The Catholic Church has reminded the families of the departed, whose remains have been cremated, not to keep the urn at home.

While the Church allows cremation, the urn containing the remains of the departed must be interred as soon as possible, the Church said.

“The urn containing the remains of the departed must be interred in a columbarium. This is part of the Church’s guidelines and must be done by families of the departed out of respect,” Father Nap Baltazar, exorcist from the Diocese ng Malolos, said over Radio Veritas.

“There is no specific time as to when the urn may be interred but it must be done as soon as possible to ensure that it is in a safe and quiet place,” he added.

Some families have opted to keep the urn containing the remains of their departed loved one at home.

“Per the instructions of the Vatican, there is no specific time as to when the interment of the urn must be done. What is important is that it must be interred and not kept at home,” said Baltazar.

“No matter how long the urn has been kept at home, the faithful must put it in its final resting place, a quiet sanctuary. It must never be displayed at home. Even if the remains had been cremated, it must be kept in a proper place,” the priest said.

Part of the “Ad Resurgendum cum Christo” that was released by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said the cremated remains must never be scattered.

Cremation in the country became more prevalent this pandemic since the remains of those who died of the coronavirus are usually cremated to help prevent the spread of the virus.