THE FIRST crematorium in Cyprus could be fully functional in two years’ time, according to an established funeral directors in Paphos.
A long-awaited bill legalising cremation in Cyprus was finally passed by parliament on Thursday after years of campaigning by supporters, particularly among the more than 24,000 British expats living in Cyprus.
Maureen Watt, managing director of Angel Guardians Funeral Home in Paphos, who has been fighting for a crematorium in Cyprus for the last nine years described the news as ‘wonderful’, and added that expats in particular would finally be offered a choice.
Paphos resident Clive Turner has also been instrumental in establishing a crematorium, collecting over 11,000 signatures on a petition and writing numerous letters to church officials, ministers and other political figures.
“This is the best possible news and a step in the right direction after fourteen years of lobbying. It has been important to me for a long time to try and establish a crematorium here, as there are now so many people of different faiths living here,” he said.
Cyprus and Malta are the only EU members which do not offer cremations. Watt hopes that now the practice has been legalised, a crematorium could be ready within two years. “We (Angel Guardians) are speaking to an architect to draw up plans for a crematorium and will then apply to the government for a licence. I believe the cost of the project will be somewhere around two million euros,” she said.
Watt said that the initiative would have to be a private one, as the cash strapped government does not have the funds. This means long term investors would have to be found.
“This isn’t a business venture where you recoup your money quickly, it’s a business for the people and you can’t charge extortionate prices to get back investment quickly,” she said. The practical need for a crematorium has spiralled in recent years due to a growing shortage of burial grounds with large fees now demanded for a local plot. Watt said that massive overcrowding meant graves are often only centimetres apart, and burials are even being crammed into the pathways between graves.
“Many are overgrown as relatives, particularly older expats, have left the country, or they are unable to visit as they are elderly or infirm,” she said.
Increasingly too, discriminatory practices have been operational whereby burial plots in villages are kept for Cypriots, leaving expat residents forced to find burial spaces miles away from where they may have lived for decades.
But above all that, the main issue has been one of having the choice over how you want your remains disposed of. Watt said that a recent survey of people using Angel Guardians funeral services, either registering or signing up for funeral plans, revealed that 91 per cent of expats of all nationalities wanted to be cremated.
Watt said that charges for cremation would be similar to those of the UK, which can vary from around £360 to £1,100. At present if a person wants a cremation it costs around €3,800 just to repatriate a body to the UK.
The church had long voiced opposition to cremation saying its position was not that of dogma, but from the need to preserve tradition. They argued that burial fulfils the need of relatives to visit the grave of a loved one, and that this brings them solace. The church also stands to lose financially.
One of the main issues of concern raised at the parliamentary discussions on the issue was registering a preference to be cremated before a person died, and this condition has been reflected in the law.
“It is very important to make sure that your wishes are down in writing whilst you’re alive otherwise a cremation won’t be allowed legally,” Watt said.
Whilst a large number of the expat community will probably now choose to be cremated, most Greek Cypriots are unlikely to follow suit any time soon. Speaking at the House on Thursday ahead of the vote, AKEL MP Yiannos Lamaris said cremation was a difficult subject given the conservative nature of Cypriot society.
On Friday, the church reiterated its opposition saying it would not carry out a funeral service if it knows beforehand that the deceased wanted to be cremated.
Archbishop Chrysostomos has said Orthododox priests will not perform funerals for those who plan to be cremated
Comments such as these will ensure that religious Greek Cypriots such as grandmother Maria Socratous, a dedicated churchgoer, will remain vehemently opposed to cremation.
“I believe that we should be buried. Our body is part of who we are and it’s disrespectful to burn a body,” she said. ”Our religion says that we don’t agree with burning a body because it’s a temple of the Holy Spirit; we shouldn’t intentionally destroy it. I think that people of our faith who want to be cremated, have effectively ‘left’ the church.”
But among the younger generation, there are signs that this might be changing. Paphos resident Panayiotis Panayiotou is in his thirties and said that he would consider cremation. “We are told that we shouldn’t be cremated, but I believe that we need to adapt to a modern society, otherwise we run the risk of alienating people. It’s a lot to do with giving the church money and for me that’s not what it should be about,” he said. Panayiotou added although his views were not representative of most Cypriots, he did not like the idea of his body lying in the ground. “I would like my ashes to be scattered somewhere, perhaps in the ocean.”
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