Cremation and The Church

Question: Can Catholics be cremated?

Answer: As the practice of cremation becomes more and more common, it’s important to know what the Church asks of families who have chosen this for a loved one who has died.

As the US Bishops observe on their website, “Ideally, if a family chooses cremation, the cremation would take place some time after the Funeral Mass, so that there can be an opportunity for the Vigil for the Deceased in the presence of the body.” However, if cremation takes places before the Funeral Mass, the cremated remains can be present at the Funeral Mass and the appendix to the Order of Christian Funerals provides adaptations for the texts and rituals that are part of the Funeral Mass and the Committal.

The primary concern is that the cremated remains should be treated with the same respect given to any human remains. The Order of Christian Funerals instructs, “This includes the use of a worthy vessel to contain the ashes, the manner in which they are carried, and the care and attention to appropriate placement and transport, and the final disposition. The cremated remains should be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium. The practice of scattering cremated remains on the sea, from the air, or on the ground, or keeping cremated remains on the home of a relative or friend of the deceased are not the reverent disposition that the Church requires” (no. 417).

It is becoming more and more common for parishes or diocese-sponsored cemeteries to include columbaria to house cremated remains in a way that respects Church teaching, allowing family and friends the opportunity to honor the remains of the one they have lost with dignity, reverence, and care.