Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Sydney (Agenzia Fides) - Australia’s first Catholic crematorium was opened in Sydney with a Mass celebrated by Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney. The project includes a Catholic chapel and crematorium, condolence rooms and columbaria for the placement of cremated remains. The crematorium has been built at the Catholic Cemetery at Rookwood which contains religious memorials of all periods since 1867, three operating chapels, a large modern mausoleum, significant areas of garden crypts, Family vaults, and monumental Stations of the Cross in a landscaped setting includes. Building permission for the new structure was obtained in 2004.
On the occasion Cardinal Pell recalled that cremation is allowed since a decision taken by Pope Paul VI in 1963. However, the Cardinal underlined that burial remains the ‘preferential’ option. Historically cremation was forbidden for a long period by the Catholic Church as a response to promotion the practice by anti-clerical movements that denied the resurrection of the body. In 1963 Pope Paul VI lifted the ban after reviewing the matter in the light of the prevailing social, economic and environmental conditions.
Reiterating Church teaching that the cremated remains of a body should be treated with the same respect as the remains of a whole body, Cardinal Pell said that “just as the human body deserves to be treated with respect and dignity in life, so it should be treated in death”.
“It is therefore appropriate - he continued - that the Catholic Cemetery Trust at Rookwood which already provides for the preferential disposition of the human body through burial or entombment also provides for the relatively recent option of cremation within a purely Catholic context”. An average 30% of deceased Catholics in Australia are cremated. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 15/2/2007 righe 23 parole 238)
