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Not sure this is the right forum to put this, but I took care of a very sweet lady who passed away.
Her family did not want her to be embalmed!
What could possibly be the reasoning in this? I do not understand!
Because that's what is suppose to be done. For what reasons? Duh.
Why is it suppose to be done?
I personally think people are getting smarter and making good choices with how money is being spent for funeral services. We no longer accept that things have to be done.
I worked with a woman for a short period of time that had a part-time job working for a Cemetery. For one burial she was making a commission of $2000. She spent about an hour with the grieving family.
My husband believes very strongly in "dust to dust" as it says in the Bible. Without embalming, your body returns to the earth (dust to dust) much quicker. He also wants to be buried in a simple wooden box, if possible, not using a cement grave liner. BTW, he is Catholic.
As others have said, certain religions prohibit embalming.
BTW, some cemeteries in municipalities that require cement or metal grave liners (they are like a huge box that is normally sealed on the top with a tight fitting lid) can do "greener" burials. Our family/neighborhood cemetery can put in the grave liner upside down, without a lid. In that way the casket or wooden box is directly touching the ground on the bottom of the grave, and the top is flat so that the grave does not "collapse" over the years.
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Originally Posted by GiGi603
Why is it suppose to be done?
I personally think people are getting smarter and making good choices with how money is being spent for funeral services. We no longer accept that things have to be done.
I worked with a woman for a short period of time that had a part-time job working for a Cemetery. For one burial she was making a commission of $2000. She spent about an hour with the grieving family.
Our family/neighborhood cemetery is ran by a unpaid board of directors. The land was donated by relatives. The main part of the cemetery in about 1840 and then additional, adjacent land was donated by his great, great grandson about 10 years ago. Burial plots are a fraction of the cost compared to for profit cemeteries and the only cost beyond that is a small fee for digging the grave ($50 when my father died 15 years ago).
Catholics do not care if one is embalmed or not and they do not care if one is cremated or not.
Other Religions may have these restrictions but I am not aware of the traditions and requirements of other religions.
My experience with an official Catholic view on this was that the practice is now allowed (it was virtually prohibited pre-Vatican II), but the cremation must take place after the funeral mass. I know a family that cremated the body right after death, and their priest refused to hold a funeral mass for the deceased citing requirement as his reason.
My experience with an official Catholic view on this was that the practice is now allowed (it was virtually prohibited pre-Vatican II), but the cremation must take place after the funeral mass. I know a family that cremated the body right after death, and their priest refused to hold a funeral mass for the deceased citing requirement as his reason.
Catholics prefer the body is at the funeral. Then cremation. Then burying the ashes. No spreading.
I personally think people are getting smarter and making good choices with how money is being spent for funeral services. We no longer accept that things have to be done.
I worked with a woman for a short period of time that had a part-time job working for a Cemetery. For one burial she was making a commission of $2000. She spent about an hour with the grieving family.
That's all I have ever known that was suppose to be done, so after this lady passed away, and her family did not have her embalmed, I needed more answers. That's why I started a thread on it.
I am happy with the answers here, and now I can understand better.
My experience with an official Catholic view on this was that the practice is now allowed (it was virtually prohibited pre-Vatican II), but the cremation must take place after the funeral mass. I know a family that cremated the body right after death, and their priest refused to hold a funeral mass for the deceased citing requirement as his reason.
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In 1963, the Vatican lifted the cremation ban. Since 1997, cremated remains have been allowed to be present at funeral Masses, and are given the same respect as remains in a casket. Cremated remains must be buried, just like a body, in a cemetery, crypt, or other appropriate burial place. Scattering ashes or keeping them at home is not permitted.
Jewish people cannot be embalmed (I believe). I know they cannot be cremated.
It may be a cost saving measure. While embalming is common, there is no need to do it if the body is kept well refrigerated and buried in relatively short order. I presume any viewing would be closed casket.
Embalming is also intrusive, and the family may feel that it is more respectful for the deceased not to embalm the body.
Why do you feel the body should be embalmed? All embalming does is slow down the decomposition process.
According to the Jewish faith and tradition the deceased should be buried as soon as possible after death, if possible before sundown of the day of death. This isn't possible lots of times, so Jewish funerals are often held the day after death. So traditionally there is no need for embalming. There are no wakes with the body present as there are often with Christian funerals.
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