After reading an article about a couple whose 15 month old daughter died from a terminal disease, I can't resist clarifying a few things. You see, although it seems like a sweet idea--they had their daughter's ashes made into pretty, white stones--it's just not okay, on several levels.
To
honor the dead, we need to bury them (or their ashes in an urn) in a
sacred, permanent place. They should not be stored at home. If anyone
wishes to keep some of the ashes, they need to go to an ecclesial
authority of the Church, who can evaluate the request. This is both
"canonical and pastoral."
Cremains
are not to be scattered, spread under a tree, made into jewelry (or
stones), put in a shotgun shell for your next turkey hunt, inserted in a
coral reef, or shot into space (examples from cnn.com).
Why? What's all the fuss about?
Honor
and respect for the human body. The cremains need to be carefully
identified so that the name of the deceased is not forgotten. They must
be in a permanent, sacred place where they can be remembered and prayed
for.
Here is the language:
"The
ecclesiastical authority, in compliance with current civil norms, may
consider and evaluate a request by a family to preserve in an
appropriate way a minimal part of the ashes of their relative in a place
of significance for the history of the deceased person, provided that
every type of pantheistic, naturalistic, or nihilistic misunderstanding
is ruled out and also provided that the ashes of the deceased are kept
in a sacred place.” (vatican)
Please note the necessity of the intervention of the ecclesiastical authority, who must consider the "current civil norms."
It
is understandable that this may be difficult for some families to
follow, and it requires a humble submission to the dignity of the
person, and God who created them.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 2300:
"The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in faith
and hope of the Resurrection. The burial of the dead is a corporal work
of mercy; it honors the children of God, who are temples of the Holy
Spirit."
Also,
please note, that while your state may allow the spreading of ashes,
that doesn't make it proper to do so. It might "feel" like the thing to
do, and it might seem "nice," but a higher authority than your state
government, knows best.
May God's grace keep you faithful this Lent.
Janet Cassidy
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