In my high school yearbook, I quoted a line from a Susanne Vega song, “And when I’m dead, if you can tell them this, what was wood, became alive.” I have always considered myself a closet goth. I guess they are called emu now. I never thought I would live past my 30s. Now I’m planning for retirement in a few years and contemplating my funeral plans, since my will is finished and filed. However, in looking how holy people are treated in the Catholic Church, I am wondering what is the point of making plans when holy people’s requests aren’t even honored?
A person requested to be buried in a specific church. They were. However, their hometown wanted their body moved to their childhood church. Whatever excuse was used, the real reason ended up being financial – tourism. We were told that a deceased body must be treated with reverence and respect. Therefore, even if a person’s wish is to have their ashes scattered in the ocean, this is disrespectful. However, opening up a deceased body’s resting place and taking body parts of a holy person is not disrespectful because you are multiplying the blessings of their deceased body. If it is true that at final judgment, God can find all the body parts of holy people all over the world and bring them back into one body, then God can do the same with the ashes. Also if there is healing, conversions, or protection in the presence of the holy person’s body part, it is not the body part that did the miracle. It is God. Relics should be pointing to God, not vice versa. If the purpose is to multiply the blessings of the holy person, you can easily get second class or third class relics these days. There is no need to resort to disturbing someone’s sacred space.
People can argue that once you are dead, you won’t care what happens to your body. They are right. Funerals are for the living. You’ll always remember how your loved one’s body is treated. I agree that the ashes of someone’s great-grandmother, five times removed, should not be passed around like the unwanted fruitcake. Those ashes should be respectfully disposed of, whatever that means for you and your religion. However, when it comes to disturbing someone’s burial ground, my Haitian, African, and Native American ancestors are shaking their heads in disappointment, even if they are enjoying Heaven. A person’s final resting place is sacred. Financial gain and multiple blessings seem to be inadequate reasons to corrupt that holy ground. Something to consider.
Until next time!
