Is cremation anathema in the Latin community?  Cremation is an extraordinarily cheap solution and is within the teachings of Roman Catholicism.

It is NOW within the teachings of the Roman Catholic church, but that does not mean it is acceptable to all her members. The doctrine of the resurrection of the body is very deeply held and cremation runs totally counter to that teaching. Cremation is difficult for many believers across all denominations and cultures.

What exactly are the state laws in South Carolina regarding burial? While undertakers (excuse me, “funeral directors”) might not tell you this, a lot of states do not actually require embalming unless there is some medical reason to do so. In fact, most states have an alternative for people like a pauper’s graveyard. Some states, believe it or not, do not even require a family to contact a funeral home at all. They can handle everything themselves provided they bury or freeze the body within 24 hours for health reasons. I would recommend looking at your local laws. Most are most incredibly lenient if you actually look closely at them.

#2, does cremation actually “run counter” to the teaching of the resurrection of the body?  It seems to me that the resurrection body cannot retain all the injuries or decrepitude of the dead body; otherwise people who died in gruesome accidents are in for a rough eternity.  I presume that the act of resurrection reconstitutes the original body while “upgrading” it, so to speak, to being the body of a risen human being.  I don’t see why cremation should be more of a barrier to that process than, say, dismemberment.  Or embalming, for that matter.

Somehow I think that God can handle it.

Genesis 3:19=  By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
o for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
Ashes are the “dust” of cremation.  If God can create mankind out of dust, then he can reverse the process and re-create your body out of the dust of cremation. Cremation is just the accelerated oxidation and decomposition of a body.

The mourning is made worse in environments where the grievers are not recognized by the larger society as people entitled to experience their grief.

What does that mean?

Fr. Harmon used to have a document he wrote concerning cremation on the old “T1-9” site.  It would be nice to see that again in light of this discussion.  Elves, can you point the way to that link?

Is the issue in this matter really cremation or the mercenary funeral practices and expenses? I did a little survey in the Pittsburgh area and discovered that even a cremation can cost upwards of $5000 by the time all the “services” are added up.