<P> The idea that cremation might interfere with God's ability to resurrect the body was refuted as early as the 2nd - century Octavius of Minucius Felix, in which he said: "Every body, whether it is dried up into dust, or is dissolved into moisture, or is compressed into ashes, or is attenuated into smoke, is withdrawn from us, but it is reserved for God in the custody of the elements . Nor, as you believe, do we fear any loss from sepulture, but we adopt the ancient and better custom of burying in the earth ." And while there was a clear preference for burial, there was no general Church law forbidding cremation until 1866 . Even in Medieval Europe, cremation was practiced in situations where there were multitudes of corpses simultaneously present, such as after a battle, after a pestilence or famine, and where there was an imminent fear of diseases spreading from the corpses, since individual burials with digging graves would take too long and body decomposition would begin before all the corpses had been interred . </P> <P> Beginning in the Middle Ages, and even more so in the 18th century and later, rationalists and classicists began to advocate cremation again as a statement denying the resurrection and / or the afterlife, although the pro-cremation movement more often than not took care to address and refute theological concerns about cremation in their works . Sentiment within the Catholic Church against cremation became hardened in the face of the association of cremation with "professed enemies of God ." When some Masonic groups advocated cremation as a means of rejecting Christian belief in the resurrection, the Holy See forbade Catholics to practice cremation in 1886 . The 1917 Code of Canon Law incorporated this ban, but in 1963, recognizing that, in general, cremation was being sought for practical purposes and not as a denial of bodily resurrection, the choice of cremation was permitted in many circumstances . The current 1983 Code of Canon Law, states: "The Church earnestly recommends the pious custom of burial be retained; but it does not forbid cremation, unless this is chosen for reasons which are contrary to Christian teaching ." </P> <P> There are no universal rules governing Catholic funeral rites in connection with cremation, but episcopal conferences have laid down rules for various countries . Of these, perhaps the most elaborate are those established, with the necessary confirmation of the Holy See, by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and published as Appendix II of the United States edition of the Order of Christian Funerals . </P> <P> Although the Holy See has in some cases authorized bishops to grant permission for funeral rites to be carried out in the presence of cremated remains, it is preferred that the rites be carried out before cremation, in the presence of the still intact body . Practices that show insufficient respect for the ashes of the dead such as turning them into jewelry or scattering them are forbidden for Catholics . </P>

Where was the first formal cremation in the us carried out