When did the catholic church allow cremation. . However, the Church permitted it in 1963. In 1963, the Catholic Church lifted its prohibition forbidding Catholics to choose cremation. e. The old 1917 Code of Canon Law (No. Many began to view cremation as an acceptable funeral custom. In the early centuries of the Church, cremation was not allowed because it was associated with pagan funeral practices. Mar 7, 2022 · In 1963, the Catholic Church changed its policy and lifted the ban on cremation. Cremation has been permitted in the Catholic Church since 1963, but many Catholics don't know there are also many rules surrounding the choice. Mar 22, 2024 · As of May 1963, the Vatican lifted the prohibition of Catholics from choosing cremation. 1203) prohibited cremation and required the bodies of the faithful to be buried. In April 1997, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments granted an indult for the United States to allow the diocesan bishop to permit the presence of the cremated remains of a body at a Funeral Mass. When did the church start allowing cremation? Since the earliest times of the church, Christians traditionally have buried the bodies of the faithful departed, in contrast to pagans who normally cremated. Ashes may not be seperated or scattered. Learn More Are Catholics allowed to be cremated? For a long time, Catholic Church was opposed to cremation. The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has issued new guidelines for cremation for Catholics. Mary Catholic Church in Alexandria, Va. The policy allowing cremation went into effect almost 60 years ago, although burial of the deceased is still preferred, Father Ken Doyle explains to a reader in his Q & A. the case. Theologically, they did not consider cremation to be compatible with the doctrine of bodily resurrection. The Catholic Church’s teaching on cremation and burial has evolved over time. In this essay, I hope to demonstrate that Catholic teaching on cremation both (1) in opposition to the constant, unbroken tradition of the Church, from at least 1300 - 1917, and (2) completely reversed by the Catholic Church in 1963. A church employee at St. Nevertheless, largely motivated by the affront to the Catholic faith posed by cremation, the Church officially condemned the practice in 1886. , the expense of traditional burials). While the Catholic Church has permitted cremation for over 60 years, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s only options for cremation were columbaria and urn burials – until now. Cremation was fairly widespread in the ancient world, but early Christians rejected the practice. Dec 9, 2025 · In 1963, the Church — recognizing changing social, practical, and sanitary realities — officially lifted the absolute ban on cremation. (OSV News photo/Tyler Orsburn) Since 1963 the church has taught that Catholics can be cremated, abolishing its longstanding prohibition of the practice. Cremation was a common practice among Greeks and Romans, at least for the very poor, While cremation is definitely becoming more and more popular, it is actually something new to Catholic Christian tradition. From that point forward, Catholics were permitted to choose cremation, provided the choice was not made out of rejection of Christian doctrine. Canon 1176 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law states, "The Church earnestly recommends the pious custom of burying the bodies of the dead be observed, it does not ho , forbid cremation unless it Why was cremation prohibited? Cremation or traditional burial is often one of the most difficult questions facing people as they consider end-of-life decisions. The early Church retained the Jewish practice of bodily burial and rejected the common pagan Roman practice of cremation. The permission was incorporated into the Code of Canon Law in 1983 and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches in 1990. However, there are several guidelines on what you can do with a loved one’s cremated remains. It is now a part of canon law that Catholics are allowed to be cremated as their final disposition, though many Catholics still prefer the practice of burial. Jan 4, 2024 · In 1969, the Church made formal provision in the Order of Christian Funerals for the committal or entombment of cremated remains, but not for their presence at a funeral liturgy. , prepares an urn burial at the parish's cemetery in this 2017 file photo. From the earliest days of Christianity, cremation was seen as a pagan ritual perceived to be contrary to this and other Catholic teachings, and therefore prohibited by the Catholic Church. Among the reasons were sanitation risks, overcrowded cemeteries and financial considerations (i.