Espoo parishes no longer allow funeral chapels to be used for burials of outsiders
|
|
The Espoo Evangelical Lutheran Association of Parishes will longer allow its chapels to be used for funerals of atheists or non-Christians. The Church Council decided on the matter on Monday.
An advisory committee of vicars prepared the refusal with reference to an Episcopal Conference guidebook from last September, according to which churches and chapels should only be used for "purposes that adhere to their sacredness".
The three-year-old law on funerals is lacking in clear regulations concerning the use of church facilities.
"The decision affects only a small group of people. Free thinkers urge people to leave the church, and yet they want to make use of the church facilities. A Christian chapel is a place of worship, consecrated to the Lord. Functions that do not recognise God should not take place there. This violates the parishioners' sense of religion", explains the Church Council chairman and vicar of the Tapiola Congregation Antti Rusama.
In neighbouring Helsinki, the use of funeral chapels is open to non-Christians, but the covering of Christian symbols and images is not allowed. For parishioners, the renting of a chapel is free. From others a fee of EUR 200 is levied.
In Vantaa, non-Christians can use the chapel facilities, if a priest or a speaker arranged by the Pro-Seremoniat organisation is present. Pro-Seremoniat is a service centre, jointly set up by Finnish civil organisations, whose role is to provide services for functions for those outside of religious organisations.
Helsingin Sanomat
|
| 28.2.2006 - TODAY |
 Espoo parishes no longer allow funeral chapels to be used for burials of outsiders
|
|
