cremation modern cremation processfuneral pyres also appear in fiction, as in the star wars movies:...
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Cremation
Cremation is the act of reducing a corpse to ashes by burning, generally in a crematorium
furnace or crematory fire. In funerals, cremation can be an alternative funeral rite to the burial of
a body in a grave.
Modern Cremation Process
The cremation occurs in a 'crematorium' which
consists of one or more cremator furnaces or
cremation 'retorts' for the ashes. A cremator is an
industrial furnace capable of generating 870-980 °C (1600-1800 °F) to ensure disintegration of
the corpse. A crematorium may be part of chapel or a funeral home, or part of an independent
facility or a service offered by a cemetery.
Modern cremator fuels include natural gas and propane. However, coal or coke was used until
the early 1960s. Modern cremators have adjustable control systems that monitor the furnace
during cremation. A cremation furnace is not designed to cremate more than one body at a time,
which is illegal in many countries including the USA. The chamber where the body is placed is
called the retort. It is lined with refractory brick that retain heat. The bricks are typically replaced
every five years due to heat stress.
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Modern cremators are computer-controlled to ensure legal and safe use, e.g. the door cannot be
opened until the cremator has reached operating
temperature. The coffin is inserted (charged) into the retort
as quickly as possible to avoid heat loss through the top-
opening door. The coffin may be on a charger (motorized
trolley) that can quickly insert the coffin, or one that can
tilt and tip the coffin into the cremator.
Some crematoria allow relatives to view the charging. This is sometimes done for religious
reasons, such as traditional Hindu funerals.
Most cremators are a standard size. Typically, larger cities have access to an oversize cremator
that can handle deceased in the 200+ kg range (441 pounds). However, the obese cannot always
be accommodated and must be buried instead. Most large crematoriums have a small cremator
installed for the disposal of fetal remains, babies and infants.
Body Container
A body ready to be cremated is first placed in a container for cremation, which can be a simple
corrugated cardboard box or a wooden casket. Most casket manufacturers provide a line of
caskets specially built for cremation. Another option is a cardboard box that fits inside a wooden
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shell designed to look like a traditional casket. After the funeral service the interior box is
removed from the shell before cremation, permitting
the shell to be reused. Funeral homes may also offer
rental caskets, which are traditional caskets used only
for the duration of the services, after which the body is
transferred to another container for cremation. Rental
caskets are sometimes designed with removable beds
and liners, replaced after each use.
In the UK, the body is not removed from the coffin, and is not placed into a container as
described above. The body is cremated with the coffin, which is why all UK coffins that are to be
used for cremation must be made of combustible material. The Code of Cremation Practice
forbids the opening of the coffin once it has arrived at the crematorium, and rules stipulate it
must be cremated on the same day as the funeral service. Therefore, if a corpse is to be cremated
in the UK, it will be done so in the same coffin as it is placed in at the funeral parlor. Jewelry is
strongly advised to be removed before the coffin is sealed, as the coffin cannot be opened once it
has been received at the crematorium. After the cremation process has been completed, the
remains are passed through a magnetic field to remove any bits of metal, which will be interred
elsewhere in the crematorium grounds.
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In Australia, the deceased are cremated in a coffin supplied by the undertaker. Reusable or
cardboard coffins are unknown. If cost is an issue, a plain, particle-board coffin known in the
trade as a 'chippie' will be offered. Handles (if fitted) are plastic and approved for use in a
cremator. Coffins vary from unfinished particle board (covered with a velvet pall if there is a
service) to solid timber. Most are veneered particle board.
Cremations can be 'delivery only' with no preceding chapel service at the crematorium (although
a church service may have been held) or preceded by a service in one of the crematorium
chapels. Delivery-only allows crematoriums to schedule cremations to make best use of the
cremators, perhaps by holding the body overnight in a refrigerator. As a result a lower fee is
applicable. Delivery-only may be referred to by industry jargon such as 'west chapel service'.
Burning and Ashes Collection
Remains with large pieces are put into a machine, the 'cremulator', that grinds them down to finer
bone fragments somewhat resembling wood-ash in appearance, but of greater density.
The box containing the body is placed in the retort and incinerated at a temperature of 760 to
1150 °C (1400 to 2100 °F). During the cremation process, a large part of the body (especially the
organs) and other soft tissue are vaporized and oxidized due to the heat, and the gases are
discharged through the exhaust system. The entire process usually takes about two hours.
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All that remains after cremation are dry bone fragments (mostly calcium phosphates and minor
minerals). These represent roughly 3.5% of the body's original mass (2.5% in children, but these
figures vary greatly due to body composition). Because the weight of dry bone fragments is so
closely connected to skeletal mass, their weight varies greatly from person to person, with the
mean weight in a Florida, U.S. sample being 5.3 lbs (approx. 2.4 kg) for adults (range 2 to 8
lbs/900 g to 3.6 kg). This is distributed bimodally, with the mean being 6 lbs (2.7 kg) for men
(range 4 to 8 lbs/1.8 kg to 3.6 kg) and 4 lbs (1.8 kg) for women (range 2 to 6 lbs/900 g to 2.7 kg).
In this sample, generally all adult cremated remains over 6 lb (2.7 kg) were from males and those
less than 4 lb (1.8 kg) were from females.
Jewelry, such as wristwatches and rings, is ordinarily removed and returned to the family. The
only non-natural item required to be removed is a pacemaker, as a pacemaker could explode and
damage the cremator. In the United Kingdom, and possibly other countries, the undertaker is
required to remove pacemakers prior to delivering the body to the crematorium, and sign a
declaration stating that any pacemaker has been removed.
After the incineration is completed, the bone fragments are swept
out of the retort, and the operator uses a pulverizer called a
cremulator (also known informally as a crembola to process them
into what are known as cremains which exhibit the appearance of
grains of sand (note that this varies with the efficiency of the
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cremulator used, and recognizable chips of very dry bone may be seen in some final product
cremated remains, depending on origin and facility). Cremulators usually use some kind of
rotating or grinding mechanism to powder the bones, such as the heavy metal bearings on older
models.
In Japan and Taiwan, the bones are not pulverized unless requested beforehand, and are collected
by the family.
This is one of the reasons cremated remains are called ashes although a technical term sometimes
used is "cremains" (a portmanteau of "cremated" and "remains"). The ashes are placed in a
container, which can be anything from a simple cardboard box to a fancy urn. An unavoidable
consequence of cremation is that a tiny residue of bodily remains is left in the chamber after
cremation and mixes with subsequent cremations.
Not all that remains is bone. There will be melted metal lumps from missed jewelry, casket
furniture, and dental fillings, and surgical implants such as hip replacements. Large items such as
titanium hip replacements are usually removed before grinding, as they may damage the grinder.
After grinding, smaller bits of metal are sieved out and later interred in common, consecrated
ground in a remote area of the cemetery.
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The Pyre Alternative
An alternative method used in some cultures, such as Hinduism, is burning the corpse on a pyre.
A pyre is a pile of wood upon or within which the deceased's body is placed. The mound is lit on
fire; the fire consumes the wood and the deceased. This method was used in antiquity, as in the
Iliad. This method is not commonly found in the western world where crematorium furnaces are
used, and is forbidden by law in some countries.
Funeral pyres also appear in fiction, as in the Star Wars movies:
• In Episode I, Qui-Gon Jinn is cremated on a pyre
• In Episode VI, Darth Vader is cremated on a pyre
Keeping or Disposing of Cremated Remains
Cremated remains are boxed with a plastic liner for the family to do as they wish, or placed in an
urn and sealed shut.
Cremated remains are returned to the next of kin in a
rectangular plastic container, contained within a
further cardboard box or velvet sack, or in an urn if
the family had already purchased one. An official
certificate of cremation prepared under the authority
of the crematorium accompanies the remains and if
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required by law the permit for disposition of human remains, which must remain with the
cremains.
Cremated remains can be kept in an urn, sprinkled on a special field, mountain, in the sea, or
buried in the ground. In addition, there are several services which will scatter the cremated
remains in a variety of ways and locations. Some examples are via a helium balloon, through
fireworks, shot from shotgun shells or scattered from a plane. One service will send the remains
into space and another will have them turned into a diamond in an artificial diamond
manufacturing machine, as the ashes are mainly carbon based. They can also be incorporated,
with urn and cement, into part of an artificial reef, or they can also be mixed into paint and made
into a portrait of the deceased.
Cremated remains can be scattered in national parks in the US, with a special permit. They can
also be scattered on private property, with the owner's permission. A portion of the cremated
remains may be retained in a specially designed locket known as a keepsake pendant. The final
disposition depends on the personal wishes of the deceased as well as their religious beliefs.
Some religions will permit the cremated remains to be sprinkled or kept at home. Some religions,
such as Roman Catholicism, insist on either burying or entombing the remains.
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Hinduism obliges the closest male relative (son, father, husband, etc.) of the deceased to immerse
the cremated remains in the holy river Ganges, preferably at the holy city of Haridwar, India.
The cremated remains may also be entombed.
In Japan and Taiwan, the remaining bone fragments are given to the family and are used in a
burial ritual before final interment (see Japanese funeral).
Reasons for Choosing Cremation
Cremation allows for very economical use of cemetery space.
Some people find they prefer cremation for personal
reasons. For some people it is because they are not
attracted to traditional burial. The thought of a long,
slow decomposition process is unappealing to some;
some people find that they prefer cremation because it
disposes of the body immediately.
Other people view cremation as a way of simplifying their funeral process. These people view a
traditional burial as an unneeded complication of their funeral process, and thus choose
cremation to make their services as simple as possible.
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The cost factor tends to make cremation attractive. Generally speaking, cremation costs less than
traditional burial services, especially if direct cremation is chosen, in which the body is cremated
as soon as legally possible without any sort of services. However, there is wide variation in the
cost of cremation services, having mainly to do with the amount of service desired by the
deceased or the family. A cremation can take place after a full traditional funeral service, which
adds cost. The type of container used also influences cost.
Cremated remains can be scattered or buried. Cremation plots or columbarium niches usually
cost less than a burial plot or mausoleum crypt, and require less space. However, some religions,
such as Roman Catholicism, require the burial or entombment of cremated remains.
Environmental Benefits
To some, cremation might be preferable for environmental reasons. Burial is a known source of
certain environmental contaminants. Embalming fluids, for example, are known to contaminate
groundwater with mercury, arsenic and formaldehyde. The coffins themselves are another known
source of contamination. Another concern is contamination from radioisotopes that entered the
body before death or burial (from, among other things, radiation therapy); it is possible that the
decay of such corpses could cause environmental pollution.
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Yet another environmental concern, of sorts, is that traditional burial takes up a great deal of
space. In a traditional burial the body is buried in a casket made from a variety of materials. In
America the casket is often placed inside a concrete vault or liner before burial in the ground.
While individually this may not take much room, combined with other burials it can over time
cause serious space concerns. Many cemeteries, particularly in Japan and Europe as well as those
in larger cities are starting to run out of space. In Tokyo, for example, traditional burial plots are
extremely scarce and expensive and in London, a space crisis led Harriet Harman to propose re-
opening old graves for "double-decker" burials.
Environmental Concerns
There is a growing body of research that indicates cremation has a significant impact on the
environment.
The major emissions from crematories are: nitrogen oxides, carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, mercury, hydrogen
fluoride (HF), hydrogen chloride (HCl), NMVOCs, and other heavy
metals, in addition to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP).
According to the United Nations Environment Program report on POP Emission Inventory
Guidebook, emissions from crematoria, although comparatively small on an international scale,
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are still statistically significant. The POP inventory indicates that crematoria contribute 0.2% of
the global emission of dioxins and furans.
Religious Views on Cremation - Indian Religions
The Indian religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, mandate cremation. In these religions the
body is seen as an instrument to carry the soul. As an
example the Bhagavad Gita quotes "Just as old clothes
are cast off and new ones taken, the soul leaves the
body after the death to take a new one". Hence the dead
body is not considered sacred since the soul has left the
body. Hence, the cremation is regarded as ethical by the
Eastern religions. In Sikhism, burial is not prohibited, although cremation is the preferred option
for cultural reasons rather than religious.
According to Hindu traditions, the reasons for preference of destroying the corpse by fire over
burying it into ground, is to induce a feeling of detachment into the freshly-disembodied spirit,
which will be helpful to encourage it into passing to 'the other world' (the ultimate destination of
the dead). This also explains the ground-burial of holy men (whose spirit is already 'detached'
enough due to lifelong ascetic practices) and young children (the spirit has not lived long enough
to grow attachments to this world). Hindu holy men are buried in lotus position and not in
horizontal position as in other religions. Cremation is referred to as antim-samskara, literally
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meaning "the last rites". At the time of the cremation or "last rites" a "Puja" is performed. A
"Puja" is a Hindu prayer to assist the spirit to transcend into the after life.
Religious Views on Cremation - Christianity
In Christian countries and cultures, cremation has typically been discouraged.
Roman Catholicism
The Roman Catholic Church's discouragement of cremation stemmed from several ideas: first,
that the body, as the instrument through which the sacraments are received, is itself a
sacramental, a holy object; second that as an integral part of the human person, it should be
disposed of in a way that honors and reverences it, and many early practices involved with
disposal of dead bodies were viewed as pagan in origin or an insult to the body; third, that in
imitation of Jesus Christ's burial, the body of a Christian should be buried; and fourth, that it
constituted a denial of the resurrection of the body. Cremation was not forbidden because it
might interfere with God's ability to resurrect the body, however; this was refuted as early as
Minucius Felix, in his dialogue Octavius.
Cremation was, in fact, not forbidden in and of itself; even in Medieval Europe cremation was
practiced in situations where there were multitudes of corpses simultaneously present, such as
after a battle, after a pestilence or famine, and where there was an imminent danger of diseases
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spreading from the corpses. However, earth burial or entombment remained the law unless there
were circumstances that required cremation for the public good.
Beginning in the Middle Ages, and even more so in the 18th century and later, rationalists and
classicists began to advocate cremation again as a statement denying the resurrection and/or the
afterlife, although the pro-cremation movement more often than not
took care to address and refute theological concerns about cremation
in their works. Sentiment within the Catholic Church against
cremation became hardened in the face of the association of
cremation with "professed enemies of God". Rules were made
against cremation, which were softened in the 1960s. The Catholic
Church still officially prefers the traditional burial or entombment of
the deceased, but cremation is now freely permitted as long as it is not done to express a refusal
to believe in the resurrection of the body.
Until 1997, Catholic liturgical regulations required that cremation take place after the funeral
Mass, so that, if possible, the body might be present for the Mass - the body was present as a
symbol, and to receive the blessings and be the subject of prayers in which it is mentioned. Once
the Mass itself was concluded, the body could be cremated and a second service could be held at
the crematorium or cemetery where the ashes were to be interred just as for a body burial. The
liturgical regulations now allow for a Mass with the container of ashes present, but permission of
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the local bishop is needed for this. The Church still specifies requirements for the reverent
disposition of ashes, normally that the ashes are to be buried or entombed in an appropriate
container, such as an urn (rather than scattered or preserved in the family home, although there
are Catholics who do this anyway). Catholic cemeteries today regularly receive cremated
remains and many have columbaria.
Protestantism
Protestant churches were much more welcoming of the use of cremation and at a much earlier
date than the Catholic Church; pro-cremation sentiment was not unanimous among Protestants,
however. The first crematoria in the Protestant countries were built in 1870s and in 1908 the
Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey, one of the most famous Anglican churches, required
that remains be cremated for burial in the abbey's precincts. Scattering, or "strewing," is an
acceptable practice in many Protestant denominations, and some churches have their own
"garden of remembrance" on their grounds in which remains can be scattered. Other Christian
groups also support cremation. These include the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Eastern Orthodox and Others Who Forbid Cremation
On the other hand, some branches of Christianity still oppose cremation, including some
minority Protestant groups. Most notably, the Eastern Orthodox Churches forbid cremation.
Exceptions are made for circumstances where it may not be avoided (when civil authority
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demands it, or epidemics) or if it may be sought for good cause, but when a cremation is
willfully chosen for no good cause by the one who is deceased, he or she is not permitted a
funeral in the church and may also be permanently excluded from liturgical prayers for the
departed. In Orthodoxy, cremation is a rejection of the dogma of the general resurrection, and as
such is viewed harshly.
Mormonism
Leaders of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have typically declared that
cremation is strongly discouraged. This is based on the LDS belief that the body is holy, and that
the body and soul will eventually be reunited. Prominent LDS leader Bruce R. McConkie wrote
that "only under the most extraordinary and unusual circumstances" would cremation be
consistent with LDS teachings.
Judaism
Judaism has traditionally disapproved of cremation (which was the traditional means of
disposing the dead in the neighboring Bronze Age cultures).
Traditionally, it has also disapproved of preservation of the
dead by means of embalming and mummifying, a practice of
the ancient Egyptians. During the 19th and early 20th
centuries, as the Jewish cemeteries in many European towns
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had become crowded and were running out of space, cremation became an approved means of
corpse disposal amongst the Liberal Jews. Current liberal movements like Reform Judaism still
support cremation, although burial remains the preferred option.
The Orthodox Jews have maintained a stricter line on cremation, and disapprove of it as Halakha
(Jewish law) forbids it. This halakhic concern is grounded in the upholding of bodily resurrection
as a core belief of "mainstream" Judaism, as opposed to other ancient trends such as the
Sadducees, who denied it. Also, the memory of the Holocaust, where millions of Jews were
murdered and their bodies disposed by burning them either in crematoria or burning pits, has
given cremation extremely negative connotations for Orthodox Jews. Conservative Jewish
groups also oppose cremation.
Zoroastrianism
Traditionally, Zoroastrianism disavows cremation or burial to preclude pollution of fire or earth.
The traditional method of corpse disposal is through ritual exposure in a "Towers of Silence," but
both burial and cremation are increasingly popular alternatives. Some contemporary figures of
the faith have opted for cremation. Parsi-Zoroastrian singer Freddie Mercury of the group Queen
was cremated after his death.
Neopaganism
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According to Feminist interpretations of the archaeological record, cremation is the usual means
of corpse disposal in Patriarchal religions, the rising
smoke symbolizing the deceased's spirit ascending to
the domain of the Father deities in the heavens, while
Matriarchal religions are speculated to have favored
interment of the corpse, often in a fetal position,
representing the return of the body to Mother Earth in
the tomb which represents the uterus. Of modern Neo-
Pagan religions, Ásatrú favors cremation, as do forms of Celtic Paganism.
Other Religions that Permit Cremation
Ásatrú, Buddhism, Christianity (containing Church of Ireland, Church in Wales, United Church
of Canada, Lutheranism, Methodism, Moravian Church, Salvation Army, Scottish Episcopal
Church), Christian Science, Church of Scientology, Hinduism (mandatory except for sanyasis,
eunuchs and children under five), Jainism, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Sikhs, Society of
Friends (Quakers), and Unitarian Universalism all permit cremation.
Other Religions that Forbid Cremation
Islam and Zoroastrianism forbid cremation. Neo-Confucianism under Zhu Xi strongly
discourages cremation of one's parents' corpses as unfilial. In Egyptian Reconstructionism it is
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believed the Ka will be killed with cremation but it is not forbidden and during ancient times,
was a practice of disposing of criminals who were executed in order for them to be deprived of
an afterlife.
History - Ancient
Cremation dates to at least 26,000 years ago in the archaeological record with the Mungo Lake
cremation. Alternative death rituals emphasizing one method of disposal of a body, inhumation
(burial, cremation, and exposure), have gone through periods of preference throughout history.
In the Middle East and Europe both burial and cremation are evident in the archaeological record
in the Neolithic. Cultural groups had their own preference and prohibitions. The ancient
Egyptians developed an intricate transmigration of soul theology, which prohibited cremation,
and this was adopted widely among other Semitic peoples. The Babylonians, according to
Herodotus, embalmed their dead. Early Persians practiced cremation but this became prohibited
during the Zoroastrian Period. Phoenicians practiced both cremation and burial. Ancient Greeks
and Romans practiced both with cremation generally associated with military honors.
In Europe, there are traces of cremation dating to the Early Bronze Age (ca. 2000 BC) in the
Pannonian Plain and along the middle Danube. The custom becomes dominant throughout
Bronze Age Europe with the Urnfield culture (from ca. 1300 BC). In the Iron Age, inhumation
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becomes again more common, but cremation persisted in the Villanovan culture and elsewhere.
Homer's account of Patroclus' burial describes cremation with subsequent burial in a tumulus
similar to Urnfield burials, qualifying as the earliest description of cremation rites. This is mostly
an anachronism, as during Mycenaean times burial was generally preferred, and Homer may
have been reflecting more common use of cremation in the period in which the Iliad was written
centuries later.
Criticism of burial rites is a common aspersion in competing religions and cultures and one is the
association of cremation with fire sacrifice or human sacrifice.
Hinduism is notable for not only allowing but prescribing
cremation. Cremation in India is first attested in the Cemetery
H culture (from ca. 1900 BC), considered the formative stage of
Vedic civilization. The Rigveda contains a reference to the
emerging practice, in RV 10.15.14, where the forefathers "both
cremated (agnidagdhá-) and uncremated (ánagnidagdha-)" are
invoked.
Cremation remained common, but not universal, in both Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
According to Cicero, in Rome inhumation was considered the more archaic rite, while the most
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honored citizens were most typically cremated, especially upper classes and members of imperial
families.
Christianity frowned upon cremation, both influenced by the tenets of Judaism, and in an attempt
to abolish Graeco-Roman pagan rituals. By the 5th century, the practice of cremation had
practically disappeared from Europe.
History - Middle Ages
Throughout parts of Europe, cremation was forbidden by law, and even punishable by death.
Cremation was sometimes used by authorities as part of punishment for heretics, and this did not
only include burning at the stake. For example, the body of John Wycliff was exhumed years
after his death and cremated, with the ashes thrown in a river, explicitly as a posthumous
punishment for his denial of the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. Retributory
cremation continued into modern times. For example, after World War II, the bodies of the 12
men convicted of crimes against humanity at the Nuremburg trials were not returned to their
families, but were instead cremated, then disposed of at a secret location, as a specific part of a
legal process intended to deny their use as a location for any sort of memorial. In Japan,
however, a memorial building for many executed war criminals, who were also cremated, was
allowed to be erected for their remains.
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History - Modern Era
In 1873, Paduan Professor Brunetti presented a cremation chamber at the Vienna Exposition. In
Britain, the movement found the support of Queen Victoria's surgeon, Sir Henry Thompson, who
together with colleagues founded the Cremation Society of England
in 1874. The first crematoria in Europe were built in 1878 in
Woking, England and Gotha, Germany, the first in North America
in 1876 by Dr. Francis Julius LeMoyne in Washington,
Pennsylvania. The second cremation in the United States was that of
Charles F. Winslow in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 31, 1877. The
first cremation in Britain took place on 26th March 1886 at Woking.
Cremation was declared as legal in England and Wales when Dr William Price was prosecuted
for cremating his son; formal legislation followed later with the passing of the Cremation Act
1902, (this Act did not extend to Ireland) which imposed procedural requirements before a
cremation could occur and restricted the practice to authorized places. Some of the various
Protestant churches came to accept cremation, with the rationale being, "God can resurrect a
bowl of ashes just as conveniently as he can resurrect a bowl of dust". The 1908 Catholic
Encyclopedia was critical about these efforts, referring to them as a "sinister movement" and
associating them with Freemasonry, although it said that "there is nothing directly opposed to
any dogma of the Church in the practice of cremation". In 1963, Pope Paul VI lifted the ban on
cremation, and in 1966 allowed Catholic priests to officiate at cremation ceremonies.
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Australia also started to establish modern cremation movements and societies. Australians had
their first purpose-built modern crematorium and chapel in the West Terrace Cemetery in the
South Australian capital Adelaide in 1901. This small building, resembling the buildings at
Woking, remained largely unchanged from its 19th century style and in full operation until the
late 1950s. The oldest operating Crematorium in Australia is at Rookwood in Sydney. It opened
in 1925.
In the Netherlands, the foundation of the Association for Optional Cremation in 1874 ushered in
a long debate about the merits and demerits of cremation. Laws against cremation were
challenged and invalidated in 1915 (two years after the construction of the first crematorium in
the Netherlands), though cremation did not become legally recognized until 1955.
Negative Recent History Experiences with Cremation
World War II
During the Holocaust, massive crematoria were constructed and operated by the Nazis within
their concentration camps and extermination camps to dispose of the bodies of thousands of
Jews, Gypsies, and other prisoners who were killed or died in the camps daily. In addition to the
atrocity of mass murder, the remains of Jews were thus disposed of in a manner deeply offensive
to Orthodox Judaism because Halakha, the Jewish law, forbids cremation and holds that the soul
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of a cremated person cannot find its final repose. Since then, cremation has carried an extremely
negative connotation for many Jews.
The Tri-State Crematory Incident
A recent controversial event involved the failure to cremate, known as the Tri-State Crematory
Incident. In the state of Georgia in the United States in early 2002, three hundred thirty-four
corpses that were supposed to have been cremated in the
previous few years at the Tri-State Crematory were found
intact and decaying on the crematorium's grounds, having
been dumped there by the crematorium's proprietor. Many of
the corpses were beyond identification. In many cases the
"ashes" that were returned to the family were not human remains - they were made of wood and
concrete dust.
Eventually Ray Brent Marsh—who was the operator at the time the bodies were discovered—
had 787 criminal charges filed against him. On November 19, 2004 Marsh pleaded guilty to all
charges. Marsh was sentenced to two 12-year prison sentences from both Georgia and Tennessee
which he is serving concurrently. Afterwards he will be on probation for 75 years.
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Civil suits were filed against the Marsh family as well as a number of funeral homes who
shipped bodies to Tri-State. These suits were ultimately settled. The property of the Marsh
family has been sold, but collection of the full $80 million judgment remains doubtful. Families
have expressed the desire to return the former Tri-State crematory to a natural, park like setting.
The Indian Ocean Tsunamis
The magnitude 9.0-9.3 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake triggered a series of lethal tsunamis on
December 26, 2004 that killed almost 300,000 people, making them the deadliest tsunamis in
recorded history. The tsunamis killed people over an area ranging from the immediate vicinity of
the quake in Indonesia, Thailand, and the north-western coast of Malaysia, to thousands of
kilometers away in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and even as far as Somalia,
Kenya, and Tanzania in eastern Africa.
Authorities had difficulties dealing with the large numbers of bodies, and as a result thousands of
bodies were of necessity cremated together. Many of these bodies were not identified or viewed
by relatives prior to cremation. A particular point of objection was that the bodies of Westerners
were kept separate from those of Asian descent, who were mostly locals. This meant that the
bodies of tourists from other Asian nations, such as Japan and Korea, were mass cremated rather
than being returned to their country of origin for funeral rites. After one to two weeks of
decomposition in the heat, a dead body is nearly impossible to identify; markers of age, race, and
even gender are difficult to discern.
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Laws
The state of California has a law that forbids scattering human ashes on privately-owned land,
including that of the descendant, although it does allow scattering at sea. Carl Djerassi found this
to be a problem after the suicide of his daughter, Pamela. As he states in the chapter "A
Scattering of Ashes" in his autobiography 'The Pill, Pigmy Chimps, and Degas' Horse, he solved
the problem by scattering Pamela's ashes into a creek on the family estate that was a tributary to
San Francisquito Creek, which eventually runs to the San Francisco Bay.
Rumors
On the former Fort Ord, specifically on the premises of California State University, Monterey
Bay, in Marina, CA, lies an incinerator on the same
cement island as some recently constructed student
housing. However, many students tend to believe it
actually may have been a crematorium, particularly
since the Fort's former prison is merely one block
away.