Catholic Bishop bans keeping of corpse in mortuary for more than two months

The preservation of dead bodies above two months have been banned by The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor.

There have been recent complaints that people dump bodies of their loved ones in morgues, in the South-East, waiting to make enough money to give them what they term ‘befitting burials’.

The Catholic Bishop had years back also banned ostentatious burial ceremonies among Catholics in the diocese, which included the banning of the production of brochures, serving of food and drinks at burials, among others.

Taking a cue from the Bishop, some communities in Anambra State have also followed suit, encouraging members of their community to bury their dead ones at very minimal cost.

Bishop Ezeokafor, who may have sensed that the moves were not yielding fruits as people still keep their loved ones in the mortuary, waiting for money to bury them, thereby over-crowding such facility, has, therefore, moved for the burial of dead people, within two months of their death.

The Bishop, while preaching at St Patrick’s Catholic Church, Agulu, was quoted as reminding the church of the law made by the Church to bury their deceased within a period of two months.

“The funeral ceremony must not exceed one day, and the corpse must not be preserved beyond two months,” the Diocese’s Media arm, Fides Media quoted the Bishop as saying.