The Catholic Church in India has decided to allow priests to conduct burial service for “non-scandalous” suicide deaths. The Catholic Church — which believes life is God’s property and to destroy it is to assert dominion over what is God’s — has always taken a tough stand on suicides.
Till now, the bodies of those who committed suicide were only allowed up to the main gate of a church for prayers before being taken to the cemetery, where they would be buried in an obscure corner without any religious rite. No priest would accompany the mourners.
Now the Church has decided to give those who die by suicide a “simple burial”. It means their bodies can be brought inside church premises and a priest can bless the grave, though there would be no homily or holy mass.
The deceased person will not be given a tomb and the body has to be buried either in the family vault or in the tomb of a relative.
It will be up to the parish vicar and the local church council to decide if a priest can bless the dead person’s grave. If the council decides the suicide was “scandalous”, the body will not be allowed inside church premises.
Non-scandalous suicides, according to the Church, are those committed out of “chronic mental illness, depression or sudden emotional outburst”.
Babu Joseph, the spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), the highest ecclesiastical body for Catholics in the country, said the Church was sympathetic towards those who commit suicide but did not approve of “their act of sin”.
“We have taken a stern position because those who commit suicide are not sending the right message to society. It is a crime even according to the Indian Penal Code,” he said.
Joseph said the final decision lay with the local priest. “If the priest wants to give a simple burial, he will be allowed to, provided it is not a scandalous suicide.”
The change in the Church’s stand has come amid accusations of insensitivity. “It’s not fair to discriminate against someone who commits suicide in agony. Moreover, the Church’s denial also adds to the grief of family members,” said Joseph Pulikunnel, who has been spearheading a campaign for change.
Other Churches have different rules. The Protestant Church normally doesn’t discriminate against suicide though it, too, considers taking one’s life a sin.
Priests of the Orthodox Church, the most ancient Christian denomination in India, visit only the dead person’s home but without wearing the customary black overcoat.
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SIC: TTCI