BURIAL SERVICES
Inhumation, also known as burial, is the placement of the deceased's body into the ground. This service is carried out in cemeteries, mausoleums, crypts, niches, and, of course, in graveyards. The custom of inhumation or burial has been practiced for many years, and its origins date back to the Middle Ages.
The Catholic religion (which predominates in the Iberian Peninsula) recognizes which areas are sanctified for carrying out the burial service, a service that can only be performed in these areas, as they are recognized as a 'place of eternal rest.
The Catholic Church is not the only one that recognizes cemeteries, crypts, or niches as the only permitted spaces for burial, as monotheistic religions such as Islam and Judaism also do.
Priests, pastors, imams, or rabbis give open permission to cemeteries to carry out the burial service, even offering their blessing for such an act. Although this method is the most traditional, the most religious, and the most culturally recognized, its practice has significantly declined in recent years due to the limited space in cemeteries and their high costs.
The maintenance of sacred grounds, ornaments, and other actions represent a significant expense for many families, which is why many of them dismiss this service as a final farewell to the deceased body.
Among the advantages of hiring the burial service, we find the following:
- The burial service is fully accepted by the Catholic Church, as long as the remains are kept in a place where the faithful can go to pray for the soul of the deceased.
- In addition to being an accepted system by the Catholic religion, it is also accepted by Islam and Judaism, as long as the rite is carried out according to their religious customs.
- Inside the coffin, the body of the deceased takes between 20 and 50 years to decompose completely.
- In Spain, this service is carried out in local cemeteries.
- DNA can be extracted from buried bodies.