Q: Today I was asked a question and it kind of threw me.
I know the Church is ok with cremation but is not wild about it.
The Question is: can the urn with the ashes be in Church during a funeral Mass? Any restrictions on that?
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A: There used to be restrictions keeping the ashes out of the church for a funeral Mass, but the practice is now permitted. The Order of Christian Funerals prefers that even in the case of cremation that the body be present for the Mass, and then cremated afterward. Very few people choose that option. But it keeps the body in the presence of those who mourn before it is prepared for its final resting place.