CBCP finds nothing wrong with cremation, but prefers traditional burial
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) reiterated yesterday that there is nothing wrong in cremating the dead as rules of the Church on this unconventional practice have evolved through time due to practical considerations.
The CBCP Episcopal Commission on Liturgy (ECL) said the new Code of Canon Law of the
According to the commission, cremation of the remains could be done before or after the funeral
“When cremation is held after funeral Mass, the rite of final commendation and committal concludes the
After cremation, the ashes are placed in a worthy urn and carried reverently to the place of burial,” the CBCP-ECL said in its Guidelines for Cremation.
“For cremation preceding funeral Mass, the rite of final commendation and committal may be performed in the crematorium chapel before cremation. After cremation the funeral Mass may be celebrated in the presence of the cremated remains. If funeral Mass is not celebrated, the funeral liturgy is held in the presence of the remains. The rite of final commendation and committal concludes the Mass or the funeral liturgy,” it further stressed.
The commission said it is also important to put cremated remains in a grave, mausoleum or columbarium.
“The practice of scattering the ashes in the sea or from the air is not in keeping with the Church’s norm regarding the proper disposal of the remains of the dead. Likewise the urn should not be kept permanently at home or family altar. If there is a delay in the proper disposal of the ashes, these may be kept temporarily in an appropriate place,” explained the CBCP office.
“For the sake of reverence for the remains of the dead, it is recommended that in churches or chapels, a worthy container be provided in which the urn is placed during the liturgical celebration,” the CBCP-ECL added.
As additional guideline, the Church also requires the columbaria be built in a separate chapel adjacent to the church or in a crypt.
Under the Church’s laws, cremation – specifically cremation without reticence – is “neither bad in itself, nor contradictory to Christian doctrine, nor against religion.”
“The present Code of Canon Law does not require any special reason for the choice of cremation, thereby coming into line with the praxis that is legally authorized and progressively more frequent. Such practice, on the other hand, may be motivated by varied reasons of both public and private nature, of hygiene, of economics, etc. that have nothing to do with religion,” the CBCP-ECL explained.
The commission further stressed that the Church has “no longer been denying sacraments and in time Christian funeral to those who chose cremation for themselves.”
The CBCP-ECL, however, clarified that cremation “performed for reasons that are contrary to Christian teachings” is still prohibited by the Church. These reasons, as identified by Instruction of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued in 1963, include “denial of Christian dogmas, the animosity of a secret society, and hatred of the Catholic religion and the Church.”
The CBCP-ECL explained that allowing cremation is among the changes in rules of the Church. The old Code of Canon Law of 1917, also called the Pio-Benedictine Code, expressly prohibited the practice of cremation of cadavers, denying ecclesiastical funeral to those who have been cremated or who had willed themselves to be cremated.
But while the Church now allows cremation, it still recommends traditional practice of burying the dead in the grave.
“The reason for this Christian tradition in favor of burial stems from the latter’s strong religious symbolism. The paschal meaning of Christian death, or ‘faith in the resurrection of the body: that one day all the saints will rise from the dead for eternal glory, as Jesus Christ has risen from the dead,’ is better expressed with the burial of the cadaver,” explained CBCP-ECL.
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