What does the Church teach about Cremation? (with Dr. Scott Hahn)
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- Опубликовано: 18 сен 2024
- Can Catholics be cremated? Is cremation a natural or fitting repsonse to a person's death? What does the Church say, and what did the Church used to say?
Katie Ascough and Dr. Scott Hahn discuss all of this and more.
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This is a short clip from Episode 4 of 'Colloquy' with Dr. Scott Hahn - you'll find the full episode on our channel.
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Called to More is a Catholic apostolate based in Dublin, Ireland. Our mission is to help you know your faith as a way of life and a relationship with God.
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Every Parish and Catholic Funeral Home should put this 5 minute clip on their web-site to help teach the faithful to make an informed decision.
We would welcome that!
Yes, this was not covered in RCIA class ‘21/‘22
This is foolish. Burning a body is much more dignified than letting it ROT.
@@johnedwards2759 Church teaching or your opinion?
@@robertmeyers8138 Notice something? Cremation USED to be oh, TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE FORBIDDEN FORBIDDEN FORBIDDEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And now it's NOT?
Do you have critical thinking skills?
I have a Bible. Guess what? Cremation is NEVER MENTIONED!
The Vatican used to have an official head chopping executioner. Look him up.
Giovanni Battista Bugatti
"Giovanni Battista Bugatti (1779-1869) was the official executioner for the Papal States from 1796 to 1864. He was the longest-serving executioner in the States and was nicknamed Mastro Titta, a Roman corruption of maestro di giustizia, or master of justice.[1] At the age of 85, he was retired by Pope Pius IX with a monthly pension of 30 scudi.
Biography
Bugatti's career in charge of executions lasted 68 years and began when he was 17 years old, on 22 March 1796; and lasted until 1864. Up until 1810, the method of execution was beheading by axe, hanging or mallet. The French introduced the use of the guillotine, which was continued after the Papal States regained their sovereignty (the first Papal guillotining occurred in 1816) until the last executions. Over the 68 years he worked as official executioner, Bugatti carried out a total of 514 executions, an average of 7 per year (in his notebook, Bugatti noted 516 names of executed but two prisoners are subtracted, one because he was shot and the other because he was hanged and quartered by the adjutant).
Bugatti is described as being short and portly, and always well dressed. He frequented the church Santa Maria in Traspontina. He was married but had no children. When not carrying out his official duties, Bugatti and his wife sold painted umbrellas and other souvenirs to tourists. He referred to his executions as justices and the condemned as patients.
He could not leave the Trastevere neighborhood unless on official business. Officially this was for his own protection, in case relatives of those he had executed decided to take revenge against him. Unofficially it was probably due to superstition regarding his part-time job. On his crossing the bridge, the residents of Rome were alerted that an execution was about to take place and people would gather to witness the popular event.
One of his executions, carried out on 8 March 1845, was described by Charles Dickens in his work Pictures from Italy (1846).
His blood-stained clothes, axes and guillotines are on display at the Museum of Criminology at Via del Gonfalone in Rome. The guillotine is of a very peculiar build, with straight blade and V-shaped neck-piece."
Now the DEATH PENALTY is a big Catholic no-no.
What does that tell you about CHURCH MADE rules???????????
Use your critical thinking skills.
It took me several conversations with my husband of 40 years to explain and convince him of this very thing . Our culture has become the throwaway society in relation to our beautiful human body . Thank you Dr Hahn for the analogies. God bless you 🌹☘️🙏
And you, Mary!
This is foolish. Burning a body is much more dignified than letting it ROT.
The only reason that I and, I believe, many Catholics chose cremation is because of financial constraints. Here in the Bay Area I’m hearing that a burial plot starting cost is at least $10k.
Very sorry to hear financial constraints are taking away your freedom to choose. God bless you!
Very good commentary. Dr. Hahn makes sense and it was great to hear all the history behind his comments.
Praise God for his TRUTH in you Dr Hanh for your great reverence of the physical and spiritual body... the TEMPLE OF GOD.
I love this. I used to think I wanted cremation. The more I understand my faith the more I don’t want cremation. I want my body brought to the Mass at my death and blessed.
Awsome video! Utterly packed with very high quality information that is very well delivered! Thankyou for letting us know how the push for cremation is at the top of a real slippery slope to the heresy of dualism.
Thank you!
There is a problem though. I think full burial is best, but I am very poor and can't afford to be buried that way. I was able to make my arrangements for only $4000. I had to save and pay off one thing at a time. The first thing I bought was a burial plot in my parish grave yard. Then I bought a wooden box urn and ornamented it with a wooden rosary. Next I paid for a witnessed cremation, no extras, no wake services. Lastly I bought my grave stone on which are engraved the images of the Three Holy Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and below which is also ingraved the words "I BELIEVE!" I believe too, in what you are saying here, but I can’t afford it.
God bless you, Rebecca! As Dr. Hahn starts his answer, there’s no reason to feel guilty because cremation isn’t wrong, and sorry to hear that you didn’t even have much choice in the matter - that shouldn’t be the case!
My precious mother passed away May 2020 at the start of the entire world lock down and had prepaid to be placed in the vault with my dad. We were unable to fulfill her wish logistically unless she was cremated. Now I mourn again for that beautiful woman who "housed" five of us. Hindsight shows many evil layers of this pandemic and what we were forced to endure during. I love and miss you, mom.
God bless you, and as Dr. Hahn started, there’s no need to feel guilty because it’s not technically wrong!
This is such a good way to.look at it. Thank you Dr. Hahn!
Plan to share this with my mom! Thank you for beautiful explanation. 🙏🏻
Our pleasure 🙏
Dr. Hahn, I admire you so much! I understand what you are saying. However, I am one of those people who has started making plans for my end of life wishes. I wish to be cremated. My parish has a columbarium that I am making plans to be placed. I believed that it still is my body, just in a transitional form. From dust we came, from dust we shall return. On judgement day, I believe that God and His Almighty power will return my body to its wholeness. I don't believe in spreading ashes all over the place, or keeping it on the fire place. I am single, no children, on a limited income. The cost to bury someone is outrageous! We cremated my beloved mother and it cost us half of what it would have cost us had we buried her body and not her ashes. Now, I'm not saying we cremated my mother, nor do I wish to be cremated for financial reasons. But, it is another component. I want to be in the columbarium at my Catholic Church. That is my main reason. And I believe God will take care of the rest! God bless you, Dr. Hahn!
I admire Dr. Hahn and all he teaches. However I feel the same way as you, Kathy. I plan on burying my ashes on consecrated grounds.
And God bless you, Kathy!
I feel similar, the Columbarium at our Church is so close to the Tabernacle of our Lord. I’ve found more comfort near that tabernacle then anywhere else in my life.
I wish families weren't removed from the process of dying with hospitals and funeral homes so much. Didn't families used to wrap up and bury their loved ones together just a few generations ago? I think Chris Stefanick had a video about this as well. Thank you Dr. Hahn!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Rachel. God bless!
I agree with Dr. Hahn completely. As others have mentioned, it is the high cost of funerals and the desecrating embalming process that is the deterrent. I don’t want to be embalmed, so what is the alternative besides cremation? Can you just be buried without being embalmed?
Yes. You just have to do it quickly for obvious reasons.
@@TheSacredheart3 And the obvious reason is the same. We will all disintegrate. God will find our forefathers in the end. Not us.
Thank you. I did not realise the spiritual harm in cremation. Very good talk and it makes alot of spiritual sense.
Thanks for sharing, Bridget. Dr. Hahn has tonnes of wisdom on this and more.
While I agree with the sentiment, many times it can be a financial hardship not to cremate. Full funerals can cost anywhere from $10-20 k and they want the money upfront. My children don’t have that kind of money and neither do we have that ready cash. We were able to cremate and inter my father-in-law’s ashes (with those of my husband’s mother) for about $1000. Fortunately, there was no need to pay for the wall space for the cremains as he was a vet. It will be the same for us.. no payment for plot needed. However, there is expense to get the body to the Cemetary which is several hundred miles away. My children are scattered across the country and would need to make arrangements to get here, too. It took a couple months to make all the arrangements for my husband’s father even with cremation. Travel was expensive, too. Thankfully we had enough credit to cover it all.
My parents were able to make arrangements well ahead of time and had the money to do it, so that would be ideal, but not a reality for the majority of people. There is no need for children to go deep into debt to bury their parents. Funeral home arrangements are as expensive as most weddings these days.
I hate to think of it in terms of financial and practical concerns, but it’s a reality. We hope to be able to arrange something before we go, but if not, cremation it will be. It’s not always a matter of “desecration” of the body. I firmly believe that if God can bring a virtually completely decomposed body to a glorified body, He can certainly do it from cremains, too.
We're so sorry to hear about the loss of your father-in-law. May he rest in peace.
I hope you know we completely agree with your final statement and Dr. Hahn didn't intended for that to be questioned in any way.
It's also terrible to hear how expensive funerals are becoming; I would hope there is an option for a less expensive funeral if one is needed. In Ireland where we are based, the cheapest plots are around €200 in the country so I would hope a funeral could be done for much less than €1,000 if needed.
God bless you.
@Michael Federici I agree the family comes first. Many believe that tattoos are a desecration to the body, but I think it is more a matter of why someone does it. In some places it’s a matter of honoring the person to burn the body, so I can’t fault anyone for how they deal with the death of a loved one. Maybe it’s “ideal” for us Catholics to keep the body intact, but could even embalming be seen as an alteration? Or donating viable organs like eyes, kidney or liver a desecration or a gift that God would see as a virtue? I believe God looks at our intent and leaves it at that. God bless!
What’s more important your salvation or your purse?
@@gabeeaglesland1378 easy there pal God works in wonderful ways and I believe that he can raise us up from ashes as he did in the beginning. I personally would not prefer to be cremated, but I don't think if a body is cremated then that means they will not see the kingdom of heaven, money is tight for some people and some people may never be able to afford a proper Catholic burial in their lifetime.
@@evanlang5088 I understand your reply and God does work in Wonderful ways. I’m old school and I think people should save for burial as much as for retirement. My wife and I spent $12,000 on 2 plots and 1 casket at an consecrated cemetery. It can be achieved.
I attended a cremation only once, fortunately, the whole thing felt horribly wrong.
Dr. Hahn blessings
Can I have your permission to translate this precious video to Indonesian language and upload it on my channel?
Very well explained. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
Never will accept cremation . Give the body as it is back to God - return the gift.
The gift will be the same in due time. Fish or bacteria will have it's fill. -
Thanks.. I tought I was crazy to prefer not cremation.
I am a Roman Catholic born and raised and my wife who was also a Roman Catholic who passed away over 10 years ago and I had her cremated after she passed away. The Catholic Church since Vatican 2 has allowed cremation. I think wholeheartedly that that was the right thing to do. The body decomposes after death and I don't agree with your argument on several fronts and still believe I was respectful to my wife who also wanted to be cremated, although I wasn't able to get a final verdict as her mental faculties had gone well before she passed away of a brain disease. I note that in the Orthodox Church they still forbid cremation. I think recently the current Pope spoke about having cremated remains in a public place or cemetery and not scattered everywhere.
Hi John, welcome to our channel. We’re deeply sorry to hear about the loss of your wife. We fully appreciate your dissent on this issue. May God bless you and the soul of your wife.
Then why would the Kennedy's (the most famous Catholics in USA) allow John Jr, to be cremated and ashes scattered to the wind? This has always baffled me
They erred in that decision. They might have bee ignorant of the Church dogma.
That is THE ISSUE YOU DO NOT KEEP ASHES TO DISPERSE IN THE WATERS OR MOUNTAINS.THEY ARE TO BE PROPERLY CARED FOR NOW THEY HAVE BEAUTIFUL BURIAL UNITS TO RESERVE THE BODY ASHES
Beautiful
My mother was cremated and placed in St Paul's Catholic Church columbarium. She was a devout Catholic that suffered from Alzheimer's. I am bothered by this. I feel like God is trying to teach us this with Blessed Carlos Acuntis. My thoughts were not considered.
God bless you Tiffany, and as Dr. Hahn says the Church doesn’t teach against cremation and his point isn’t to make us feel guilty, just it can be argued that burial is preferable when possible.
Thank you for all of the information I just can't fathom how it used to be condemned and now it's allowed. What on earth or maybe rather hell happened during Vatican II?
Why does a Catholic cemetery-where many priests and sisters are buried-have a mausoleum with a beautiful prayer area with beautiful glassed boxes for urns?? These seem to be encouraged.
Sounds like a lack of understanding on their part.
Do i dhahonor my parent if I dont fo their funeral while the body is not even showed for viewing. Its burned before everyone see it. Because they are afraid of death. Amd it will not even goes in the ground.
Besides the cost, they use to burn Christians well Nero did, and I believe they will receive a new body, as will we. It does say ashes to ashes, dust to dust. As long as it is not used as some Cult practice can you tell me if I’m wrong in this? If so please explain why? God Bless!
Hi Brenda, thank you for your comment. Cremation isn't explicitly wrong according to Catholic teaching at present, but we do agree with Dr. Hahn's points about why it might not be the best or most appropriate option for Catholics. Hope you're having a blessed and merry Christmas!
ABSOLUTLEY I believe that my BODY is precious for God's SAKE. I am an image of God's love and that's the underlying truth of my creation and honour...not being cremated. Thank you Dr Scott Hahn!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I am a Hong Kong citizen. I have a question to Doctor Hahn.
Hk contain 800m. population and its area is a dust size on the map. Lot of people died, waiting for years for a box grave for their ashes. So it’s a dream that you can bury our body on a nano land like HK. So how do you suggest people like us to do?
Are all 800M Catholic? I don’t think so.
Hallelujah
❤️
I moved 2000 miles away from the family vault. Getting us back there is more practical creamated. Some of us can only afford this.
At the cost of your salvation? Isn’t it worth to be buried in the traditional manner. 1st Corinthians 15: 35-58…
What about people that by accident are burned to death?
It wasn’t intentional therefore the meaning and symbolism aren’t connected. I believe Dr. Hahn is referring to the practice of cremation, not when it’s an accident.
No where in the Bible does it say how to bury the body.
It's just a body. It's no longer "me". Without that spark my body is just meat.
Hi Laura, thanks for your comment. That’s one way to look at it but it’s still the body that was once connected to your soul while you lived and that same body will rise again as yours at the second judgment, so you’ll be getting it back. I think Dr. Hahn explains the symbolism and meaning of it all well, hope it could be helpful.
@@ctmcatholic God made Adam from dirt. I think he could remake me with more ease.
@@Laura_M-16 Absolutely, God can do it no problem. That's not questioned at all. What's addressed in this video is the symbolism, meaning, and appropriateness of cremation.
I agree with you in essence, Laura. As I said above, God created "the flesh" to naturally decay and rot away to the "dust of the earth" once a soul is gone. To me, it could be argued that cremation merely facilitates this natural process and can be said to be in some ways MORE respectful of a loved one, not to have their flesh bloat and rot in the ground over the course of days, weeks, and months. The Loving God I know isn't up there saying, "Aw, you lived a decent life and tried to do my will despite your failings, but then you opted for cremation in accord with Church teaching, so I'm afraid you can't be part of my kingdom." As people who strive to live our faith, I think we get hung up on silly things sometimes.
Why is burning WORSE than ROTTING?
Luke 9:60 (paraphrased) Christ Jesus had instructed and said, "Let the dead (spiritually dead but physically alive) BURY their own dead (physically dead)."... it is clearly stated not to CREMATE but to bury the dead body unless there was a contagious disease that will cause the epidemic/pandemic to the nation and also unless the person has no financial capabilities to apply proper burial lots and services to their dead love ones... then, with God's kind understanding of "reason" which is unlimited, God allowed cremation.
God does not like the smell of burnt dead bodies (flesh and blood corpses), that is why God stopped Abraham upon knowing his true faith from killing his only son Isaac to be burnt for God...
In the Book of Ezekiel, God allowed to "BURN" the dry bones,... why?...specifically "DRY" Bones because it has no more Flesh and Blood attached to them...