The Bishop of Maldonado-Punta del Este-Minas (Uruguay), Mons. Milton Tróccoli, issued a decree which regulates the parish cineraries in the territory of the diocese, which covers three cities.
Based on the increase in the number of cremations that are carried out, and noting that some practices have been carried out without being regulated by the ecclesiastical authority, the decree seeks precisely to offer a regulatory framework.
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In this regard, the bishop told the FM People magazine: “Sometimes the ashes are scattered in different places, such as parks or in the sea, the idea is to offer a dignified place where loved ones can rest. “Whoever wishes can visit them, remember them, and pray for them.”
In that sense, he recalled that cremations are not contrary to the sentiments of the Catholic Church, and that this decree allows “the remains to remain in a dignified place and to be guarded.” The cineraries, in this case, are another form of burial, he explained.
The document emphasizes the necessary respect and veneration for the remains of the deceased, as well as the place where they rest. And remember that, although the Church’s recommendation is “that the pious custom of burying the corpse of the deceased be preserved, it does not prohibit cremation, except when it is done for reasons contrary to Christian doctrine.” .
Therefore, the decree establishes that in the territory of the Diocese of Maldonado-Punta del Este-Minas “cineria may be built for the religious purpose of depositing cremated human remains in them, as a sign of eternal rest and hope in the resurrection.”
To do this, it establishes that the prior written authorization of the Bishop will be necessary, who will judge the need and opportunity for the construction of cineraries.
On the other hand, it clarifies that, even though cineraries do not have the character of cemeteries, due to the fact that they are intended for the deposit of cremated remains of the faithful, they must be considered as graves, and therefore be dedicated or blessed according to the liturgical books.
The cinerariums, the decree determines, may be installed in places attached to parish temples, sanctuaries or public churches within the jurisdiction of the bishopric. Construction projects must also receive approval from the bishop.
Bishop Tróccoli told FM Gente that “a cinerary has already been blessed at the foot of Cerro del Verdún, where many people were also going to deposit the ashes of their relatives.”
Regarding the custody of each cinerary, the responsibility will be borne by the parish priest or rector of the Sanctuary where it is located.
To request the deposit of the ashes of a deceased person, the family member must present the death certificate, the record of cremation or expression of the will of the person who had the intention in life that his or her body be cremated, and his ashes deposited in a cinerary.
The decree also clarifies that this service has no economic purpose, so periodic remuneration cannot be requested for it, although a one-time contribution can be requested at the time of depositing the ashes, which will serve to maintain the cinerary and can be paid in successive payments.
What does the Catholic Church say about cremations?
In December 2023, Pope Francis, through the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, authorized to preserve the ashes of several deceased in a common cineraryand determined that the request to preserve a minimum part of these in a significant place for the deceased can be considered.
In the document, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, states that “it is possible to provide a defined and permanent sacred place for the common accumulation and conservation of the ashes of the baptized deceased.”
That is, a cinerary in which the individual ashes of different people are reserved, as long as the biographical data of each one is indicated.
The Vatican authority highlighted the prohibition of scattering the ashes of the deceased: “They must be kept in a sacred place (cemetery), and also in a space specifically dedicated to this purpose.”
“This care and remembrance also leads us to an attitude of sacred respect towards the ashes of the deceased, which we keep in a sacred place suitable for prayer and, sometimes, near the churches where their families and neighbors go,” concludes the document.
Juliet Villar
I am a journalist, with a degree in communication from the National University of La Matanza in Argentina. I have work experience in non-governmental organizations. Since 2016 I have been dedicated to Catholic journalism, first at the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) and, since 2022, as ACI Prensa correspondent for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia.