Archbishop of Sydney

Rookwood Crematorium Opening

Sermon at Mass for Blessing of Mary, Mother of Mercy Chapel
1 Kings 8:22-3,27-30; Heb 12:18-19,22-4; Jn 2:13-22

By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
17/2/2007

The Lord Jesus spoke of his own body as a “sanctuary”, one which after his death was to be raised up again after three days.  Anointed with the tears of those who mourned for him, lovingly prepared as well as time and circumstances would allow, and wrapped in clean linen, Christ’s holy body was laid in the tomb, where it lay, utterly dead and lifeless until the third day, when Christ walked forth out of the tomb and appeared to his disciples, his sacred body, flesh and bone, now risen and glorious.

In every human culture worthy of the description “civilisation”, even in pre-history, we find evidence of a considered care for the final disposition of the bodies of the dead.  While there are obvious practical motivations for interring or cremating the bodies of the deceased, which reveal little more than environmental concerns on the part of the living, what speaks most eloquently is the concern of those who live, to treat the bodies of the dead with a care and respect, which is shown by laying them out in a particular posture, dressed in a certain way, and accompanied by various tokens, tools, and adornments.

Christians believe that creation is good, and that our bodies are good, and form an integral part of the human being.  We treat our own bodies with love and respect, for they are part of us, not some mere vehicle for our soul. We should treat the dead bodies of others – especially of course those whom we know and love, but indeed every human body - with the same love and respect.  And we believe that, through the power of God the Creator, body and soul are destined to be reunited again after death, at the General Resurrection.

The portion of the Letter to the Hebrews which we have just heard speaks of the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God, where we find the spirits of the saints who have been made perfect.  The final goal of our pilgrimage is not a necropolis, a city of the dead, but heaven, where we shall live in the presence of God.  This destiny is made possible, the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us, by the sacrifice offered by Jesus on the Cross, a sacrifice which involved a painful and real death, and the spilling of Christ’s blood; but a dying which in fact became the victory over sin and death, as testified by Christ’s bodily and true resurrection.

In the Church, we are - body and soul - constantly encountering the grace of the risen Christ through the Sacraments and sacramentals.  Our bodies are anointed with holy oils and washed with water at baptism, and anointed also at Confirmation and in our infirmity.  Hands are laid on us in blessing; the sign of the Cross is frequently traced on us; and in a marvelous way we receive nourishment and are united to Christ in the Blessed Eucharist.  Indeed our bodies themselves become sacramental, for together we are the living stones that make up the true Temple of God’s presence in the world, which is his Church.

With the dignity of the human body in mind, therefore, and aware of the respect due to the body that has been touched by the grace of Christ and is destined to be transformed into a risen and glorious body like His, the Church has always shown a special concern for the bodies of the faithful departed.  The famous Catacombs in Rome are but one example of the desire to show respect for, and pray near, the bodies of those who, in life, bore witness to their faith in Christ.  And the ancient custom of associating the relics of the saints with the altar of the Mass is a further testimony to our belief in the power of divine grace to transfigure our humanity.

Anything which might seem to show a lack of respect for the bodies of the faithful or which deliberately suggests a lack of belief in the bodily resurrection has always been abhorrent to the Church, which has always preferred that the bodies of the faithful should be buried, in imitation of Christ’s entombment, as they await their resurrection.  The former association of cremation with paganism or with a rejection of the Christian view of the sacredness of the body, or with denial of faith in the resurrection of the body, meant that for a long time the Church did not sanction cremation.

However, in our society, cremation need not be associated with those things, and given circumstances today such as the availability of land for burials and the costs associated with inhumation in tombs, the Church, since the pontificate of Paul VI, has allowed the bodies of the faithful departed to be cremated.  However, it remains a very important testimony of Christian faith that the remains, even after cremation, should be reverently buried or entombed.  Given that cremation is increasingly being chosen by Catholics, our conviction that the funeral rites of the faithful should be accompanied by prayer for forgiveness of their sins and testimony to our faith in the resurrection needs to find clear and visible expression.

This new Catholic Crematorium has been built to provide a powerful testimony to our belief in the sacredness of human life, the precious value of the body after death, and our faith in the power of God to raise the dead on the last day.  It allows us to surround the body of the deceased with reverence, with prayer, and with faith.  It provides a fitting expansion of the service provided by the Catholic Cemeteries Board here at Rookwood.  In a society where many people, not least those who mourn, often struggle to know how to respect life and understand death, I hope and pray that this Catholic Crematorium will be a helpful and reassuring sign to all who come here.  While death is real, God’s saving love is stronger even than death, and faith in the Risen Christ will bring the believer, soul and risen body, into that heavenly Jerusalem.

This Chapel has the saving Sacrifice of Christ as its focal-point.  That sacrifice is symbolised by the consecrated altar and the Crucifix and is made present for us when the Mass is celebrated. Christ’s death has destroyed the power of death over us, his resurrection has restored our hope of eternal life with God.  This Chapel reminds us that where Christ has gone, we hope to follow.

May Mary, the merciful Mother who cradled in her arms the body of her crucified Son, also be a Mother to all those who will come here in mourning, so that they will be comforted by faith in her Son, the first-born from the dead.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.