rationale being, “God can resurrect a bowl of ashes just as conveniently as he can resurrect a bowl of dust.” In 1963, Pope Paul VI lifted the ban on cremation, and in 1966, allowed Catholic priests to officiate at cremation ceremonies.
Cost factors may also tend to make cremation more attractive. Generally speaking, cremation costs less than traditional burial services, especially if direct cremation is chosen, in which the body is cremated as soon as legally possible without any sort of service. However, there is wide variation in the cost of cremation services, having mainly to do with the amount of service desired by the deceased or the family. A cremation can take place after a full traditional funeral service, which may add cost. The type of container used may also influence cost.
Cremated remains can be scattered or buried. Cremation plots or columbarium niches usually cost less than a burial plot or mausoleum crypt, and require less space. However, some religions, such as Roman Catholicism, require the burial or entombment of cremated remains.
Modern cremator fuels include natural gas and propane. However, coal and coke were used until the early 1960s. Modern cremators have adjustable control systems that monitor the furnace during cremation.
A cremation furnace is not designed to cremate more than one body at a time, which is illegal in many countries, including the United States. The chamber where the body is placed is called the retort and is lined with refractory brick that retains heat.
Modern cremators are computer controlled to ensure legal and safe use; the door cannot be opened until the cremator has reached operating temperature. The coffin is inserted, or charged, into the