Can I go green with my funeral?

By Father Vincent Woo

For nearly 2,000 years, Catholics were only permitted to bury their bodies. Cremation, on the other hand, was strictly prohibited until 1963. The current discipline of the Church allows both: the burial of the body is earnestly recommended, while cremation is permitted as long as it is not chosen for reasons contrary to Christian doctrine (canon 1176.3).

However, in recent years, some “green” funeral technologies that contradict the Catholic faith have emerged. The aim of this article is to provide a brief overview of some of these “green” funeral technologies so that you may make an informed decision when arranging a Catholic loved one’s funeral or your funeral.

Before evaluating these methods, let us recall the three reasons for the Church’s insistence on the proper burial of bodily remains (cf. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s instruction “Ad resurgendum cum Christo,” 2016):

1. Doctrine of the resurrection of the body: Death is not the definitive annihilation of the person. Our bodies will rise on the last day at the second coming of Christ.

2. Respect for human bodies: Since our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, proper burial corresponds to the piety and respect owed to the bodies of the deceased.

3. Prayer for the dead: The burial of the faithful departed in cemeteries encourages the whole Christian community to pray for the dead.

Consequently, the remains of the faithful should be reserved in a sacred place, such as a gravesite, a mausoleum or a columbarium. This ensures that the deceased are not excluded from the prayers and remembrance of their family or the Christian community. Now, let us evaluate some of the new funeral methods that are in vogue.

Alkaline hydrolysis

Alkaline hydrolysis is an unacceptable technology because human remains are treated as wastewater or fertilizer. In 2023, the USCCB Committee on Doctrine criticized this practice, stating: “The body is placed in a metal tank containing about 100 gallons of a chemical mixture of water and alkali and then subjected to both high temperature and high pressure in order to speed decomposition.” Within hours, the body is dissolved, except for some bone material. This liquid is then “treated as wastewater and poured down the drain into the sewer system; in certain cases, it is treated as fertilizer and spread over a field or forest.” This method should not be used by Catholics because it does not show adequate respect for the body nor express hope in the resurrection.

Human composting

Human composting is similarly unacceptable. According to the USCCB, “the body is laid in a metal bin and surrounded by plant material (such as alfalfa, wood chips, straw, etc.) that fosters the growth of microbes and bacteria to break down the body.” The entire body decomposes into soil after about a month, yielding a single mass of compost. The family of the deceased can then spread this compost — about a cubic yard in size — “on a lawn, in a garden or in some wilderness location.” No respect is shown to the body, which becomes disintegrated and indistinguishable from the compost. As a result, it is not possible for the Christian faithful to visit and pray for the deceased.

 Improper disposal of ashes

Scattering ashes in the air, on land or at sea is not permissible for Catholics. These practices should be avoided to prevent any appearance of pantheism, naturalism or nihilism. Some individuals choose these methods as a way of fusing themselves with Mother Nature, which directly contradicts the Christian belief in the resurrection of the body. Such practices should be avoided.

Others may choose to preserve ashes in mementos, jewelry or other objects. However, this carries the risk of forgetfulness or a lack of respect over time, particularly after the first generation has passed. Consider what might happen to these mementos 100 years after the deceased has passed away.

Use of biodegradable urns

The use of biodegradable urns is not a good idea either. Urns are made of biodegradable materials so that the ashes will assimilate into the land or ocean within a reasonable period of time. Although the ashes are initially stored in an urn, this method is effectively no different from scattering the ashes. Once assimilated, it becomes impossible to distinguish the cremated remains from the environment, making it impossible to pay tribute to the deceased.

Burial at sea

Burial at sea should only be utilized in cases of real necessity. For example, it may be employed for members of the Navy who die while on a ship. A military chaplain may perform a burial at sea by placing the body in a casket and lowering it into the sea. The liturgical text of the Order of Christian Funerals prescribes: “As we commit the body of our brother (sister) N. to the deep, grant him (her) peace and tranquility….” The prayer explicitly refers to depositing the body of the deceased into the sea, not the ashes. It does not foresee the possibility of depositing ashes into the sea, even in a watertight urn. If a Navy member is cremated on the ship, the ashes can be kept on board until the ship returns home. Clearly, there is no provision in the universal law for burying cremated remains at sea.

Body donation

The act of donating one’s body for scientific research is praiseworthy, but those who choose to do so should ensure that their bodies will be properly disposed of after the research is finished. For example, the Willed Body Program at the UCSF Medical School does not allow family members to retrieve the body. According to its policy: “After studies are completed, the remains are cremated and scattered at sea . . . cremated remains are not returned for private disposition, and no notification of final disposition will be sent to the family. No exceptions can be made to this policy.” If there is no guarantee from the institution that the cremated remains will be properly disposed of in a sacred place, Catholics should refrain from donating their bodies to that institution.

Natural burial

Natural burial can be problematic if the body is not interred in a sacred place. The concept of natural burial is that the body is not embalmed. It is usually placed in a bamboo casket, although some may choose to wrap the body in shrouds. These practices allow the body to decompose and return to the earth more quickly. Instead of a traditional headstone, a rock lying flat next to the body may be used to identify the deceased. In some cases, there is no physical identification, and GPS coordinates are used to mark the grave’s location. The Church insists that the bodies of the Christian faithful be buried in cemeteries, whether Catholic or civil (c. 1240). If this type of burial does not take place in a cemetery or if there is no physical identification of the gravesite, a Catholic should not choose this method.

In summary, if you are a Catholic planning your funeral, keep this in mind: the burial of the body is earnestly recommended and preferred, while cremation is permitted as long as it is not chosen for reasons contrary to Christian doctrine. Live green in your daily life but be sure to respect your body when making funeral plans!

Father Vincent Woo is the priest-secretary to Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone and assistant professor of pastoral studies at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University in Menlo Park, CA.

The content of this piece is drawn from Father Woo’s article titled “Cremation and Beyond: The Pastoral Accompaniment of Families of Deceased Catholics Who Choose Illicit Funeral Alternatives,” which was originally published in “Studia Canonica” in 2024.