In South Africa, churches concerned about amount spent on funerals

Published: 2004-08-31

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) -- The money poor people spend on funerals is of growing concern to church leaders in South Africa, where the AIDS pandemic has left many families burying two or three members a year. "There is enormous pressure on people to lay on expensive funerals, and it's becoming increasingly difficult for them to cope," Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg, who represents the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference in its Pretoria-based AIDS department, said in a late-August telephone interview from Rustenburg. The widespread South African tradition of providing meals for extended family members and friends and paying for their transport to the place of burial can put families into a burden of debt "that they spend years trying to pay off," he said. The bereaved are also open to exploitation by undertakers and others involved in the funeral process, he said. "While funerals are an important part of the social fabric and personal relationships are critical in terms of support, doing things in this way entails tremendous expenditure," Bishop Dowling said.

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