Disposition Decisions, Part II

In the first part of this article, we looked at why Catholics might want faithful, affordable, and environmentally sustainable burial. Now we will look at five options Catholics might consider as they make their final arrangements. Not all of these will be possible or advisable for every person or family, but I offer them to suggest the breadth of choices available to Catholics. Admittedly, some of these are far outside the mainstream of American burial practices. But as our society grows more and more secular, and retains less of its Christian memory, faithful Catholics will make more and more countercultural choices. Without further ado, here are my suggestions: 

1. Forego embalming.
2. Forego the casket.
3. Forego the vault.
4. Forego the funeral home.
5. Forego the permanent grave.

Forego Embalming

The ancient Egyptians practiced a form of embalming, but the modern practice in the United States really got started during the Civil War, as northern families hired embalming surgeons to preserve their fallen sons’ bodies and send them north for burial. But as noted in the first part of this article, embalming is not the Catholic ideal. It needs to be said that embalming is not contrary to the Catholic faith – in modern times, it is common for popes and bishops to be embalmed, usually because there are somewhat extended opportunities for large numbers of people to pay their respects. But because embalming slows the return of the body to dust, it clouds the meaning of death. That, and the example of Jesus’ burial, is why the Church gently discourages embalming. Foregoing embalming can mean forgoing an open casket at a visitation.

Embalming costs hundreds of dollars, so omitting it saves money. Environmental considerations regarding embalming often focus on formaldehyde, which is both a carcinogen and a component of most embalming fluids. Formaldehyde degrades readily in soil and does not tend to accumulate, so its use in human burial is not necessarily a major environmental concern. But whatever the environmental impact, by not embalming, those chemicals are kept out of the environment. So this option satisfies all three priorities.

Forego the casket

This is really thinking outside “the box.” But seriously, Jesus was laid in the tomb wrapped in cloths. He did not have a casket. Nothing in Church teaching requires a casket. Those who forego a casket are often wrapped in a shroud and laid on a trundle, which is basically a wide plank with ropes attached.

Caskets can be very expensive – in the thousands of dollars – so by choosing to go without, you can make your funeral much more affordable. As for environmental impact, the metal parts and layers of varnish or paint found on most caskets can be sources of ground contamination. So foregoing a casket is a way of achieving all three priorities.

Forego the vault

I should say up front that this is something you might not be free to do. It is usually up to each cemetery to determine vault requirements, and some states – especially where the water table is high – require all underground burials to use a vault. So you will need to ask your cemetery what the policy is. Wisconsin does not have a state vault requirement, and in the cemeteries managed by the Diocese of Madison, vaults are not required if there is no casket. Parish cemeteries have their own rules.

Nothing in Church teaching requires a vault be used, and what you don’t purchase saves you that amount of money. Burial vaults are made of reinforced concrete. Environmentally, it is not the worst thing to put in the ground – cement is commonly used in remediating contaminated sites – but the energy and materials to produce the vault do have an impact. So foregoing a vault is a faithful, economical, and environmentally responsible choice, if it is allowed by your cemetery.

Forego the funeral home

Funeral homes provide an important service at a difficult time, and often do so in a compassionate and professional way. Death in the modern world involves a certain amount of paperwork – death certificates, transportation certificates – as well as the tasks, unfamiliar to most people, of caring for the body. And there is also the organizing and publicizing of a large event. Funeral directors assist in all these tasks and more. So forgoing the funeral home is not something to take lightly.

But by leaving the care for our dead to the professionals, some Catholics sense a missed opportunity to provide the final care for the body of a loved one. When we consider Jesus’ burial, it was his friends – his disciples Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus – who took charge of laying His body in the tomb. For some Catholic families, caring for their own dead might be the right choice. If you are not a funeral director, you and your family will probably need to read up on the requirements in your state. In some states, for example, immediate family members may transport the body without a permit. The vigil can be held at home, the funeral Mass at the Church, and the burial at the cemetery. Some funeral directors will offer to accompany the family in this process, helping out with some of the practicalities but otherwise staying in the background. That is a discussion to have before the time comes. If a family chooses to care for their own dead, the schedule would usually allow for burial within three days.

Forgoing the funeral home may save some money, but does not necessarily have a strong environmental impact one way or another.

Forego the permanent grave

In our culture, the common expectation is that your grave space is yours in perpetuity. But European cemeteries rent graves. After a set period of time – say, twenty five years, as is typical in Germany – the bones are removed to a central place in the cemetery and the grave reverts to the cemetery to be sold to another person. Some places in the U.S. still offer this option, but it is relatively rare. The environmental benefit of “term graves” is clear. If everyone got buried and kept their grave in perpetuity, then in about 650,000 years, all the dry land on earth would be covered with graves. So choosing to rent rather than to buy a grave is a sustainable choice, and if you can find a cemetery that allows this option, it will likely be less expensive than a permanent grave.

Conclusion

As more and more options are offered by American funeral homes, it will be increasingly important for families to consider their choices ahead of time. Since many choices stand in tension with the faith – scattering ashes, composting, alkaline hydrolysis – being aware of the many paths that are consistent with Catholic teaching is required. I hope these reflections help us toward a specifically Catholic way of death and burial.