End of Life

Comment by Silvia Purdie:

The earliest remaining signs of Christian worship are underneath Rome, in the Catacombs, where Christians were known for caring respectfully for the dead. No matter their status in life, each person’s body was tenderly carried to a place of rest. Christians believe in the resurrection of the dead for all who love the Lord Jesus Christ. In Christian thinking, our bodies matter to God, and so we honour our bodies in life and in death.

My grandparent’s generation broke with the tradition of burial, not wanting to take up the space of stone graves, and so chose cremation. And for many Pākehā today cremation is the norm. But there is a big problem: cremation adds to carbon emissions and climate change. There is a better way, and that is natural burial. We now have the option of natural burial right across Aotearoa. It takes a re-think, and families need to talk this through. As Christians it makes perfect sense: we honour our bodies as created by God and part of creation. Of course they should go back into the earth to become part of God’s circle of life. Natural cemeteries are places of beauty, life and love, where trees grow and birds sing – far better than lifeless ash in a box! Natural burial is a tangible sign of God’s promise: “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54).

Further Reading / Exploration:

Article: 'For Dust Thou Art': The Spiritual Practice of Green Burial - A relationship with God means our bodies and the earth are not separate.

Book: Our Last Best ACT: Planning for the End of Our Lives to Protect the People and Places We Love. By Mallory McDuff.

Green funerals are one way for Christian leaders to promote creation care

Church of England to consider greener alternatives to burial - Water cremation and human composting among methods to be discussed by General Synod this week

Creating a more environmentally friendly resting place - Green burials, biodegradable coffins and other innovations can help make a final resting place more environmentally friendly.

A Better Ending: An interview with Sandy Gibson of Better Place Forests whose mission is “helping every person to write a better ending to their story”.

Greener burials uncovered by new Canterbury research

Inside the rise of eco-friendly deaths

Video below: How our dead bodies can be good for the planet

Natural Burials in Aotearoa

Right now, the only real green funeral alternative in New Zealand is the natural burial. Natural burials are not a new concept, with variations having been practised by a number of cultures throughout history, including Māori, whose traditions included burying tūpāpaku (bodies) in shallow earth, caves, sand dunes or hollow trees.

Natural burial means:

  • the body is not embalmed to avoid chemicals leaking into the ground

  • the body is either buried in a shroud or sustainable, untreated timber

  • the body is dressed in natural fibres with no non-biodegradable accessories

  • burial depth is shallow to allow for natural tree regeneration

  • instead of a headstone, the plot is marked with a tree or stone, or

  • the plot is filled with uncompacted compost mix for better decomposition

  • plots are over-planted with native tree or shrub

  • the body’s nutrients will be absorbed by the surrounding soil and plants.

Find our more about Natural Burials in Aotearoa New Zealand, how to get a natural burial, details about certified natural cemeteries and certified coffins.

No chemicals, no treated coffin - it’s a more natural way to return to the earth. Watch a video of Jeanette Fitzsimons and Gwenyth from Thames Natural Burial Group tell us why they're opting for a more organic route after death: https://www.renews.co.nz/natural-burials/

New Te Arawa natural burial site opens - The Northcroft/Moke/Waaka whānau from Tuhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao launched its urupā tataiao (natural burial sites) on ancestral lands in Horohoro. They are encouraging the motu to look into taking loved ones back to their whenua and returning to tikanga of old and away from westernised introduced embalming, coffins and cemeteries owned by councils.

Water Cremation (not legal in Aotearoa)

Archbishop Desmond Tutu requested alkaline hydrolysis, also known as aquamation or water cremation, as an eco-friendly final disposition for his body.

Find out more about water cremation and when it might be legal in Aotearoa.

Follow the Facebook page on water cremation to keep update with progress on the availability of water creation in Aotearoa.