To the editor:
The article “Faith dictates cremation stance” (November 2022) had great information on the Church’s instruction concerning cremation. The reference to the 1963 Vatican ruling allowing cremation and its stipulation for cremation was also informative.
Throughout the article, it is stressed “Catholics recognize that their bodies are gifts from God, thus deserving of respect even after death.” (Also,) “The reservation of the ashes of the departed in a sacred place ensures that they are not excluded from prayers and remembrance of the Christian community”.
How interesting that on page 24 of that same issue is the photo of one of three mummies the Vatican Museum has on display. An agreement between the Vatican and the Peruvian foreign minister has been signed to repatriate the remains.
We can’t keep cremains on the mantle, but the Vatican can put a deceased individual’s remains on display under the guise of art and cultural artifacts since 1925.
Susan Buisch
Clifton Springs
