Ad resurgendum cum Christo

A few weeks ago, I wrote to y’all about funerals and how we might live out well our responsibility to bury the dead. Today I’d like to re-visit that topic from a slightly different angle, namely: what should be done with our mortal remains after we die? 

The Church has always taught that bodily burial in a dedicated space is the most fitting way for Christians to witness, even in death, to our faith in the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and our hope in sharing in His Resurrection on the last day. Even in ancient Roman times, when the Church was facing deadly persecution, and cremation was the accepted norm for the entire Empire, Christians dug secret catacombs so that the Baptized could be buried bodily. This is something that mattered greatly to our forebears in the Faith, and it should matter to us as well. 

Ever since 1963, with the instruction Piam et Constantem, cremation has been permitted for Christians. “The Church raises no doctrinal objections to this practice, since cremation of the deceased’s body does not affect his or her soul, nor does it prevent God, in his omnipotence, from raising up the deceased body to new life.” Nevertheless, if cremation is chosen, it must not be for reasons contrary to the Faith or erroneous ideas about death, “such as considering death as the definitive annihilation of the person, or the moment of fusion with Mother Nature or the universe, or as a stage in the cycle of regeneration, or as the definitive liberation from the ‘prison’ of the body.” 

In 2016, at the behest of Pope Francis, the Holy See issued a new instruction on this topic, called Ad resurgendum cum Christo, or “To be Resurrected with Christ.” It is very brief and accessible, and I highly recommend it to anyone. It reiterates the Church’s teaching, especially in light of new practices that have arisen in recent years. Specifically, we are reminded that “the conservation of the ashes of the departed in a domestic residence is not permitted,” and that “it is not permitted to scatter the ashes of the faithful departed […] nor may they be preserved in mementos, pieces of jewelry or other objects.” Furthermore, “When the deceased notoriously has requested cremation and the scattering of their ashes for reasons contrary to the Christian faith, a Christian funeral must be denied to that person according to the norms of the law.” 

In other words, we are called to witness to our hope in the Resurrection not only in life, but also especially in death. Let’s take this teaching to heart and so glorify the Lord with our whole being.