The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-09-04


called debris anatoniques" are consigned
pell nell TO the flames OF the crematories
at the cemetery OF Pere Lachaise
/ The debris anatomiques" are the bodies
and fragments Of bodies OF paupers and
t unknown dead whose remains have been
intrusted to the doctors and medical stu
dents for study and scientific investiga-
/ ton. After they have served this pur-
pose they are returned 70 the hospitals,
which thereupon ship them by the cart
load TO the Pere Lachaise crematoriuu,
/ where they are roughly shot into the
furnaces without any religious rites.
( This IS calculated to offend the religious
/ sentiments not only Of Catholics. but
likewise Of members Of every other faith.
no matter whether Christian. Hebrew. or
Mahommedan- Leo XIII likewise took
/ the ground that the ordinary form OF
interment has been, so to speak. conse-
| Grated by usage ever since the founda-
/ ton OF the Christian faith; that It has
/ been accepted from time immemorial as
forming part and parcel Of the religious
/ ceremonies Of the latter. and that the
| old-fashioned form OF Christian burial
may be said 10 have become one Of the
most solemn features OF the rite OF the
church. and a consolation in life to the
dying and 10 the bereaved.
! For these reasons Leo XIII disapproved
OF incarceration. save under certain ex-
! ceptional circumstances mentioned below.
and IN a decree dated May 70. 1856. he
forbade the members OF the Roman Cath
Ole Church to give directions for the ere
nation Of their remains after death. and
I ordained that those who rendered them
! selves guilty Of disobedience IN this re-
I spect should be deprived not only OF the
/ sacrament prior 70 their demise. but like
wise OF religious services at their obse-
I quies Il Is By virtue Of this order that
the rites OF the ehurcn were withheld at
the obsequies OF Don Jose Fereiro. the
minister plenipotentiary Of the republic
! OF Costa Rica at the Vatican. when he
died last April, after leaving directions
! for his remains 10 be cremated-
The Catholic Church. however. makes
I exceptions. which may fairly be described
es indicating liberal spirit IN the mat
\ ter. Thus. in cases where. owing 10 in
J fictitious malady. the destruction OF the
\ body by means Of IRE is rendered polite.
there Is no objection whatsoever 70
/ priests according the lest rites OF the
dead or celebrating public mass for the
repose OF the soul The same exception
Is made in the case Of those who have
! persisted in any eonhasration; and the
/ Catholic Church. for instance. would
never have dreamed OF Withholding any
OF its ceremonies from those whose life
was sacrificed and bodies consumed at
the time OF the burning OF the Charity
Bazaar In Paris. some twelve years ago.
With regard 20 those whose bodies have
been cremated without their ante-mortem
consent. the Roman Catholic Church au-
thorized full religious rites. with the pro-
vision, however. that whereas In the case
J Of children the mass may be public. the
! celebration must be private where adults
are concerned. may add that the Cath
Ole Church makes no objection whatso-
ever 70 its members accepting employ
ment In connection with crematoriums as
medical officers, officials. or ordinary at
tendants; nor has anybody ever been
deprived OF the sacraments on this &C
count
Jews and MahOmmedans dlscountenance
cremation under ordinary circumstances,
and yet admit. ike the Catholic Church.
that there are a number OF cases where
Il Is not only permissible. but even neces-
sary. and where II would be unjust 70
refuse the last rites OF religion. al
ways retain a vivid recollection OF a dis
cussion which I once had about the mat
ter at Cairo. at the time OF the great
cholera epidemic in 1875. with one OF the
most learned divines OF the great mosque
and university Of Fl Azhar. which for
over 1000 years has been the headquarters
OF Moslem orthodoxy.
Finding that he was in favor OF the
burning Of the corpses OF those who had
succumbed 20 the pestilence. I asked him
how he could possibly reconcile such
views with the idea. so deep-rooted
among the members OF his faith. that in
order TO enable Allah 20 reconstruct the
body OF the True Believer for life here
after. It is necessary that at least one
small particle Of bone, the lowest Of the
vertebra. which they describe as luz"
should be preserved from humiliation.
From the luz which they are con-
WINGED Is indestruetible by the ordinary
process Of decomposition and Of disinte-
grafton OF the corpse. they believe that
the Almighty can rebuild the entire body;
but He must have the luz"
Smiling. the green-turbaned old sheikh
replied: Yes, I know that this belief
prevails among followers Of the prophet.
And yet the familiar stor- OF Abraham
and the rooster should be sufficient to
show them their error When Abraham.
who was imbued with the same ideas.
inquired OF Allah how there could posi-
bly, be the resurrection Of a body, the
component parts OF which were scattered
! or completely annihilated. he was COM
manded by the Almighty 70 take a white
cock. to cut It into a number Of small
fragments. and dividing these into seven.
TO place the portions on seven different
hilltops. This being done, ISRAELI, the
Angel Of the Trumpet. was commanded
by Allah TO summon the bird. and a sec
ond later It reappeared. close 10 Abraham,
\ complete, living and Growing loudly"
While 1t cannot be denied that in ;his
Mahommedan parable there is. in West
ern eyes at any rate. an element OF the
grotesQue. IL must be remembered that
It's object has been to demonstrate TO
Oriental minds that there is nothing that
is beyond the power Of the Almighty to
accomplish
tcoTright. 1910. By the Brentwood Company
1
Not I'm the Papers.
From the Nashville Banner.