Scattering a loved one's cremains over the waters...
Rocco over at Whispers and Todd at Catholic Sensibility draw our attention to an interesting item originating with the Italian bishops regarding cremation and the scattering of cremains (ashes).
I've posted several times here on concerns related to cremation and this story adds an interesting development to the discussion.
Be sure to read the comments at Todd's post. The discussion there between Todd and Liam has expanded my view of the question.
What do you think?
From the story reported by Catholic News Service:
Italian church won't object to scattering of ashes, newspaper reports
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
ROME (CNS) -- Although the Catholic Church would prefer that those who die be buried in the ground, cremation is acceptable and, in certain circumstances, the church in Italy will not object to a person's ashes being scattered, reported the daily Catholic newspaper Avvenire.
The Italian bishops released their new translation of Catholic funeral rites in November, for the first time adding prayers to be recited at a crematorium and for a funeral celebrated in the presence of the deceased's ashes rather than a body.
The texts, Avvenire reported in a series of articles Jan. 9, were relatively unknown until a secular newspaper reported that a priest in northern Italy refused a Catholic funeral for a man who had asked that his ashes be scattered in the mountains.
The Diocese of Aosta later issued a statement saying that although the priest had hesitated, in the end there was a Catholic funeral and "church funerals will be celebrated for all the faithful, including those who have chosen the scattering of their ashes as long as the choice was not made for reasons contrary to the Christian faith."
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.
Father Silvano Sirboni, a pastor and liturgist, wrote in Avvenire that while cremation was an ancient practice the spread of Christianity brought with it a growing desire to be buried in the ground as Jesus was...
Cremation became a "sign of aversion to the church and its doctrine," he said. Consequently, the 1917 Code of Canon Law denied a Catholic funeral to those who had chosen cremation.
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...
As someone who has already written down my wishes for after my death, I have always wanted to be creamated, and have my ashes scattered. Am I correct in my interpretation that it is now an acceptable practice depending on the reasons and beliefs of the deceased? Is it accepted within the church here in the US? Or am I reading this all wrong. I'm a bit confused. Perhaps if I am wrong with my interpretations, you could correct me Concord Pastor.
ReplyDeleteWhat the Italian bishops have indicated is an exception to the Church's expectations regards the disposition of cremated remains. It will be interesting to watch how this plays out in Italy, and around the world.
ReplyDeleteEven in Italy, it less that the bishops have "ok'd" scattering cremains and more that they have said that a funeral Mass will not be denied to those who plan to scatter cremains.
The stance in the US remains the same: the Church expects that cremains be interred either in the earth or in an urn at sea (that is, no scattering).
All a pastor can do is to instruct folks about what the Church expects. The cremains are not the property of the Church nor does the Church have authority over them. I sometimes know and sometimes don't know what a family plans to do with cremains after the funeral. It has never occurred to me to suggest that a funeral Mass would be denied should "scattering" be in the plans.
I do not know if, up until now, pastors in Italy did deny funerals to families planning to scatter the cremains later.
Thank you for defining what is acceptable and what is not with regards to cremation and the scattering of ashes.I think I understand it better now.
ReplyDelete