Vatican bans scattering of ashes in Italy [CNAU]

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I am shocked that it was ever permitted. The article contains this confusing wording,
This is because, although the law does allow ashes to be scattered in the open or conserved in places other than a cemetery, “such practices … raise considerable doubts as to their coherence to Christian faith, especially when they conceal pantheist or naturalistic beliefs”.
What law is that? Can someone cite a Church document that *permits *the scattering of ashes?
 
I am shocked that it was ever permitted. The article contains this confusing wording,

What law is that? Can someone cite a Church document that *permits *the scattering of ashes?
I think the news article was referring to Italian law. Here is another article which is slightly clearer:
Until 2001, Italian law prohibited the scattering of ashes. The Cremation Society’s international statistics noted that in 2005 just under 9 percent of Italians who died were cremated; the percentage in the United States for the same year was about 32 percent.
In 1963, the Vatican issued new norms permitting Catholic funerals for those who wanted to be cremated as long as they had not chosen cremation as an expression of disbelief in the Resurrection or in other Catholic doctrines, Father Sirboni wrote.
The Italian bishops’ pastoral guidelines, issued along with the new translation of the rites, said Catholic funerals should be denied to those who request their ashes be scattered if they are motivated by “a pantheistic or naturalistic mentality” which denies the existence of one God, who is separate from his creation.
catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0800142.htm

In 1963, when the Church allowed cremation, the issue of scattering of ashes wasn’t addressed in the first guidelines because scattering cremains was illegal in Italy. However, in 2001 Italian law changed. So the new guidelines issued by the Italian bishops specifically forbids scattering of ashes if doing so is motivated by “a pantheistic or naturalistic mentality”
 
I wish someone would get stuff straight since I have to be scattered…LONG story…but I will have my kids do it…they aren’t Catholic anyway.

I am being scattered, because I have no choice if I want to be with my dead son. When he died my ex and I bought three plots. One for him and then one for each of us. They mistakenly buried my son in the far right plot when we wanted him in the middle. My ex died 3 years ago and was cremated and buried in the same plot as my son. There are 2 headstones on that plot and no one else can be buried there–limit of two per plot. So there are two plots to the left of my son. It is not a Catholic cemetery because I had not converted yet. In fact, I was a Methodist Clergy at the time. Well when the ex died, the widow got control of the graves and has been horrible to all of us so I’m now not allowed to be next to my son (which would put me next to my ex --that grates on her nerves). So…in order to be with my son, my kids will cremate me and scatter my remains on his grave. I will never be able to have a tombstone but all I want is to be with my boy…being separated in life was bad enough I want my body near him. As a person who has felt unwanted and rejected all my life, to be relagated to a lonely plot away from my son would be the ultimate heart-break. I checked into it and all the graves surrounding him are sold. So I have decided she can’t stop me from being with my son if my other two sons scatter my ashes on his grave…sad but it works.

Anyway, it seems that there is some confusion about all this.

Lorrie
 
I wish someone would get stuff straight since I have to be scattered…LONG story…but I will have my kids do it…they aren’t Catholic anyway.

I am being scattered, because I have no choice if I want to be with my dead son. When he died my ex and I bought three plots. One for him and then one for each of us. They mistakenly buried my son in the far right plot when we wanted him in the middle. My ex died 3 years ago and was cremated and buried in the same plot as my son. There are 2 headstones on that plot and no one else can be buried there–limit of two per plot. So there are two plots to the left of my son. It is not a Catholic cemetery because I had not converted yet. In fact, I was a Methodist Clergy at the time. Well when the ex died, the widow got control of the graves and has been horrible to all of us so I’m now not allowed to be next to my son (which would put me next to my ex --that grates on her nerves). So…in order to be with my son, my kids will cremate me and scatter my remains on his grave. I will never be able to have a tombstone but all I want is to be with my boy…being separated in life was bad enough I want my body near him. As a person who has felt unwanted and rejected all my life, to be relegated to a lonely plot away from my son would be the ultimate heart-break. I checked into it and all the graves surrounding him are sold. So I have decided she can’t stop me from being with my son if my other two sons scatter my ashes on his grave…sad but it works.

Anyway, it seems that there is some confusion about all this.

Lorrie
I completely understand your grief for the loss of your son and how things were handled in a disgusting way in relation to the burial of your son and the possibility of you being buried next to him. It makes sense that you want to have your corpse next to his. I just encourage you to think that the idea of you being buried next to him might make you feel good because it gives you a sense of closure now, in the present. I am not trying to downplay your feelings and as a parent I know that I would go crazy if I were to loose my son. I am simply offering you a possible way to look at the big picture.
You have to remember of where you really want to be after your death, and if your son is in heaven do you think that calling for disobedience to the Church at the moment of your death will bring you next to him for eternity? My suggestion is that you have Masses said for your son and that you also plan to be in heaven through obedience to Church, including her disciplines. I am sure that getting into heaven with your son is much more important than the burial location. In the mean time I pray for the conversion of the heart of the widow of your former husband, I pray that she will understand that the loss of a mother should overcome any sense of jealousy or resentment on her side.
 
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