Cremation for priests

That an increasing number of Parsis are opting for alternate methods of disposal rather than the traditional dakhmenashini is a universal trend. The Mar Thoma Church of Syrian Christians based in Kerala is now permitting cremation even for priests, reveals a report in The Times of India (TOI) dated July 28, 2016. Earlier, written permission was required from the bishop before laypersons could be cremated.

Mar Thoma Church in Kerala

The Church has approximately 20,000 members in Bombay. A priest from Goregaon revealed that they recently received a letter from the metropolitan of their Church in Kerala permitting cremation for priests as well as laypersons.
The Catholics have not had any problems with cremation. "It is an alternative that any Catholic could opt for, indeed a number of people have done so,” Fr Nigel Barrett, spokesman for the archdiocese of Bombay, told TOI.