The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-31
CREMATION OR INTERMENT 2
Father Prendergast Eebukes the Sci
entists.


Father Prendergast Kebukss the Sci
entists.
Old st. Mary's Cathedral was unusually
we'll filed last night, the congregation being
nearly doubled by number of non-Cath-
Ollie visitors, who had paid 50-cent admis-
sion fee to hear Father Prendergast lecture
on the subject of Cremation or Interment."
The lecture lasted over an hour aud was
an exhaustive review Of fmodern arguments,
pro ana con, on the subject OF cremation,
with a definition Of the churcb's unaiter-
able position in regard TO inhumation.
Father Prendergast began by saying that
his remarks we're addressed rather to Chris
tians and Catholics than to scientists or
Protestants, and he intended to put his ar
guments in the simplest manner possible.
The subject could be regarded from three
points of view, the scientific, tie historical
and the religious.
After stating that the Supreme Council of
Rome had forbidden all Catholics to take
any part in the agitation in favor of crema-
tion The speaker attacked the new doctrine
on The historical basis. He eontended that
from tho earliest ages the custom of man
kind has been to inter the bodies of the
dead that the practice of cremation at a
certain epoch in the histories of Greece and
Rome was of but limited diffusion and dura-
ton; also that outside of this the custom
had been limited TO few barbarian peoples
and not OF universal practice even among
them.
On religious grounds he defended inhu-
nation and opposed cremation, pointing out
that IN the three ages OF the chureh--the patfi-
archial, the Mosaic and the Christian-lt has
been the custom 10 bury the bodies Of the
dead with reverence and with solemn rites,
never to burn them. He denied absolutely
the assertion OF a modern writer on erema-
ton that the bodies Of any of the early
Christians in the catacombs had been
burned.
Turning to the scientific aspect Of the
ouestion Father PrendergaSt claimed that
cremation was in no sense modern idea,
even so far as the present agitation is con-
cerned 1t Is one OF the products OF the
French revolution. which aimed atdethron-
ing all established IDEAS and customs and
was fruitful of theories that were speedily
shown to be worthless. 1t is rare thing
for a new theory to contain % per cent of
practical value.
Even in the agitation referred to the rev.
olutionists restricted their proposals to the
city OF Paris. claiming that ON sanitary
grounds the boaies of the dead in large
city should be burned. There was
no such agitation against cemeteries
in villages and small towns. lie
contended that the modern swift and eco
HOiHlCdl uUucS VI make IL
easy to inter the bodies OF our departed
friends in cemeteries located at distance
from large cities so that the sanitary objec-
tion fails.
Speaking of the direct arguments for the
position which the church has assumed.
Father PTendergast summed them up as
| follows: Catholics believe in the resnrrec-
| tion of the dead, and without contending
| that the destruction of the bodies by hre
I makes material resurrection Impossible,
| since he who made man out OF the dust can
| accomplish all that he wills, yet 1t Is repug-
nant to the spirit of reverence and is bar
rier to the rites with which Catholics COM
| nit their dead TO the ground as a seed is
sown in the earth. He defied any one who
| has witnessed the pilgrimage OF bereaved
| ones TO the graves oi their kindred and has
| seen the tears aud prayers OF sufferers over
/ the grass that hides the form below, to
| imagine such feelings of love and devotion
kept alive by handful of ashes in an urn.
| Finally he claimed that as the church in