Cremation is a fast-growing trend that cannot be ignored in Georgia.  Or even in the Catholic Church, where cremation had been disallowed in the past.

In 1963, the Church lifted the ban on cremation but did not allow any prayer or ritual to be used with the cremated remains. In 1997, U.S. Bishops received permission from the Vatican to have Memorial Masses celebrated in the presence of cremated remains.

Cremation is allowed, but the church prefers the body be present at the funeral. The body is “inextricably associated with the human person,” according to the Order of Christian Funerals. Later, the guide states, “It is the body whose hands clothed the poor and embraced the sorrowing.” In the Atlanta Archdiocese, a funeral may be celebrated in the presence of cremated remains in certain circumstances.

Cremated remains are to be treated with respect, placed in an appropriate vessel, interred or sealed in a columbarium above ground.

A recent article in The Georgia Bulletin, The Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, A final resting place: New practice consoles living discusses the growing number of people of faith choosing cremation after they die instead of traditional burial www.archatl.com. Parishes in return are responding to the faithful’s needs as more people approach the funeral of their beloved dead with cremation in mind. There are about a half-dozen memorial gardens connected to parishes around the Atlanta Archdiocese along with a few columbaria—structures with above ground niches—for people to put to rest the cremated remains of their children, parents, husbands, and/or wives.

At Georgia Cremation, we have licensed funeral directors who specialize in the Catholic or Liturgical service who can assist you with any questions you may have about cremation. Please contact us at (678) 584-0914 or visit us at www.GeorgiaCremation.com for more information!