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Dear catholic.com visitors: This Catholic Answers website, with all its free resources, is the world’s largest source of explanations for Catholic beliefs and practices. We receive no funding from the institutional Church and rely entirely on your generosity to sustain this website with trustworthy, accessible content. If every visitor this month donated $1, catholic.com would be fully funded for an entire year. If you’ve never made a gift, now is the time. Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar this week only. Thanks and God bless.

Is it required that the bodily remains or cremains be present at a Catholic funeral?

Question:

Is it required that the bodily remains or cremains be present at a Catholic funeral?

Answer:

No, but it is good for the remains to be at the funeral if possible, because they can then be blessed. If the remains are not present at a funeral Mass, then the Mass that is offered is a memorial Mass.

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