Greek church refuses burials for
cremated individuals
November 2019
The Orthodox Metropolis of Thiva and
Livadia in central Greece earlier
this week denounced cremation and
threatened to refuse burial services
for those opting for the practice.
According to press release by the
Metropolis, “it is unthinkable for
conscious Orthodox Christians to
refuse burial and choose cremation.”
Thirteen years after cremation was
legalized in Greece, the country’s
first such facility has recently
opened in Ritsona, north of Athens.
The delay was mainly due to the
vehement objection of the Orthodox
Church.
“Those who choose cremation have
alienated themselves from the belief
and practice of the Church,” the
statement reads. It adds that the
clergy “cannot agree to carry out
funeral services for those who
consciously decided to use the
method.”
The newly-established crematorium
was built by a private company at a
cost of over four million euros
($4.4 million), after years of
fruitless efforts by municipal
authorities to create a similar
facility in the cities of Athens and
Thessaloniki.
