Cremation

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

Why was the Church opposed to cremation during the Roman Empire era?

[Apotheoun]

[quote name='thedude' date='Mar 1 2005, 08:14 PM'] Why was the Church opposed to cremation during the Roman Empire era? [/quote]
The Church favors the burial of the body over cremation because a man's body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, and it follows from this truth, that the body is sacred. Moreover, the Church requires that the Christian faithful treat the body with respect, since it will be resurrected at the end of time. So, although the Church now permits the cremation of the body, it does so only as long as cremation is not being done in order to deny the goodness of the body or the resurrection of the dead, and of course the Church still favors burial over cremation. As the Latin [u]Code of Canon Law[/u] states:

[quote]Canon 1176 § 3:  The Church earnestly recommends that the pious custom of burial be retained; but it does not forbid cremation, unless this is chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian teaching.[/quote]

And the [u]Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches[/u] states this teaching as well when it says that:

[quote]Canon 876 § 3:  Those who choose cremation for their bodies, unless such a choice was made for reasons contrary to the conduct of Christian life, are to be granted an ecclesiastical funeral, provided that it does not obscure the preference of the Church for the burial of bodies and that scandal is avoided.[/quote]