Mumbai: Even as shroud burials without coffins are gaining support among Catholics, St Peter's Church, Bandra, has appealed to its members to make funerals 'greener'.
In a message circulated during the ongoing austere season of Lent, the church's 'Care for Creation' cell, a parish group that promotes an environment-friendly lifestyle, has urged its members to walk the extra mile and rethink funeral practices. Parishioners have been advised to dress their dear departed in bio-degradable clothing; eschew excessive funeral decorations; avoid long eulogies; and shun 'snack boxes' at the funeral reception. The advice, in a light-hearted way, asked members to rethink 'deadly habits' and 'break the mould'.
The message is that shroud burials without wood coffins are a great idea. However, the practice could be taken one step further by dressing the body in simple, biodegradable clothing, as polyester suits and dresses take centuries to decompose.
Brian D'Souza, a member of St Peter's Church's Parish Pastoral Council, said that environmentally-friendly funerals are becoming more accepted. "Maybe the older generation is used to certain customs and practices, but there is change. The message is pragmatic and the way forward," said D'Souza.
This pragmatism is influenced by the shortage of burial space in urban areas, leading churches to reuse graves more frequently. Heavy wooden coffins and synthetic clothing delay the disintegration of human remains and increase the rotation cycles for graves.
Janet D'Souza, former vice-president of the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission, said she has attended funerals where bodies were buried in a shroud. "It is a family's choice, but the shortage of space makes shroud burials more practical as bodies decompose faster," said D'Souza.
While churches across Mumbai have been promoting messages about the environment, St Peter's Church has an active group that encourages segregation, recycling, and reuse of waste. "Burials can be a problem too because the wood and the finery used in the coffins can take a long time to decompose. We want to avoid even the flowers. It is not just shroud burials; it is green burials," said Genevieve Martins, a member of the Parish Pastoral Council.
Instead of 'viewing', focus on paying 'last respects'.
Floral tributes make for good optics, but the dead neither see, smell, nor appreciate them.
The dead do not hear eulogies. Instead, cherish loved ones in their living years and thereafter, treasure their memories.
For post-funeral refreshments, serve simple refreshments. Snack boxes create unnecessary waste.
