Covid Victims Burial Or Cremation & Preservation Of Ash

COVID victims burial or cremation & preservation of Ash

News report extract from TOI OF DATE Internet edition:

AHMEDABAD: As Covid casualties increase, burial sites are harder to get and the grim development has prompted the Catholic Diocese of Ahmedabad to tell its adherents to consider cremation of corona victims in this extraordinary crisis. The faith leaders of the Parsi community in the city have made a similar appeal. Neither community’s religious practices allow cremation in the last rites in normal situations.

As for Ahmedabad’s Catholics, Bishop Athanasius Rethna Swamy issued a pastoral letter on April 12 suggesting that the cremation of the Covid dead can be an option. ‘Pastoral’ among the Christians is related to the intimation of spiritual guidance. “The present situation poses a challenge to the church in administering the last rites to the departed ones in a dignified manner,” the letter said. “There are also issues of dwindling space in our cemeteries.” The letter added, “In circumstances when cremation is chosen because of sanitary, economic or social considerations, this choice must never violate the explicitly stated or the reasonably inferable wishes of the deceased faithful.”

The church raises no doctrinal objections to this practice in the pandemic because the cremation of the deceased’s body does not affect his or her soul, the letter said. As of now, Vatva and Sabarmati cemeteries have one Catholic priest each to oversee burials. Sources said that the Biladibagh cemetery, near Delhi Chakla, is almost 50% full. “We can still bury Covid victims here, following the protocols,” a source said. “But the Catholic canon law permits members to choose cremation.”