Does the Catholic Church Forbid Cremation?

Cremation has become an option that is far more common today than it has been in the past. Especially for the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church considers the physical body as the temple of the Holy Spirit and they believe in the resurrection of the body after death.

Although Catholics do not favor cremation as they follow the customs of a burial, just as Jesus was buried, they do not forbid cremation. However, if cremation is chosen by the deceased or the family of the deceased, the ashes must be handled with the same respect as a body would while handling and transporting the ashes. Also, the cremation must be done as a genuine request of the deceased and not for reasons which are conflicting to their faith.

Not rejecting cremation, it is part of the religion to have a funeral to pay respect to the deceased before they are cremated. Catholics do not respectfully consider options like scattering the ashes, leaving them to the wind by sea, or displaying the urn in your home and instead should be buried in a grave or placed in a columbarium.

Burying the ashes or placing them in a columbarium is acceptable to the Catholic faith because it preserves the body in the same way a burial would being on a holy ground and treated the same way as a whole body in a casket.

Although cremation is not preferred by the Catholic Church it still is an acceptable and recognized choice of the faithful. If you have any other questions or would like to speak to our professional here at, Tindall Funeral Home, you can contact us here and we would be more than happy to assist you or provide you with the advice and suggestions you may be seeking.