Why do Catholics prefer bodily burial to cremation?

To answer this question, we must grasp the Church’s profound respect for the physical body of Christ’s as well as the body of each believer. Saint Paul teaches us that just as Jesus’ own body has been raised, so too He will raise our mortal bodies to be like His own in glory (cf. Phil. 3:21).

This teaching is at the heart of the Catholic faith. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul reminds us in no uncertain terms “…if Christ has not been raised,…your faith is in vain.” Everything we believe as Catholics, as Christians, rests completely on this truth: after He died, Jesus Christ’s physical BODY rose from the dead. This crucial truth is found both in the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed. One should pay particular attention to these two phrases of the Apostle’s Creed, “I believe…the third day He rose again from the dead” and “I believe… the Resurrection of the body…”

Since we firmly believe Jesus’ body rose incorrupt and are expecting Him to raise each of our bodies up; in faith, we ought to care for our bodies not only during life, but even after death. Once dead, it is still essential to show the greatest respect for the body and to treat it with the understanding that it will be raised from the dead. Here, we begin to see that bodily burial ought to be preferred to cremation.

Without a doubt, it has become more and more popular in the modern world to choose cremation for varying reasons, and it should be noted that almost all those reasons have nothing to do with faith. Here are a few of the more common reasons people choose it: “I want a cheaper funeral,” “I don’t want to have to look at the deceased,” “I’m concerned about how others might judge my appearance when I’m dead,” “I don’t want to be a burden to my family or others” and “I think I’ll feel claustrophobic in the ground.”

Despite these numerous secular reasons for cremation, the Catholic Church realized there were some pastoral circumstances where cremation was needed and, on Aug. 15, 1997, the bishops of the United States approved an appendix for cremation for the funeral liturgy. While granting permission for cremation for these special circumstances, this same appendix goes on to clarify what Holy Mother Church prefers with these words: “Although cremation is now permitted by the church, it does not enjoy the same value as burial of the body. The Church clearly prefers and urges the body of the deceased to be present for the funeral rights, since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the church affirms in those rites.”

So, if a person decides they want to be cremated, the Church allows it, but does not prefer it. The decision to cremate should not simply be reduced to personal preference. The Church always strongly desires and encourages that the body of the deceased be present at the funeral. Even if cremation is chosen, the Church prefers cremation take place after the funeral. 

Remember, this preference is based on our faith in the Resurrection of Christ. Baptized into Christ, we firmly hope that our dead body will be raised up like His. Even though cremation is allowed, great care must be taken so that our fast-paced, convenience driven, throw away culture doesn’t drive us to choose cremation at the cost of loss of respect for each person’s body.

With St. Paul, we find an even deeper appreciation for the body when he asks, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you…?” The Christian body has been baptized; it is holy to God. The respect we show by burying the dead body remains one of the seven great corporal works of mercy. Our bodies have received the Body of Christ in the Holy Eucharist in this life and expect to receive Him again when our bodies have risen from the dead. Our Mother Mary held the dead body of her Son in her loving arms and buried Him in the tomb. Let us imitate her faith and so experience the Resurrection promised us by Christ.

Fr. John Paul Gardner is parochial vicar at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck.  If you have a question you were afraid to ask, now is the time to ask it! Simply email your question to [email protected] with the “Question Afraid to Ask” in the subject line.