From: SECBH@cunyvm.bitnet
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: re: CREMATION
Date: 4 Jan 93 02:30:49 GMT
Organization: City University of New York/ University Computer Center

In article <Dec.11.01.37.58.1992.12520@athos.rutgers.edu>
creps@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Steve Creps) writes:

>   The Catholic Church officially frowns on cremation, but it is not
>forbidden, unless it would be done in order to reject Church teaching,
>i.e. the resurrection, etc.
>
>   I believe if a body is cremated, the ashes are not permitted to be
>brought into the church for a funeral Mass, although a service without
>the ashes present may be given.  I'm not sure of all the details on
>this, but the point is that ashes are not considered to be the body of
>the deceased for purposes of liturgy.

I think that what Mr. Creps says above may be the rule, though I
wonder if there may not be additional considerations.  I thought
that David Cruz-Uribe's quotation of canon law might solve the
puzzle, but it doesn't seem to.

My confusion is based on my involvement in a very distressing
incident involving the Roman Church and cremation:

A longtime friend of mine died of AIDS.  Though his brother and
sisters had known he was homosexual for many, many years the
topic was never discussed with their widowed mother -- though
it was assumed she "knew" but preferred not to acknowledge the
fact even in the privacy of the family.

His illness was kept a secret from her and in his final days he
was actually spirited away and cared for in the home of his brother
who lived far away.  This all being done to "protect" the mother.

The man died and his siblings told their mother that he had died
of a heart attack as they were afraid of the stigma of AIDS and
its association in this country with homosexuality.

As his body was incredibly cachexic and disfigured
they felt that they would have to have it cremated so that the
mother would not question their story based on the appearance
of his corpse.

After this was done they proceded to attempt to arrange the funeral.
The family were Irish Catholics.  The parish priest not only refused
to allow a funeral in the church, but until shortly before the
beginning of the wake refused to even come to the funeral parlour
or to agree to conduct a graveside ceremony.  He finally did
come to the funeral parlour, said a short prayer and departed after
very brief and aloof comments to the family.  The burial was handled
in an equally truncated and rude manner.

It was my understanding at the time from one of his sisters that the
priest maintained that the family should have sought church permission
prior to the cremation - I believe that it was said that this was
granted by one's bishop.

Perhaps someone with a knowledge of Roman practice can comment on
what the requirements are.

This incident had rather strange consequences in that the sisters
and brother were very upset at the priest's instransigence and
pursued their objections with him and other Roman clergy.  They
finally had a series of conferences with a priest in which church
doctrine and authority became the focus, and after more than
a year of discussions all three siblings with their spouses and
children left the Roman church and became Quakers!

Jack Carroll