Preference for the presence of the body

The body of a deceased loved one forcefully brings to mind the mystery of life and death. As Christians, the body of the deceased speaks also to our belief that we are destined for future glory at the resurrection of the dead. 

Therefore “the church clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for its funeral rites, since the presence of the human body better expresses the values which the church affirms in its rites.”

~ All references taken from the Order of Christian Funerals, Appendix: Cremation; 1997