๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ต๐๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐. 
๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐โ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. 
For years, if a Catholic was cremated, their cremated remains (cremains/ashes) had to be kept whole at a consecrated or โdefined and permanent sacred placeโ like a church or a cemetery. That means they couldnโt be scattered at the beach or split up and divided between siblings.
The reason for cremains being kept together at a cemetery was all about โrespectโ and the concept of resurrection. This is what the Catholic Church big wig Cardinal Vรญctor Manuel Fernรกndez says about that: โThe resurrection can occur even if the body has been totally destroyed or dispersedโ.
So, that meant you couldn’t keep the cremains of your late father in his man cave or on the mantelpiece next to his favourite chess set, for example.
But a couple of months ago an Italian Cardinal, Matteo Zuppi wrote to the big wigs at the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) with some questions about cremated remains. (Think of the DDF as the principalโs office โ it makes sure the school sticks to the curriculum.)
Zuppi asked two questions. One of them was: Can a family be allowed to keep a portion of their family memberโs ashes in a place that is significant for the history of the deceased?
The answer he received was: โThe ecclesiastical authority, in compliance with current civil norms, may consider and evaluate a request by a family to preserve in an appropriate way a minimal part of the ashes of their relative in a place of significance for the history of the deceased person, provided that every type of pantheistic, naturalistic, or nihilistic misunderstanding is ruled out and also provided that the ashes of the deceased are kept in a sacred place.โ
Eh?
In โLisa speakโ, that means the Church is getting with the times, acknowledging that cremation is now very popular and that families want to keep the cremains of their loved one near to them. (The Church wouldnโt have a bar of cremation until 1963.)
So, the church has now said โ โLook, we still prefer that youโre buried, but we know youโre probably going to get cremated, so you can keep a handful or so of your cremains in a place thatโs special to you and your family, and the rest of you should be kept at a sacred place like a church or cemetery. Oh, and just make sure you maintain your faith.”
There, that’s better. (Disclaimer: I left a Catholic girls’ school after year 10) 
As for emerging body disposition/disposal methods like human composting or alkaline hydrolysis, donโt expect the Catholic Church to even contemplate those for a couple of decades yet. Earlier this year, the Catholic Church said those methods โfailed to meetโ the requirements of due respect for the body and the hope for resurrection.
But they said that about cremation too โฆ
In the meantime, let your loved ones know what you would like done with your cremains. You can write your plans, wishes and life’s reflections in The Bottom Drawer Book: the after death action plan.
