Rules of The Catholic Cemeteries

CHAPTER 2. INTERMENT

5. Eligibility:
(a) Only Catholic faithful could be buried in a Catholic Cemetery.
(b) Catechumens who have received the Catholic Rite of Becoming Catechumens may be buried in a Catholic Cemetery.
(c) A person who has not received any catechetical instructions could not be buried in a Catholic Cemetery even though he had been or was baptized at the moment of death or when unconscious.
(d) No person is permitted to be buried in a Catholic Cemetery unless a Burial Permit in the Catholic Cemetery has first been obtained.

6. Procedures :
(a) The applicant should first apply for the necessary documents for burial/cremation from the Joint Office set up by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Immigration Department and Department of Health. With these burial/cremation documents and a Burial Permit in the Catholic Cemetery issued by the Parish of the deceased, he can then make arrangements at the relevant Catholic Cemetery Office for the date and time of burial together with the payment of the required fees as prescribed in Schedule II of these Rules.
(b) A Burial Permit in the Catholic Cemetery could only be issued by the Parish Priest, Assistant Parish Priest or Permanent Deacon of the Parish of the deceased.

7. Categories of burial ground:
The following categories of burial ground are provided by the Catholic Cemeteries:
(a) Exhumable burial lot (extendable for one further term only):
This is a burial lot allocated for a fixed term of ten years which may be extended for one further term of six years, subject to the payment of an additional fee as prescribed in Schedule II of these Rules applicable at the time of application for the extension.
(b) Ossuary Niche:
Only one set of exhumed human remains is permitted to be deposited in an ossuary niche.
(c) Urn Niche:
Subject to clause 8, only one set of ashes is permitted to be deposited in an urn niche.
Remarks: From 1988 onwards, only “Exhumable Burial Lot (extendable for one further term only)” would be allocated for the burial of human remains. “Permanent Burial Lot” and “Permanent Urn Burial Lot” would no longer be allocated by the Diocese.

8. Co-burials:
(a) One subsequent co-burial of human remains, exhumed human remains or ashes after the first interment may be permitted in the permanent burial lot, permanent urn burial lot or urn niche as follows:
(i) Permanent Burial Lot: Co-burial of human remains or exhumed human remains or ashes is permitted. For co-burial of human remains (coffin burial), if the application is approved, the recognized representative must arrange for the human remains of the first interment to be exhumed, prior to the
co-burial, and reburied in the same grave.
(ii) Permanent Urn Burial Lot: Co-burial of exhumed human remains or ashes is permitted.
(iii) Urn Niche: Co-burial of ashes in urn is permitted. The urns should be placed in such a manner that one is placed in front of the other.
(b) Only the spouse, unmarried child or un-married brother or sister of the deceased first interred in the permanent burial lot, the permanent urn burial lot or the urn niche is permitted to be co-buried.
(c) The recognized representative applying for a co-burial should produce the original documents for proof of relationship between the two deceased and all the other documents required for burial as stipulated in these Rules.
(d) Upon the approval of the application, the recognized representative should also pay the required fees as prescribed in Schedule II of these Rules.