The prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Víctor Fernández, affirms that it is possible to preserve the ashes of several deceased in a common cinerary and that the request to preserve a minimum part of these in a significant place for the deceased can be considered.
In a document dated December 9, and authorized by Pope Francis, the Dicastery responds to questions regarding the conservation of the ashes of the deceased, raised by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference .
Through a letter, Cardinal Zuppi asked the Holy See for a concrete response to the growing decision to cremate the deceased and disperse the ashes in nature.
The prefect of the Doctrine of Faith affirms that “it is possible to provide a defined and permanent sacred place for the common accumulation and conservation of the ashes of the baptized deceased.”
That is, a cinerary in which the individual ashes of different people are reserved, as long as the biographical data of each one is indicated.
Likewise, Cardinal Fernández explains that “as long as any type of pantheistic, naturalistic or nihilistic misunderstanding is excluded, and that the ashes of the deceased are preserved in a sacred place, the ecclesiastical authority, respecting current civil regulations, may consider and value the “request by a family to properly preserve a minimum part of their relative’s ashes in a place significant to the history of the deceased.”
The Vatican authority emphasizes the prohibition of scattering the ashes of the deceased: “They must be kept in a sacred place (cemetery), and also in a space specifically dedicated to this purpose.”
This, he specifies, is because “the preservation of ashes in a sacred place can help reduce the risk of removing the deceased from the prayer and remembrance of family members and the Christian community” and also “avoids the possibility of forgetfulness and lack of respect, which can occur especially once the first generation has passed, as well as unseemly or superstitious practices.”
Furthermore, Cardinal Fernández highlights that “our faith tells us that we will be resurrected with the same bodily identity that is material, like every creature on this earth, although that matter will be transfigured, freed from the limitations of this world.”
Likewise, it clarifies that “this transformation does not imply the recovery of the identical particles of matter that formed the human body. Therefore, the resurrected body will not necessarily be made up of the same elements that it had before dying.”
“As it is not a simple revivification of the corpse, the resurrection can occur even if the body has been completely destroyed or dispersed. This helps us understand why in many cineraries the ashes of the deceased are kept all together, without keeping them in separate places.”
Finally, he reiterates that “the ashes of the deceased, in addition, come from material remains that were part of the historical journey lived by the person, to the point that the Church has special care and devotion for the relics of the saints.”
“This care and remembrance also leads us to an attitude of sacred respect towards the ashes of the deceased, which we keep in a sacred place suitable for prayer and, sometimes, near the churches where their families and neighbors go,” concludes