Final resting place: Vatican releases instruction on burial, cremation

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1. My mom did not know that until very recently.

Last year my mom found out the church permits cremation after an aunt passed on. My aunt decided on a regular funeral with cremation afterwards. We had the final committal a week later. Mom asked the deacon who performed that service if Catholics could be cremated then and was surprised to learn that the church is OK with it now as long as the ashes are kept together and buried. This was even after the local Catholic cemeteries installed columbarium niches, she still thought the church was going on under the old rules.

Personally I've always seen cremation as doing what nature does to our mortal bodies anyways. Cremation is just speeding up the course of nature a bit. And nothing is impossible with God, if he wants to recreate our mortal bodies he can do so, regardless of what we humans do to the bodies after death.