The Church' funeral rites commends the dead to God's merciful love and pleads for the forgiveness of their sins. At the funeral rites, especially at the celebration of the eucharistic sacrifice, the Christian community affirms and expresses the union of the Church on earth with the Church in heaven in the one great communion of saints. At the rite of final commendation and farewell, the community acknowledges the reality of separation and commends the deceased to God. In this way it recognizes the spiritual bond that still exists between the living and the dead and proclaims its belief that all the faithful will be raised up and reunited in the new heavens and a new earth, where death will be no more.
Since Christians believe in life after death, including the resurrection of the body, we have always sought to reverently bury the dead. In recent times, cremation has been allowed by the Church under unless cremation is chosen in opposition to Christian teachings like life after death or the resurrection.
It is preferred that the full body be present in the church for the funeral liturgy and cremation occur after the funeral.
The scattering of cremated remains, the keeping of cremated remains in a place other than a cemetery, the division of the cremated remains into more than one container is not permitted by the Church because it does not allow for the reverent disposition of the “Earthen Vessel of the Holy Spirit”.