The Chicago Archdiocese is offering a new “natural burial” option at one of its cemeteries, which officials say will help “honour the dignity of life” while respecting the environment. Source: CNA.
Catholics will now have the option of using natural burial plots at St Michael the Archangel Cemetery, about 40 kms from Chicago, the archdiocese said in a press release.
Natural burials – sometimes called “green” burials – have been growing in popularity in the United States in recent years, including at Catholic cemeteries.
The practice seeks to use fewer resources than modern burial practices, including steel-free caskets and burial directly into the earth rather than encased by a concrete “vault”.
The archdiocese said that natural burials “emphasise simplicity and environmental responsibility by allowing the body to return to the earth naturally”.
It said it had set aside a section of the St. Michael Cemetery in Palatine, Illinois, for the natural burial plots.
Dubbed the “Meadows of St. Kateri” after St Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American to be canonised, the area will offer “winding walking trails, native plants, and a mixture of meadow and forest terrain.”
Ted Ratajczyk, the executive director of Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Chicago, said the archdiocese was “honoured to offer a new natural burial option that not only respects the environment but also aligns with Catholic teachings for treating the human body with dignity.”
“This initiative reflects our commitment to providing choices that honour the dignity of life, the needs of our community, and the values of our faith,” Mr Ratajczyk said.
Natural burials have seen increased interest in the US in recent years amid concerns over the environmental and financial costs of conventional options.
The funeral and burial economic sectors in the US – commonly grouped together as the “death care industry” – are both financially lucrative and highly resource-intensive.
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‘Natural burial’ option debuts in Archdiocese of Chicago (By Daniel Payne, CNA)
