Tag Archives: Funeral rituals

The Catholic Church Guidelines on What to Do with Cremated Remains

Burial is best, says the Church

The Catholic Church has always had an uneasy relationship with the concept of cremation. In fact, the church forbade cremation to Catholics until May 1963. Even then, the church added a caveat that the cremation cannot violate basic Catholic beliefs. … Continue reading

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The Mystery and Magic of Haitian Vodou Funeral Rites

Ensuring the survival of the spirit

According to The Guardian, Haitians have a saying that Haiti is 70 percent Catholic, 30 percent Protestant, and 100 percent Vodou. Vodou, or Voodoo as many call it, is a combination of Catholicism, other forms of Christianity, several African religions … Continue reading

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What is an Undertaker? An Interview with Patrick McNally: Part Two

Patrick McNally shares his insights on ritual, art and funerals

Today SevenPonds speaks with Patrick McNally, the inspired real-life funeral director behind the blog The Daily Undertaker, which explores ritual and art surrounding death and dying. In this second part of our two-part interview, Patrick discusses the significance of ritual and how … Continue reading

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Elephant Mourning Rituals

Decades of research and observation show elephants experience sorrow and grief

Elephants are one of the most intelligent of all animals. Their brains contain over 300 billion neurons as well as a highly developed cerebral cortex that is similar in complexity to that of humans and larger than that of almost … Continue reading

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