Re:cremation in the contemperary Church: While it is true that the Holy Roman Catholic Church does allow cremation of the faithful, this is allowed for the benefit of the faithful. While traditional burial in a coffin in the grould is recommended, the faithful still can be faithful adherents of the Faith and use cremation. Cremation is practised by the faithful who many have a limited amount of money. The human body, over time,
eventually turns into dust."From dust thou comest and to dust thou shall return". Cremation accelerates this process. As the saying amoung the Chrsitian faithful was a few years ago: What Would Jesus Do?! The Jesus Christ I know and worship would always side with the faithful who wish to follow their heart, soul and conscience!
John R. obl osb, Des Moines, Iowa United States of America

John Rutt, Des Moines, Iowa, United States of America

As the author of 'The Edinburgh Graveyard Guide' I am frequently appalled by the state of public graveyards, in respect of damage to headstones through vandalism, with assaults, graffitti, empty beer cans. Although cemeteries where cremations are the rule are also spaces open to the public, the memorial stone are generally much smaller. No one would want to go back to the kind of burial practised by the Jews in the time of Jesus, where large stones had to be moved aside, nor, indeed to the tradition of the Sinclair family at Rosslyn Chapel where the Barons were laid out on a slab in full armour down in the vaults - for more, see 'Rosslyn Chapel REevealed' (Sutton Publishing Ltd., Nov 2007).

Michael T R B Turnbull, near Edinburgh, Scotland

Every Ash Wednesday we are reminded "thou atr dust and unto dust thou shall return." Most bodies return to ash or dust after a time, creamation only hastens the process. Our bodies will resurect whether from dust, decomposed flesh, or ash. To me creamation makes sence.
Richard

Richard M. Evans, Timonium, USA/Maryland

Who can trust any post-conciliar teaching - look at the mess that the modernists have made of the liturgy. Our Blessed Lord was entombed - this example should be enough to guide us. Roman Catholic tradition also supports this custom. The Vatican is wrong again.

Leo MacK, BSB, Brunei

If a person affirms be;ief in the resurrection of the body, then the willingness to be cremated could be taken as an affirmation of God's ability to do that regardless, and so a tribute to His power.

David Goliath, Springfield, USA

The first Christians vigorously reacted against this pervasive practice of cremation. They buried their dead at the risk of their own lives. It was indeed very dangerous for them because burial made them identifiable as Christians and the persecuting Romans upon discovering the cemeteries of the Christians, confiscated them and exhumed the bodies as for example under the orders of the emperors Valerian or Diocletian. Such resistance from the early Church has only one possible explanation: it came from a commandment given by the Apostles themselves.
Pope Saint Innocent I (A.D. 401-417) said that the violation of this order is one of the most serious scandals and it will never be changed. No dispensation can be given, adds the pope, except in the case of necessity such as epidemic or war.
It is the French Revolution of 1789 which talked again about cremation. And in the last quarter of the 19th century, the Masonic societies obtained from the governments of Europe the official recognition of this practice. It was accepted in Italy in the year 1876 and in France in the year 1887. But it is important to understand that it is not the most important reason. The Catholic Church does not condemn cremation only because Freemasonry promotes it. The Holy Catholic Church condemns cremation because it is a barbarous custom opposed to the respect and piety that one must have for our dead even on the natural level. And in the eyes of Faith, the body by burial lies under the earth where it awaits its resurrection.

Angelo, Midddle Island, NY