Consultation document on cremation to be published next week

A consultation document being published next week, the Ministry for Health told The Malta Independent on Sunday, will see Malta one step closer to offering cremation services.

In November last year, Minister for Health Chris Fearne had announced that the government would be proposing a law to introduce Malta’s first public crematorium, spearheaded by Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar. In a tweet, Cutajar had said that this was “a revolutionary step forward on behalf of the Maltese government”.

At present, cremation is not possible in Malta, with those wanting this service having to send their loved ones abroad. This Bill will make funeral arrangements more affordable for those who do not own a grave.

Vatican allows cremation but remains have to be buried in ‘sacred place’

Contrary to popular belief, Catholics can be cremated but should not have their ashes scattered at sea or on land or kept in an urn at home.

According to guidelines issued by the Vatican in 2016, the cremated remains should be laid to rest “in a sacred place, that is, in a cemetery or, in certain cases, in a church or an area set aside for this purpose, nor should they be preserved in mementos, pieces of jewellery or other objects”.

Furthermore, the guidelines say that when the deceased requests cremation with scattering of the ashes, which is contrary to the Christian faith, then a Christian funeral must be denied to that person.

These same guidelines do, however, say that the Church continues to prefer the practice of burying bodies because “it shows a greater respect towards the deceased”.

Local policy and guidance document says crematorium could be within cemetery

In April 2015, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority published the Cemeteries Policy and Design Guidance noted that “the introduction and promotion of alternative techniques would, in the long term, reduce the need for extensions to cemeteries since the land for burial would be available for a longer period of time”.

The same document also notes that the current national legislation does not allow burials to take place above ground, adding that “above ground burials are successfully used in other countries, subject to sufficient safeguards”.

It gives cremation as an alternative option to burial on land, and suggests that operational facilities could be established in a cemetery, or elsewhere.

Any ash remains could be buried inside cemeteries, in urns retained by relatives, or else scattered at sea. The latter excludes harbours or bathing areas. The document says that concentrated scattering of ashes on land could lead to soil contamination and is therefore prohibited.

Foreign research suggests that the environmental impact is highest for burial on land, the document notes. Burial on land is, however, not the only method of funerary practices, with burial at sea being another option.

Burial at sea is the ritual of placing a corpse in the sea or ocean, normally from a nautical craft. While this method is available in the Maltese Islands, it is not widespread and is limited to an average of five burials per year.

Burials take place at a defined location at sea, which has been formally designated as the location for burial at sea. Only biodegradable materials can be used for the construction of the coffin used for such burials.

Difficulties of having a secular funeral in Malta

Gail Debono, vice chairperson of the Malta Humanist Association and also a humanist celebrant, said that humanists face a major challenge when it comes to having a secular funeral.

At present, such funerals are held around the burial but since funerals are well attended here, this can be a problem. Most of the time, the family of the deceased have to limit the number of people attending the funeral, due to lack of space.

Debono said that all that is needed is a hall to hold a sizeable number of people. She explained that when Ramon Casha, the chair- man of the Malta Humanist Association, had passed away, the secular funeral was organised at a hotel. The ceremony, however, could not be held praesente cadavere since the hotel obviously did not allow it.

A humanist ceremony is written for each individual, which is planned before the person passes away, or with the family of the deceased. The secular ceremony includes an introduction, followed by one to three readings, which can be religious, although this is not accepted by all celebrants.

The celebrant then also talks about who the deceased was, followed by other people who may wish to speak. The deceased is buried wherever the person or family request. Cremation is also an option for humanists, but it remains a personal choice. In fact, Debono says that most humanists donate their body to science.

The Santa Maria Addolorata cemetery is the main burial place in Malta, but there are various other cemeteries in use, including those belonging to other religions. Contrary to popular belief, however, Addolorata cemetery is not a purely Catholic burial place and any religion rites can be performed there.