We Catholics bury our dead, for we believe in the Resurrection of the body.  Pagans will do the opposite of catholics.

I noticed in the dioceses paper, in the "For Sale" cemetery plots.  Quite a few columns since these New Order people think it is ok to cremate. I guess they expect to make a buck.  Do they think they will be able to sell, with everyone else thinking the same thing?  

If you are looking for a deal, on a plot, you just might find one at this time.

In Scotland, for an example, their laws state "no burial", only cremate, unless you already have a plot.  Now, there is a law that the US just might try one day, with the excuse of no more room.

Then there are those who wish to be shot to the moon.  I say, what about the ocean.  Now, that might be an idea, better than cremation.

Quote from: Alexandrina1

There now exists such a thing called a "green burial". Many Catholic cemeteries are beginning to accept green burials. This is what I want, because my priest told me that  cremation is similar to abortion. Satan wants to destroy the body. A pine box and no embalming is not so expensive.

Depends on where you live.  Some states and localities have laws requiring a harder casket and a cement vault in the ground.  Doesn't make much sense to me, but it keeps money flowing to funeral homes.

Actually, most states don't have any laws regarding caskets and burial vaults.  These are the regulations of the cemeteries.  

In PA, most boroughs have an ordinance which allows for private burial on private property, except Philly and Pittsburgh.  No casket or vault is required.  The grave must be 2 to 3 feet deep.  No law requires bodies to be picked up by funeral directors or to be embalmed.  A family  member may pick up the body of their loved one and have a direct burial.  This cost would be about $1000.  

The only issue would be a Requiem Mass.  For direct burials, bodies must be buried within 24 to 36 hours.  

I can attest that the casket, embalming, and vault are the most expensive elements of the burial. My brother and I buried my mother last year and split the cost between us.  We each paid about $4500.  This was not the least expensive option because I had to fly my mother's body across country which cost about $800, the price of a regular seat on a plane.  So I had to have a casket suitable for flying.  Because mother was buried in a city cemetery, a vault was required.  

Casket: $1200
Embalming: $700
Vault: $2500

Funerals are a big market.  Everybody is going to die.  These funeral directors and cemeteries have run the costs up so much that it is very, very costly.   Add to that, families have 2 or less children to pay for these costs and you can see how cremation has become a preferred option for many people.

In my opinion, people have to plan for their death and burial far in advance.  I also think people can be really creative to keep costs down.  

By using direct burial and private property, a person can kept burial expenses relatively low.

Funerals are a big market.  Everybody is going to die.  These funeral directors and cemeteries have run the costs up so much that it is very, very costly.   Add to that, families have 2 or less children to pay for these costs and you can see how cremation has become a preferred option for many people.

In my opinion, people have to plan for their death and burial far in advance.  I also think people can be really creative to keep costs down.  

I've posted on this topic before as I have some background in this field, and I am considering working toward a funeral directors license.  CathMomof7 states things well.

Plan ahead and start setting funds aside.  A modest life insurance policy is one good way to do this, but there are others.  Cemetery property, and associated services such as opening and closing the grave, marker setting, etc.  can be purchased at today's prices and usually paid for over time, interest free.  Public cemeteries will generally be less expensive than private or even church operated ones.  Burial on one's own property can be an option in some areas, as stated by others.

Unless one lives in a very rural area there are usually several choices for funeral homes, and they all serve a radius of at least 20 - 40 miles from their locations.  They will go beyond that with a modest fee for extra mileage ...

... SO, it pays to shop around ahead of time as there can be wide variations in what different firms charge.  When you stop in they are required by Federal Trade Commission regulations to give you a copy of their General Price List.  Many firms also post this on their web sites.

In larger towns there will also be discount providers or cooperatives.  One will want to do due diligence but some of these have very good reputations.  They are fully licensed mortuary services who keep their overhead low by not having an elegant funeral home building, using a van instead of a hearse (or rent a hearse when requested for an additional fee), outsourcing removals and embalming to an outside source.  Instead of a casket display room (and the associated inventory or display cost) they will have a print or digital catalog to select from and order in a unit as needed.  The Mass will be at one's chapel or parish church and the evening Vigil / Rosary service can be there also, so no need for a funeral home with a nice chapel.  In my observation some of these can provide full service at half the cost of a traditional funeral home.

There will be wide variation between firms in how they price their caskets and in the range they offer, so again it is good to shop around ahead of time.  One can also make their own wood casket (plans are available online) or order one from Costco.  Funeral homes cannot charge a handing fee if you purchase a casket elsewhere.  I will say, having been self employed myself, it would be nice to at least give the funeral home the opportunity to be competitive, and many will do so.

I remember when the "pope" first allowed cremation and my parents were leery.  Now they are going to allow themselves to be cremated I believe.

In the Boston area an average funeral is probably around $17,000.  But that is not the least expensive.  I know that burial at a Catholic cemetary (including the vault) is under $2000.  Everything else is not absolutely necessary.  I've heard of people making their own caskets, driving the casket to the Church and cemetary in the back of a pickup truck, having the wake at home, etc.  I'm not sure what you can do if you don't embalm, you could probably google that and get some ideas.  You don't want to skip the embalming and then wait a week or two before burial.  That would be a disaster.  But cutting the funeral home out of the process completely will save you a lot of money.  That being said, I really appreciate the services provided by the funeral home.  They make the whole process go smoothly at a time when you are least prepared to take on a complex organizational process.  You really have to be thinking about these things before anyone dies.  You don't want to have a dead body in your house (or in the hospital) and then start wondering if you should hire a funeral director and/or skip the embalming, etc.  And you should be prepared to say no to any suggestion of cremation whether it comes from the hospital, the funeral director, family members or others.  If you are poor, you should figure out what you are going to do ahead of time.  You can save a lot of money and avoid going into debt.