Catholic Church's Rules on Cremation and Handling of Ashes

The Catholic Church has rules on cremation and the handling of ashes. The Church accepts cremation in principle, but it does not allow ashes to be treated without limits. The Church still prioritizes the burial of bodies and sets rules for handling the ashes of cremated remains. The Church's rules on cremation and the handling of ashes have changed over time. The 1917 Code of Canon Law strictly forbade cremation. Canon 1203 §1 stated that the bodies of the faithful who have died must be buried, while cremation was not permitted. The law did not allow any exceptions for cremation. The law also stated that if someone ordered their body to be cremated, carrying out that wish was not allowed. The Church's rules have since changed.

The 1963 instruction Piam et Constantem from the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith noted that burning a body does not affect the soul and does not prevent God from raising the body again. Therefore, cremation itself does not contain an objective denial of Christian faith and is not an intrinsically evil act. The instruction provided several pastoral guidelines. The Church encourages the tradition of burying bodies to be maintained and cremation to be done only if there is a justifiable reason. Cremation is not forbidden in itself as long as it is not chosen with the intention of denying the truth of faith out of hostility toward the Church. A person who chooses cremation cannot be denied sacramental services or public prayers of the Church solely because of that choice, unless the choice is based on reasons contrary to Christian faith or shows an attitude of rejection toward religion and the Church.