Respecting the dead and wishes of the living

On All Souls Day, the Catholic Church encourages us to remember the dear departed. This, in turn, leads many to visit cemeteries, signifying their desire to remain close to the deceased. As it happened, developments over the past days have also focused attention on the availability of graves and whether it is time to introduce cremation.

Government cemeteries have more than 22,293 graves, including 1,776 common ones. The majority – 15,538 – are at Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery, consisting of 14,329 privately owned and 1,209 common graves. There are also hundreds of other graves in Church cemeteries spread all over the islands. Yet, the number of applications for more graves continues to rise. Until May, there were 6,748 pending applications to buy government graves with 4,029 of the applicants seeking a burial space at the Addolorata.

Then, there are many who, for different reasons, whether because of population density or beliefs, see a growing need for cremation. This feeling is, in a way, “encouraged” by the fact that the Catholic Church allows cremation, provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body. The Code of Catholic Canon Law states: “The Church earnestly recommends that the pious custom of burial be retained; but it does not forbid cremation, unless this is chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian teaching” (Can. 1176:3).

Both those who prefer a new grave and those who favour a crematorium were very happy to learn, two years ago, that the Cabinet was considering an extension of the national cemetery by a further 9,000 new graves and that a zone at the Addolorata Cemetery was reserved for the possibility of a crematorium by the private sector. However, no new graves, certainly not in substantial quantities, and no crematorium materialised since. Not only, but the extension of the Addolorata is still in its initial stages with not much more than site clearance having taken place.

It has now been said that the government is working on a policy to address the problem and that there are plans for the extension of the Addolorata to accommodate about 2,900 more graves. But, then, it has also been said that it was not possible to say when would the policy be drawn up. What is known is that a call for tenders will be issued and the winning bidder, who will take over the management of the Addolorata while the cemetery remains the property of the government, will also have the choice to issue a call for the construction and management of a crematorium.

In the circumstances, especially bearing in mind that there are people whose application for a new grave has been waiting for too long a time while the demand for graves continues to grow every year, it is very difficult to understand why the powers that be can only speak of plans.

This kind of attitude does not seem to show much respect to the strong bonds between the living and the dead. Such bond is evident not only in the desire for more graves and/or a crematorium but also in the commendable tradition of visiting and decorating the graves of families and friends with quite a few doing so throughout the whole year and not just on November 2.

It is indeed significant and praiseworthy that the living, whatever their belief, continue to live a relationship with the deceased, essentially inspired by their faith.