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QUESTION:
Can you tell me if the Orthodox Church allows cremation?
If the answer is no, why?
With all my thanks.
Pouvez-vous m'indiquer si l'église orthodoxe autorise la crémation ou l'incinération ?
En cas de réponse négative pouvez-vous m'expliquer pourquoi pas?
Avec tous mes remerciements.
ANSWER:
According to Byzantine Canon Law, cremation is not permitted. Sources state that the original ban arose out of consideration for the fact that within pagan and possibly gnostic circles cremation was commonly practiced. There was also the implication that through cremation the value of physical creation, and specifically the human body, was denied. [The Church has always stood squarely against dualism.]
Of course, we read in the accounts of the early martyrs that the faithful treated the martyrs' bodies with the utmost respect as they were taken for burial -- an early indication that the common Roman pagan practice was shunned by Christians.
Today there are those who would propose that the practice of cremation be explored anew, in light of the fact that the practice's association with paganism or gnosticism is no longer a reality. Proponents of this line of thinking may also assert that cremation is a less expensive way to dispose of the body than the increasingly expensive -- and often non-Christian -- burial practices common in many cultures and societies, such as in the United States. However, the vast majority of Orthodox would contend that cremation for whatever reason, and regardless of its detachment from pagan thought or ritual, in every instance denies the value of the human body and of material creation in general. Hence, it is to be avoided as an option.
I have heard of a few cases in recent times where, in extreme cases and for good cause, cremation has taken place with the knowledge of the Church. In each case, however, I have heard that the actual cremation did not occur until after the funeral service at which the body of the deceased has been present. This does not represent standard practice, however, and in each instance there were extenuating circumstances which led the Church to apply the principle of economia.
QUESTION:
How does the Orthodox Church view cremation?
ANSWER:
The Church does not condemn cremation outright, provided that there is a valid reason for it.
In Japan, for example, the state requires cremation, and this extends to Orthodox Christians. There have also been exceptions made in cases of epidemics or fear of disease, for various reasons. There can also be reasonable cause for permitting cremation, but in general the image of the body being buried as it awaits the resurrection is more in keeping with the image given to us by Christ, Who likens burial with the planting of seed which later blossoms into a living plant.
QUESTION:
Why does the Orthodox faith not allow cremation?
ANSWER:
Orthodox Christianity does not allow cremation because the origin of this practice is rooted in the belief that the body is inconsequential, that it is evil by virtue of the fact that it is material, and/or that it is a "prison" for the soul, which only reaches its "true potential" when it is released from the body -- as expressed in the thinking of certain ancient philosopher, such as Plato.
Christianity holds that the body is a gift from God, that it is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and that even after the soul departs therefrom, rendering the body lifeless, it is still to be treated with the utmost respect, for it bore the soul and in it was borne the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. Hence, the body is not destroyed, as if it had no meaning, as if because it no longer has a "meaningful function" it is no more useful than a flat tire, or as if some dualistic notion that that which is spiritual is good while that which is material is evil is truth. This is not Christian teaching.
Contemporary ideas concerning cremation -- that it is "less expensive" than burial [a totally repugnant thought that smacks of the height of monetary greed -- "If we cremate grandpa, we'll inherit more!"], that it is more convenient ["We can get the service over in an hour and won't have to deal with a viewing or driving to the cemetery"], that it is "more dignified" than placing the body in the ground to rot [as if placing a body in an oven to burn is dignified or "natural"], or that it is necessary because "we're running out of land and cemetery space" [ever drive across Nebraska or Kansas?!] -- are seen as simply ridiculous.
Hope this helps.
In Christ,
Father John Matusiak
Published in January 2011.
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