Published : 2023-06-29

Ecological Burial of the Dead in the Light of Polish and Canon Law

Abstract

The burial of the deceased in different cultures and historical periods took many forms. Rituals and related traditions are strongly rooted in most cultures, and even a progressive change in attitudes towards the environment and the concept of life after life will probably not displace these traditions in the near future. The most common form of burial is burying the body of the deceased in the ground, in a coffin. This traditional method generates two problems: the growing demand for a burial site and the harmful impact on the environment. There are a number of cemeteries next to the metropolises, which are growing to accommodate new graves. Many are already running out of places. Alternative methods of burying the dead are needed. Cremation appeared and in some countries: composting, resomation, promesia, considered ecological but not everywhere allowed by law. In Poland, according to secular and church law, burials can only take place in cemeteries, both in the form of burying the body in the ground and burying ashes.

Keywords:

cemeteries, inhumation, cremation, environmental protection



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Trzaskowska, E. (2023). Ecological Burial of the Dead in the Light of Polish and Canon Law. Kościół I Prawo, 12(1), 123–140. https://doi.org/10.18290/kip2023.8

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Kościół i Prawo · ISSN 0208-7928 · e-ISSN 2544-5804 · DOI: 10.18290/kip

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