Does the Catholic Bible say anything about cremation?

There's nothing in either the Old Testament or the New Testament that explicitly states that cremation is forbidden to Catholics. Rather, it says that believers will rise again, and the church's stance for many decades was therefore that individuals who wish to reach Heaven and enjoy eternal life need to be buried.
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Is it a sin to be cremated as a Catholic?

As a Catholic, may I be cremated? Yes. In May 1963, the Vatican's Holy Office (now the Congregation of the Doctrine of Faith) lifted the prohibition forbidding Catholics to choose cremation.
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Is it OK to be cremated if you're Catholic?

Although the Catholic Church prefers in-ground burial or entombment of a deceased person's body, cremation of the body prior to burial is allowed within the confines of the religion.
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What does the Catholic faith say about cremation?

Cremation is permitted for Catholics as long as it is not chosen in denial of Christian teaching on the Resurrection and the sacredness of the human body.
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Why does the Catholic Church now allow cremation?

Catholics believe that the soul is immortal and does not depend on the physical body. Since cremation of the deceased's remains do not affect his or her soul, according to the Church, there are no doctrinal objections to the practice.
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Here's What The Bible Says About Cremation



Do cremated bodies go to heaven?

No matter what a person's preference is, from the Christian perspective, cremation does not prevent one from going to Heaven. So there's no need to worry, if God can create life from dust, surely he can restore life from ashes.
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When did the Catholic Church start allowing cremation?

In 1963, the Catholic Church changed its policy and lifted the ban on cremating due to sanitation risks, overcrowded cemeteries, and financial reasons.
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Why do Catholics not like cremation?

Catholics do not favor cremation because they believe in resurrection of the body after death. They follow the custom of burying the dead, as Jesus Christ was buried in a tomb. Nevertheless, the attitude of the Church has changed in the recent years.
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Where does your soul go if you are cremated?

From a Christian perspective, people who have been cremated can certainly go to Heaven. First, the soul never dies, and when one accepts Christ as their personal savior it is the soul that receives eternal salvation and not the earthly body.
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Which religion is cremation not acceptable?

Of all world religions, Islam is probably the most strongly opposed to cremation. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, there is little diversity of opinion about it. Cremation is considered by Islam to be an unclean practice.
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Does cremation interfere with the resurrection?

In the end, however, we should remember that the resurrection will take place by the power of God, who created the heavens and the earth. Ultimately, whether a person's body was buried at sea, destroyed in combat or an accident, intentionally cremated or buried in a grave, the person will be resurrected."
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What does the Bible say about keeping ashes?

In the Bible, there are no passages that prohibit or encourage cremation and scattering of ashes. However, many Christian sects believe a burial funeral aligns with best end-of-life practices. As a result, some Christian clerics may discourage cremation or prohibit it entirely.
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Does the Bible say a cremated body can't rise?

The Bible neither favors nor forbids the process of cremation. Nevertheless, many Christians believe that their bodies would be ineligible for resurrection if they are cremated. This argument, though, is refuted by others on the basis of the fact that the body still decomposes over time after burial.
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Do you feel being cremated?

The body does not feel pain during cremation because the person is no longer alive. When a person dies, their brain stops sending signals to the body. This means that the person cannot feel pain or any other sensation.
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Does the Bible say we will know each other in heaven?

7. The reunion of believing loved ones. When Paul writes to believers who grieve the loss of a loved one, he offers them this comfort: “We who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17, emphasis mine).
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Which part of the body does not burn during cremation?

What's really returned to you is the person's skeleton. Once you burn off all the water, soft tissue, organs, skin, hair, cremation container/casket, etc., what you're left with is bone. When complete, the bones are allowed to cool to a temperature that they can be handled and are placed into a processing machine.
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Do you reunite with your spouse in heaven?

HAVING RELATIONSHIPS WITH SPOUSES, LOVED ONES IN HEAVEN

A. Yes to both. The reunion will take place, but not as husband and wife. We learn this in Jesus' explanation to the Sadducees: "When people rise from death, there will be no marriage.
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How does God feel about being cremated?

"The Church raises no doctrinal objections to this practice, since cremation of the deceased's body does not affect his or her soul, nor does it prevent God, in his omnipotence, from raising up the deceased body to new life."
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Is it a sin to want to be cremated?

A: In the Bible, cremation is not labeled a sinful practice. Frankly, the topic is not dealt with at all in terms of the detailed lists of instructions for living and dying set forth by almighty God in the Old and New testaments. The short answer to your question appears to be no, cremation is not a sin.
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Why does the Catholic Church not allow ashes to be scattered?

A deceased loved one, said Father Salsa, should be in a place “accessible to everyone, where they can be venerated,” so a cemetery is preferable to a home. And scattering ashes can be “misunderstood as a sort of religion of nature, while we believe in resurrection,” he said.
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Why are people against cremation?

Religions like Orthodox Christianity, Islam and Judaism follow traditions that frown upon cremation, even prohibiting it. Traditionally, their culture believes that the idea of turning human body into cremation ashes might interfere with God's ability to resurrect the dead and bring it to heaven.
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Does the Catholic Church allow cremated remains to be scattered?

Here are the top cremation myths and what the Catholic church has to say about them. Cremated ashes can be scattered. Though the Pope and the Church approve of cremation, scattering of one's ashes is strictly prohibited.
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Should Christians be buried or cremated?

For most Christians today, the question of cremation is largely left to individual discretion. Many Christians choose cremation as an alternative to burial, while still retaining those aspects of their traditional funeral practices that allow them to honor the lives of their loved ones and glorify God.
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What Scripture talks about cremation?

Scriptures of the Old Testament, such as 2 Kings 23: 16-20 spoke of the desecration of an altar after human bones were burned there; however, nowhere in the Old Testament does it command against the burning of a human body. On the other hand, cremation was not a common practice by New Testament believers.
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What does the Catholic Church say about keeping ashes at home?

The newest guidelines from the Vatican state that Catholic people can be cremated, but their ashes should not be scattered at sea, and the urn should not be kept in the home. The guidelines state that the cremains should be kept in a sacred place like a church cemetery.
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