No issue with cremating COVID-19 dead: Archdiocese

By Yohan Perera 

Church has no issue with cremating Catholics who succumb to COVID-19, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Colombo said yesterday. 

Head of the social relations unit of the archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Jude Chrishantha told Daily Mirror the Catholic church had allowed cremation since 1960s. 

“However, there is a special prayer that needs to be recited when cremating a dead body. There is also a prayer when burying ashes of a cremated body. Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has already instructed Catholics in the archdiocese to abide by the government’s instructions on COVID-19 prevention,” he said.  
Recently, UNPer Oshala Herath filed a fundamental rights petition against the cremation of Catholics who succumb to COVID-19.