'Church refused to bury my cousin's body, so I performed last rites'

An Andheri resident performed the last rites and sprinkled holy water on the grave of her uncle recently

On June 13, a 32-year-old parishioner of Andheri's Sacred Heart Church, performed the last rites and sprinkled holy water on her deceased 68-year-old uncle's grave. He had tested positive for COVID-19 and died the previous night. There was no priest to recite the final prayers though the BMC and global medical experts have made it clear that there is no chance of COVID-19 being transmitted from a dead body.

The Andheri resident said that her uncle had been unwell for a long time and died at KEM on June 12.

She said that usually the parish priest blesses the body at home, or at the cemetery before burial. "I was told that we could not bury my uncle at the cemetery in Sacred Heart Church as they were not allowing the burial of COVID-19 patients. We buried him at the St Peter's Catholic Cemetery in Mahalaxmi. The church said priests were not allowed to come for last rites because of some circular that they had received. I finally requested holy water from them and performed the last rites myself and blessed my uncle's grave."

'I would have arranged PPE kit'
She added, "If they wanted, I could have even arranged for a PPE kit, as well as ensured social distancing. It might be dangerous for aged priests to come for the last rites of COVID-19 patients but younger priests can be assigned."

On June 4, a 53-year-old resident of Bhowaida and a parishioner of St Paul's Church, lost his 71-year-old cousin to COVID-19. "The church refused to bury his body as they were not allowing it at the time, and the parish priest told us that they had received a circular telling them not to attend funeral rites. The last rites were finally performed by me," the Bhoiwada resident said.

'Every church has younger priests'
Cyril Dara, secretary of Christian Reform Unite People Association (CRUPA), who has been leading the fight to get burials for COVID-19 victims approved at all cemeteries in the city, said, "The hospital hands over the body to the resident or local police station of the deceased. The police hand the body over to the deceased's family for funeral rites. The families have to take it directly to the cemetery."

"My contention is that if you feel aged priests are scared, every church also has younger priests whom they could send," he added.

'Rules never changed'
Speaking to mid-day, Father Nigel Barrett, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Bombay, said that rules around the last rites had never changed, irrespective of COVID-19.

"It is possible that some times the priest cannot travel to the cemetery due to travel restrictions, but blessing of a COVID-19 patient's body has never been an issue. I myself have blessed a few. I don't know if priests are scared but there is no such order from the Archdiocese. We have told priests not to touch the body - which is the protocol that needs to be followed as per BMC - but other than that you can bless with holy water and perform all the last rites."

Father Innocent Fernandes, parish priest of Andheri's Sacred Heart Church, said, "We don't go to the hospital or crematorium or burial grounds that are not under our church. Usually, bodies are brought to the church cemetery. Burial of COVID-19 patients' bodies was not allowed here but the BMC recently announced that burials are now allowed at all cemeteries."

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