Father Franklin Mathias, parish priest, said
For all of last year the Orlem church, which has one of the largest congregations in Mumbai, had to shut down its graveyard as the soil had turned alkaline and decomposition of bodies had become a problem. Embalming of bodies and coffins delayed the disintegration process. The church now fills the open coffin with soil and flowers before burial.
"We introduced good-quality soil, added nutrients and have planted flowering plants on all the 365 temporary graves. In case of family graves too, which are about 100, we have asked people to opt for plants instead of putting marble slabs on the graves," he said.
Father Allwyn D'Silva, head of the environment department of the archdiocese, had first proposed the shroud burial. He is now parish priest of St John the Baptist Church, Thane, and said the practice was introduced last year in the parish, and in the last six months they have had ten shroud burials. "It is ecologically friendly and for the poor it is a huge relief. It should be encouraged in all churches," he said. The problem of space is so acute that the St Anthony of Padua Church, Kalwa, that was using one of the two graveyards at St John the Baptist, last fortnight was told to take its dead to Sion for burial as the graveyard needs to be revitalised. "The bodies are now being treated with nutrients so that they decompose faster. Once a few graves become free, we will restart the use of the graveyard," said Father D'Silva.
Father Nigel Barrett, spokesperson for the archdiocese, said the use of a coffin is an offset of the rich in Europe and does not have its roots in Christianity. In fact, Canon law only requires that the body is treated with dignity and respect.
Father Barrett said even cremation is allowed as per the revised 1983 Canon law, and quite a few have opted for it. Father D'Silva said it is time the church has its own electric crematorium.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shroud
http://shrouds4all.blogspot.in/
- space constraint,
- environmental benefits and
- economics of a burial without a coffin prompted them to encourage shroud burial.
- to use very ordinary wood for the coffin frame;
- the lining also has to be ordinary cloth, and
- the coffin is to be covered with a cloth and not wood.
For all of last year the Orlem church, which has one of the largest congregations in Mumbai, had to shut down its graveyard as the soil had turned alkaline and decomposition of bodies had become a problem. Embalming of bodies and coffins delayed the disintegration process. The church now fills the open coffin with soil and flowers before burial.
"We introduced good-quality soil, added nutrients and have planted flowering plants on all the 365 temporary graves. In case of family graves too, which are about 100, we have asked people to opt for plants instead of putting marble slabs on the graves," he said.
Father Allwyn D'Silva, head of the environment department of the archdiocese, had first proposed the shroud burial. He is now parish priest of St John the Baptist Church, Thane, and said the practice was introduced last year in the parish, and in the last six months they have had ten shroud burials. "It is ecologically friendly and for the poor it is a huge relief. It should be encouraged in all churches," he said. The problem of space is so acute that the St Anthony of Padua Church, Kalwa, that was using one of the two graveyards at St John the Baptist, last fortnight was told to take its dead to Sion for burial as the graveyard needs to be revitalised. "The bodies are now being treated with nutrients so that they decompose faster. Once a few graves become free, we will restart the use of the graveyard," said Father D'Silva.
Father Nigel Barrett, spokesperson for the archdiocese, said the use of a coffin is an offset of the rich in Europe and does not have its roots in Christianity. In fact, Canon law only requires that the body is treated with dignity and respect.
Father Barrett said even cremation is allowed as per the revised 1983 Canon law, and quite a few have opted for it. Father D'Silva said it is time the church has its own electric crematorium.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shroud
http://shrouds4all.blogspot.in/
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