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Catholic Cemetery Traditions
Catholic burials, like all internments, can be sophisticated, elaborate and expensive,
or they can be – perhaps surprising to those used to the abundant elegance of many
Catholic ceremonies – simple, fun and inexpensive.

In fact, an entire non-profit organization known as the Catholic Burial Society
exists to help those of the Catholic (or any faith for that matter) plan funerals that
avoid high costs, are simple to stage, and “celebrate a life well lived instead of
death and dying.” This organization is critical of many funeral home practices that
result in large-expensive ceremonies that it says are often needless. “We place
family and friends, the liturgy and music before needlessly expensive merchandise
or meaningless rhetoric,” the group’s website says.

Ceremonies for Catholic burials are no different from those of most other religions.
In general, a catholic burial ceremony features a short sermon from priest, eulogies
by family members and friends, performances of the deceased’s favorite pieces of
music and other typical funeral traditions. If ceremonies for Catholic burials differ
from those of other religious it is usually in, simply, the types of prayers that are
said. Catholic burials, for example, often feature recitations of the famous Rosary
prayer and other prayers recited with the use of Rosary Beads.

An important point to make about Catholic burials is that
cremations are allowed,
and have been since 1963. According to a recent study by the funeral industry, a
large percentage of Catholics say they and their family members do not intend to be
cremated as part of their Catholic burials simply because they understand that the
Catholic Church has banned cremation. This understanding, of course, is a
misconception. Cremations have been officially a part of many Catholic burials for
more than 30 years. They are allowed under church laws as part of official catholic
burials, so long as they are not done with the belief that they will inhibit possible
resurrection of the body. In other words, church officials have rules, if a person and
a family is comfortable with cremation, then they are, by all means, allowable for
Catholic burials.

As this change in Catholic Church policy becomes better known in the coming
years, it is very likely that more and more Catholic burials will include
cremation.
“There are many reasons why people choose cremation ranging from cost issues to
arguments of ecology and land usage. Our counselors exist to explain all of the
options available to our member families. We live in a new society ever more
mobile, educated and consumer savvy,” the Catholic Burial Society says on its
website.

In general, a Catholic burial is no different from most any other burial of a person in
the Western world. The ceremony may, occasionally be extremely elaborate and
regimented (such as that done for most Popes and other Church leaders), but it can
also be quite simple, and even a little fun. As the Catholic Burial Society notes the
point of a burial ceremony is to celebrate the well-lived life of the deceased.