Catholic cemeteries for centuries have buried the dead in ground burial plots, digging a large enough hole into the earth to provide a suitable resting place for the deceased.
There is even a solemn blessing for a new cemetery, where the ground is blessed by the local bishop.
However, the ground is not the only approved place for a Catholic to be buried.
The Church has accepted above-ground “burials” or “internments” for many centuries. This could be the internment of a casket or cremated remains inside a mausoleum.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that, “The bodies of the dead must be treated with respect and charity, in faith and hope of the Resurrection. The burial of the dead is a corporal work of mercy; it honors the children of God, who are temples of the Holy Spirit” (CCC 2300).
Entombment in a mausoleum is in accord with that teaching of respecting the bodies of the dead.
The Vatican released a document in 2016 that further affirms how interring created remains in a mausoleum is a suitable option for Catholics.
When, for legitimate motives, cremation of the body has been chosen, the ashes of the faithful must be laid to rest in a sacred place, that is, in a cemetery or, in certain cases, in a church or an area, which has been set aside for this purpose, and so dedicated by the competent ecclesial authority.
When Catholics consider planning for their final resting place, they can choose to be buried in the ground or in a mausoleum.
And today we celebrate...