The Greek Orthodox Church says it will not provide religious rites for those who choose cremation, saying it disrespects the human body.
"The
incineration of the body is not in keeping with the traditions and
actions of the Church, for anthropological and theological reasons," the
Church said in a statement.
Cremation was only made legal in Greece in 2006 and there is still nowhere it can be carried out in the country.
That
has not stopped the Church labelling a new law on procedures for
cremation as "nihilism" which contributes to "the suppression of
religion" and a "lack of respect for the human body".
"The
Church does not accept incineration of the body because it is a temple
of the Holy Spirit. Anyone who expresses the intention to be incinerated
confirms their separation from the Church and therefore does not have
the right to a religious ceremony," the statement said.
No
Greek government has yet authorised the construction of a crematorium
in a country where religion continues to play a major role in public
life.
The mayors of Athens
and Thessaloniki, Georges Kaminis and Yannis Boutaris, have long called
for crematoriums in the face of dwindling space for cemeteries but have
been repeatedly rebuffed.
No comments:
Post a Comment