In previous guidance from 2016, the Vatican said the ashes must be kept in "sacred places" and therefore neither at home, divided among family members nor scattered to the wind. It warned that a Christian funeral could be denied to those who request that they be scattered. This would be on condition that anti-Christian practices such as pantheism or naturalism are "ruled out" and that the remaining part of the ashes are kept in a sacred place, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith said. Tuesday's statement, signed by the Vatican's doctrinal chief Argentine Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez and approved by Pope Francis, was a response to questions posed by the head of the Italian Catholic Church, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi. It also said the ashes of the dead may be mixed in a common urn, rather than kept separately, as long as the identity of each deceased is marked "so as not to lose the memory of their names".

Source: Ethiopian News December 12, 2023 16:33 UTC