Sex, reproduction, and now death. Itâ??s bad enough that the Church wants to tell people who to have sex with, while taking away the choice about whether or not to have children when they do. Now we canâ??t even decide what do with our bodies when weâ??re done with them? The Churchâ??s answer, one which flies in the face of nearly everything we assume about selfhood in 21st century America is this: No, you canâ??t. Because your body isnâ??t yours alone. It belongs to you but it also belongs to God and especially to the community.
In the Catholic tradition there is an ongoing and active relationship between the living and the dead. The communion of saints is a community which includes both living and dead people. Since they are still important members of the community in order to â??get togetherâ? with our dead friends and relatives, we need a place to meet them. For this reason, according to the Church, the personâ??s body should not be dissolved in the ocean or scattered in a National Park.
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