Funeral

Pope Benedict XVI greets the crowd from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, soon after his election, April 19, 2005.

Pope Benedict XVI was an icon of conservative Catholicism, theology professor says

January 5, 2023Religion

Funeral services were held for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Thursday. Massimo Faggioli, a professor of historical theology at Villanova University, discusses the late pontiff’s legacy with The World’s host Carol Hills.

Clerics carry the coffin after the funeral for Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu at the St George's Cathedral in Cape Town, South Africa, Saturday, Jan 1, 2022.

What is aquamation, the burial practice Desmond Tutu chose instead of cremation?

January 3, 2022Science & Technology

‘Stay home or dance with us’: Ghana’s dancing pallbearers urge social distancing

April 28, 2020Culture

Mourning in the midst of a pandemic

April 10, 2020COVID-19

A woman is shown from behind and with her hands on her hips looking at several rows of graves.

Meet the woman who buries forgotten migrants from Venezuela

February 4, 2020Migration

A man stands at a counter holding an urn with many urn designs behind him

Greece’s first and only crematorium opens despite pushback from the church

December 26, 2019Religion

With cemeteries filling up and the rising cost of traditional burials, cremation is a preferred option for a growing number of Greek citizens, but the church considers cremation a sin.

Going green — after death

June 15, 2019Lifestyle & Belief

For most of recent human history, we’ve opted for burial and cremation. Washington State residents now have a new green option: human composting — also known as natural organic reduction.

Cheaper Chinese caskets get a chilly reception in the US market

February 24, 2015Business

Death is expensive. The American casket industry is a $1.5 billion business, leading some families to seek out cheaper options from China. But the Chinese haven’t been able to bury the American competition.

Polluted waters, deforestation complicate India’s cremation rituals

August 15, 2013Environment

India’s ritual of cremation is causing environmental complications. The Ganges River, where many are cremated, is remarkably polluted. And the country is rapidly being deforested as families collect thousands of pounds of wood to use in their funeral pyres.

Some Americans return to old tradition of home funerals

August 15, 2013Global Politics

For decades, Americans have turned to professionals to prepare the bodies of dead loved ones for burial. But now, in at least some circles, that practice is being challenged as a few Americans choose to prepare their own loved ones’ bodies on their own.