Would this be a proper burial of my father's cremains?

[pelhamrc]

My wife and I will be participating in a family burial of my father’s cremains. He was a devout and practicing Christian (Presbyterian, we are Catholic). There will be some form of liturgy given by my brother, an elder in the Presbyterian Church. The ceremmony will take place in the family cemetery plot. My father expressed the wish to have his ashes (cremains) put in the ground, but mixed in with plants that will be put into the gravesite. There may be some separation of the ashes, and some scattering of the ashes on the top of the site. Can we participate in this ceremony and be in compliance with Catholic teachings? These arrangements will be consistent with my father’s wishes, who was a good Christian all his life.

 

[Leonie_Ambrose]

pelhamrc,

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?**