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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Creamation of a loved one	John R.	Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Question: Bro. Ignatius Mary, There is a Catholic neighbor whose husband passed away 4 years ago, she had him cremated and has not yet had his ashes buried in Sacred ground. In fact, she keeps them on her mantel, and whenever she travels to her sons home for a visit she carries her husbands ashes with her on the plane. What is Church Teaching regarding our neighbor refusing to bury her husbands ashes? In her mind, she wants her husbands ashes and hers, when she passes, to be scattered at one of their favorite, obviously romantic places? I have told her that she is not doing what God and His Church want and that I am certain that what she is doing, and planning to do, is a sin, however, what I do not know is whether the sin is venial or mortal. Thank you, in advance, for you time, your prayer, and your answer. God bless, John R.
Question Answered by Dear John: The Church teaches that the body is sacred and must be treated with respect. As such, it is not permitted to retain the cremains on a mantle, or scatter the ashes. The cremains must be buried in a grave or mausoleum the same as an intact corpus. From you or me looking on this situation, it does not matter whether or not this is venial or mortal sin, we are not suppose to sin at all. Such things are between her and her confessor. The graver sin, however, is not in the doing of it (scattering ashes and such), but in deliberately refusing to abide by Church teaching once one is made aware of it. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Creamation of a loved one

John R.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Question:

Bro. Ignatius Mary,

There is a Catholic neighbor whose husband passed away 4 years ago, she had him cremated and has not yet had his ashes buried in Sacred ground. In fact, she keeps them on her mantel, and whenever she travels to her sons home for a visit she carries her husbands ashes with her on the plane.

What is Church Teaching regarding our neighbor refusing to bury her husbands ashes? In her mind, she wants her husbands ashes and hers, when she passes, to be scattered at one of their favorite, obviously romantic places?

I have told her that she is not doing what God and His Church want and that I am certain that what she is doing, and planning to do, is a sin, however, what I do not know is whether the sin is venial or mortal.

Thank you, in advance, for you time, your prayer, and your answer.

God bless,

John R.

Question Answered by

Dear John:

The Church teaches that the body is sacred and must be treated with respect. As such, it is not permitted to retain the cremains on a mantle, or scatter the ashes. The cremains must be buried in a grave or mausoleum the same as an intact corpus.

From you or me looking on this situation, it does not matter whether or not this is venial or mortal sin, we are not suppose to sin at all. Such things are between her and her confessor. The graver sin, however, is not in the doing of it (scattering ashes and such), but in deliberately refusing to abide by Church teaching once one is made aware of it.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum