most religious, including the pope, are organ donars. Our superior once told me that John Paul II was an organ donor. I can’t tell you where he got that information, but he’s a credible person.

Hope this helps.

Fraternally,

JR

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

There is nothing in this plan that is against Church law. You can even be cremated as long as the ashes are either scattered over the ocean or burried in a proper cemetery.

A small correction. Catholics aren’t permitted to have their ashes scattered because it doesn’t provide the respect due to the body.

Any catechesis on the subject of cremation should emphasize that “the cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the corporeal remains of a human body. 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.” (416)

While cremated remains may be buried in a grave, entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium or even buried at sea, "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." (416) The cremated remains of the body may be properly buried at sea in the urn, coffin or other container in which they have been carried to the place of committal. [References to the Order of Christian Funerals. http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/innews/799.shtml”]Source]

 

[Paul1961]

“Catholics aren’t permitted to have their ashes scattered because it doesn’t provide the respect due to the body.”

Of course, special exceptions seem to be available if you have the proper clout.

The cremated remains of John Kennedy Jr, his wife and sister-in-law were then scattered from a ship off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

“Catholics aren’t permitted to have their ashes scattered because it doesn’t provide the respect due to the body.”

Of course, special exceptions seem to be available if you have the proper clout.

The cremated remains of John Kennedy Jr, his wife and sister-in-law were then scattered from a ship off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard

If you look at the source I linked to you’ll see that the Kennedy death was precisely the reason the issue was raised. Their ashes were NOT scattered. This article from the New York Times gives more detail.

Even if their ashes had been scattered, what would be the point of bringing it up? The fact that someone does something against Church teaching doesn’t change Church teaching. If it did, the Ten Commandments would have been abolished long ago.

 

[Biblioassistant]

I don’t care what happens to my body after death, as long as there is someone to pray for my soul. That’s why I pray for the dead at every Mass - particularly those who have no one to pray for them.

Just don’t sing Eagle’s Wings at my funeral - that’s all I ask.

 

[JReducation]

A small correction. Catholics aren’t permitted to have their ashes scattered because it doesn’t provide the respect due to the body.

Any catechesis on the subject of cremation should emphasize that “the cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect given to the corporeal remains of a human body. 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.” (416)

While cremated remains may be buried in a grave, entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium or even buried at sea, "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." (416) The cremated remains of the body may be properly buried at sea in the urn, coffin or other container in which they have been carried to the place of committal. [References to the Order of Christian Funerals. http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/innews/799.shtml”]Source

]

When I say scattered over the ocean, I’m referring to regulation on burial at sea. Fr. Serpa recently spoke about this in one of his posts. You may want to look it up. The term scattered at sea can be misunderstood as pouring the ashes into the water. I’ll correct the wording and say burried at sea. The idea of scattered at sea comes from the image that the urns usually degrade with time and the ashes will be washed away. But that’s not the point. The point it that thye must be treated with respect and charity.

 

[DaveBj]

Dave Bj and Elizabeth -
snip
Dave, yes, we’ll be dead. But someone has to see that our bodies are given decent interment - if not expensive. How sad the stories of forgotten cemeteries found years later - unmarked or long forgotten graves which had since become dumps - people neither visited nor their souls prayed for (how sad). Remember, there’s Church teachings on acts of charity - visit the sick AND visit the dead. Something to think about.

I trust my Catholic wife to take care of that. I will make some arrangements in advance to ease things, but I’m not going to worry about it.

DaveBj

 

[bpbasilphx]

But the Mass is for the repose of the newly departed!

 

[JReducation]

But the Mass is for the repose of the newly departed!

Actually, in the Ordinary Form the mass is for the respose of the soul and the consolation of the living.

For example, in the case of a child you need not celebrate a requiem mass. You can celebrate the Mass of the Angels for the consolation of the family.

When my seven-year old son was killed in an auto accident along with my wife and father, the mass for my son was held seperately. The liturgy was the Mass of the Angels. The Cardinal who presided at the mass said it was not necessary to celebrate the mass for the repose of the soul of a child that young. We had to have separate liturgies anyway, because my father was burried in one state and my wife and son in another.

There are always prayer for the dead, but there are many more prayers for the survivors in the Ordinary Form and more alternatives in readings, Eucharistic prayers, colours and music. White is the usual colour. The readings usually proclaim the resurrection as does the music.

The prayers balance out between prayer for repose and for consolation of the living.

JR

 

[Sam_Maloney]

My profound sympathies, JReducation. I’ve suffered my losses, but nothing like this.