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Catholic Funeral

Regarding Cremation, Christian funerals and Burials

The Church’s teaching on funerals, cremation and burial is summarized in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. At number 2300 in that document, the official teaching states: The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in faith and hope of the Resurrection. The burial of the dead is a corporal
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Reverence: The Image of God Respected

“The younger monks must respect their seniors, and the seniors must love their juniors.” —The Rule of St. Benedict, Ch. 63 The monastery cemetery is a place of order. Four quadrants of seven rows each; nice neat rows of markers, each bearing a name and two dates; and in the middle, overlooking everything with
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Hope: The Confidence in Something Unseen

“Never lose hope in God’s mercy.”  —The Rule of St. Benedict, Ch. 4 At one point in the ceremony in which a monk makes his final profession, he chants this verse from the Psalms: “Uphold me, O Lord, according to your promise and I shall live. And do not confound me in my expectation.” Then he lays face down on the
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Grief: The Loss of Something Good

“Day by day remind yourself that you are going to die.” —The Rule of St. Benedict, Ch. 4  Bell no. 5 tolls … One stroke for each year of profession … A monk has died. The toll of the bell is the way death is announced in the life of the monastery. The bell has scarcely finished tolling out the years before the
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The Catholic Church’s Position on Cremation

It should come as no surprise that, in addition to beautifully crafted wood caskets, Abbey Caskets builds equally elegant cremation urns. After all, while it is true that the Catholic Church prohibited cremation for centuries, that has not been the case for decades. However, the Church does have some very specific
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