Thread: Vatican: Do Not Scatter, Divide Cremated Remains

The Vatican has issued new guidelines recommending that the cremated remains of Catholics be buried in cemeteries rather than be kept at home, scattered or divided among family members.

The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued updated instructions Tuesday on rules for cremation. The church reiterated its approval of cremation, but emphasized the need to bury the ashes — all in one place — in cemeteries or other "sacred places."

"It is not permitted to scatter the ashes of the faithful departed in the air, on land, at sea or in some other way, nor may they be preserved in mementos, pieces of jewelry or other objects," the instructions say.

The church says the goal is to keep the ashes together at a location where the departed won't be "excluded" from prayers and remembrances of other Christians.

Cremation has been steadily growing in popularity in the United States. According to the Cremation Association of North America, an industry group for cremation-related businesses, nearly half of all people who died in 2015 in the U.S. were cremated, up from about 25 percent in 2000.

But ever since the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s, the official position of the church has been that cremation, while not preferable, is also not banned — as long as the choice was not made as a reproach of the church.

Vatican: Do Not Scatter, Divide Cremated Remains

The Vatican must of Forgotten about Purgatory.

Originally Posted by Chico

The Vatican must of Forgotten about Purgatory.

They have not forgotten - it is just in Limbo currently.

I would rather they issued new guidelines recommending their faithful do not sexually assault children.

They asked me how I knew
He went up the flue
Smoke gets in your eyes

I think its scandalous what they do with "Hazardous Waste".

Life is so much better in not caring for anything the Vatican decrees, can't believe people in this day and age still believe in this shit.

It's not the Vatican's ashes. I'll do what I want with my ashes. They can screw off.

Originally Posted by Cold Pizza

I'll do what I want with my ashes.

The thought of your ashes is quite comforting.

I think you'll find you won't personally be doing anything much with them though.

Originally Posted by misskit

as long as the choice was not made as a reproach of the church.

Godfather speaks.

Originally Posted by Chico

Forgotten about Purgatory.

that's where many parents spent their lives when babies died before being christened.
Yes they scrapped that sadistic nonsense.

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Originally Posted by billy the kid

Originally Posted by misskit

as long as the choice was not made as a reproach of the church.

Godfather speaks.

Originally Posted by Chico

Forgotten about Purgatory.

that's where many parents spent their lives when babies died before being christened.
Yes they scrapped that sadistic nonsense.

What has purgatory got to do with the OP?

Anyway, belief in the state of purgatory's not been scrapped. Limbo hasn't exactly been scrapped either, it was never official church doctrine to begin with. There was a belief that unbaptised babies went to limbo, that was never official dogma although almost every Catholic believed it for nearly 2,000 years. The magisterium, in an attempt to finally clear up the matter, declared in 2007 that Limbo was a false belief and not any part of Catholic dogma.

Ash Can Nazis

Originally Posted by cyrille

Originally Posted by Cold Pizza

I'll do what I want with my ashes.

The thought of your ashes is quite comforting.

That's not a very nice thing to say.

Not saluted.

I think you'll find you won't personally be doing anything much with them though.

No, because if I'm all ashes I won't have arms to spread them.

But I did make a Will recently and I told my lawyer to cremate me.

Someone I knew had his ashes scattered on the the village green after his cremation, just so's he'd be under his neighbours' feet...... every day.