[¤¤¤å]HOLIDAYS OF OBLIGATION[Back to the top]
Catholics of Hong Kong are obliged to refrain from servile work and to hear Mass on the following days:
1. - All Sundays of the year;
2. - Christmas, 25th December.
PENITENTIAL DAYS[Back to the top]
The divine precept of conversion through penance and self-denial has an important role to play in the Christian life. Penance is above all a religious act which has as its aim love and surrender to God; without this aim penance becomes an act of mere formalism and pharisaism openly condemned by Jesus Christ.
The new Code of Canon Law states that:
(1) the days and times of penance in the whole Church are every Friday of the year and the whole season of Lent.
(2) abstinence is to be observed on each Friday of the year, unless a Solemnity (Special Feast) falls on this day. The law of abstinence binds all who are over the age of 14 years.
(3) Fast and abstinence are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday of each year. The law of fast binds all those who are over the age of 18 years and have not yet reached their 60th year.
Abstinence means the giving up of eating meat. Fasting permits the eating of one full meal. Two other meatless meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each one's needs; but, together, they should not equal a full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted; but liquids, including milk and fruit juices, are allowed.
By virtue of the powers conferred by the new Code, bishops have the authority to determine more precisely how the common observance of penance is to be carried out in their dioceses.
A. Cardinal John B. Wu has precribed that the faithful may be dispensed from abstinence on Fridays, on condition that on these days they perform special acts of charity or piety, such as making personal sacrifices in the matter of food, alcholic drink, smoking, or spending less time on amusements (eg. watching T.V., playing majong, etc.), or making a sacrifice of their free time in serving the poor, the sick, the elderly, the lonely and the needy.
In addition to this, during Lent, they are exhorted to make a special effort in the practice of works of piety, such as daily Mass, daily visits to the Blessed Sacrament or the Stations of the Cross.
B. As regards the Fast and Abstinence on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, the Cardinal John B. Wu has decided that the traditional fast and abstinence are to be kept on these two days. However, when Ash Wednesday coincides with the Lunar New Year's celebrations all are dispensed from fast and abstinence on that day. In this case one should decide for onself some other suitable forms of penance, or make a donation to the poor.
To make the penitential spirit reality in our daily lives, the Cardinal suggests that each one of us should choose some from of self-denial for the penitential days, and put it into practice faithfully.
Note: Pastors and parents should see to it that those not bound by the law of abstinence and fast are educated in an authentic sense of penance.
RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND EUCHARISTIC FAST
Church Law allows the faithful who have already received Holy Communion to receive it again on the same day at a Mass in which they participate.
It is most strongly recommended that the faithful receive Holy Communion during the eucharistic celebration itself. However, when they have a just cause for asking for it outside Mass, it should be administered to them. The liturgical rites should be followed.
Faithful who wish to receive Holy Communion must abstain from any food or beverages for at least one hour before its reception. Water and medicine may be taken at any time.
The elderly and the sick, as well as persons caring for them, may receive Holy Communion even though they have not observed the eucharistic fast.
All the faithful who have received First Holy Communion are bound to receive the Holy Eucharist at least once a year. (Before receiving First Holy Communion children should receive the Sacrament of Penance).
Those who are in danger or death from any cause should be strengthened by the reception of the Eucharist as Viaticum. Whenever a person becomes seriously ill, it is the duty of the family to inform the parish priest in good time so that the sick person may receive the Sacraments while fully conscious.
METHOD OF RECEIVING HOLY COMMUNION[Back to the top]
In our diocese all faithful are allowed to receive Holy Communion either according to the traditional method or in the hand.
The faithful themselves may take the host directly from paten or ciborium - in this case the priest or deacon standing nearby says: "The Body of Christ," to which the communicant responds "Amen."
When the Communion is distributed under both kinds, it is never permitted to place in the hands of the communicant hosts which have first been placed in the Blood of the Lord.
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS[Back to the top]
On certain days of the year the collection taken up at all public Masses in parish churches and chapels is to be assigned as follows:
(a) third Sunday of January - Peter's Pence;
(b) Good Friday - Holy Land;
(c) the fourth Sunday of Easter, Vocation Sunday - Diocesan Seminary;
(d) Mission Sunday - Pontifical Work for the Propagation of the Faith.
GUIDELINES FOR CATHOLICS INTENDING MARRIAGE[Back to the top]
Every marriage is a lifelong covenant of love and fidelity. If both parties are baptised, marriage is also a sacrament. The Church and the State have vital interest in marriage, since marriage by its very nature has an ecclesiastical and social dimension; therefore both authorities lay down certain conditions on which their recognition of a marriage depends.
I. Civil Law Requirements:
1. The marriage is to take place in a licensed church (see Part III).
2. In ordinary cases the parties are to obtain beforehand a marriage licence (Certificate of Registrar of Marriages) from a Marriage Registry.
3. The giving of notice at the Marriage Registry must be made by one or both parties to the proposed marriage attending personally at the Marriage Registry with their identity cards or passports or some other identifying documents.
Ample notice of the intended marriage should be given at a Marriage Registry. The marriage licence may be obtained 17 days after the giving of notice. If the marriage does not take place within 3 months of the date on which the notice was given, a new licence must be obtained.
4. Persons over 16 and under 21 years of age who intend to marry must produce to the Registrar the written consent of their father, or, if he is dead or non compos mentis, of their mother, or, if both are dead or non compos mentis, of their lawful guardian.
II. Church Law Requirements:
1. Notice should be given at the Church of the wedding as early as possible, but in any case at least 6 months before the proposed wedding date.
2. The proximate preparation for marriage consists of three steps-
(1) Registration with the church of the wedding:
a) This involves choosing the place and date of the wedding and filling out a preliminary form on the personal data and free status of the parties.
b) The parties shall be reminded by the church office by way of a written statement that if they make false declarations about their free status and this is discovered prior to their wedding, then the wedding may not take place, and the church concerned shall not bear any responsibility whatsoever, even if in the meantime other preparations have been made for the wedding.
c) When a marriage is to be celebrated outside this Diocese, documents must pass through the Chancery for "certification."
d) When a Catholic is coming to Hong Kong in order to marry, he must at least produce a recent baptismal certificate issued "for marriage purposes" and duly authenticated by the Chancery Office of his diocese of origin. In case of a non-Catholic, he/she shall produce adequate documentation to prove his/her freedom to marry.
e) When both parties come to Hong Kong to marry, they must present to the parish priest of the parish where they intend to marry the completed prenuptial inquiries, made by the parish priest of one of them or of the Catholic party in a mixed marriaged, along with all the other documents normally required.
These documents must be duly authenticated by the Chancery Office of the diocese in which they were issued. Before proceeding with the marriage the parish priest must present these documents to the Hong Kong Chancery Office and obtain a written nihil obstat.
f) The proposed wedding date shall be confirmed only when the pre-marriage inquiry has been duly conducted and a baptismal certificate issued within six months, a license of the Marriage Registry, and other necessary documents have been submitted to the church office.
(2) Participation in one of the available Pre-Marriage Formation Programmes:
a) As a general rule, this is also required in the case of validations involving relatively young couples whose civil marriage took place not too long ago, and for those who seek to enter a second marriage after the canonical annulment or dissolution of a previous marriage.
b) If the parties have justifying reasons for not being able to attend a pre-marriage formation programme, then the priest in charge of the pre-marriage inquiry should try to make a special arrangement for them to attend some form of counselling session through some competent persons, and if this is not possible either, the parties should at least be strongly exhorted to attend a formation programme soon after marriage.
(3) Pre-Marriage inquiry conducted by a priest:
The inquiry may take place either before or after the pre-marriage formation programme.
The priest responsible for the pre-marriage inquiry is the proper pastor of a Catholic party (or of one of the Catholic parties), i.e., the parish priest of his/her domicile, or the chaplain in charge of his/her community (as in the case of an ethnic group) or an assistant priest delegated by them.
In exceptional cases, with the permission of the Catholic party's proper pastor, another priest may be delegated to conduct the pre-marriage inquiry, provided there are justifying pastoral reasons.
A Catholic who has a close link (through regular Sunday Mass attendance, joining a lay association, etc.) with a parish which is not his/her proper parish, may also ask the parish priest of that parish to conduct his/her pre-marriage inquiry.
3. The Church holds that the right to marry is an important natural right. However, it is not an unrestricted one. The following are some serious grounds that warrant the delay of a marriage:
a) Refusal of the couple to take part in the process of preparation for marriage without justifying reasons.
b) Non-practice of the Catholic faith by the Catholic party (parties) with no intention of returning to the practice of the faith.
c) Refusal by either or both parties to have the children baptized and brought up as Catholics.
d) Denial of the essential elements or properties of marriage (e.g. the indissolubility of marriage).
e) Serious immaturity on the part of either or both parties.
f) Either or both parties not entering marriage freely (e.g. due to pre-marital pregnancy, family pressures, etc.).
If a major obstacle to marriage is discovered, the priest will make the decision if there is to be a delay of the wedding after a prudent evaluation and due consultation with the Chancery Office.
If the wedding is delayed, the parties have the right to appeal the decision to the Bishop.
In the event that the marriage is delayed by the decision of the priest, every effort will be made by the priest to help the parties overcome the specific circumstances that made the delay advisable.
A priest may not proceed with a marriage delayed by another priest without the approval of the Bishop.
4. Mixed marriages, are to be discouraged. However, they may be contracted under certain conditions which are to be clearly explained to the parites concerned by the priests concerned. A permission from the parish priest of the Catholic party (or from the parish priest of the church where the marriage will take place) is required for a Catholic who wishes to marry a baptised non-Catholic. A dispensation from the impedement of disparity of cult is required if he/she wishes to marry a non-baptised person.
5. Every marriage of which at least one of the parties is a Catholic ordinarily is to take place:
(a) before a priest or deacon; and
(b) in the presence of two witnesses.
In special case the Bishop may grant dispensation from the above Canonical Form.
6. Before contracting marriage, Catholic are earnestly recommended to receive the Sacrament of Penance and Holy Communion. Those who have not yet received the Sacrament of Confirmation should receive it if they can do so without grave inconvenience.
III. Catholic Churches Licensed For Marriage HONG KONG KOWLOONÊ NEW TERRITORIES
The Catholic churches licensed for the celebration of marriage, according to the regulations of the Hong Kong Government, are:
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (16, Caine Road, Mid-levels)
Holy Cross Church (Holy Cross Path, Sai Wan Ho, Shaukiwan)
Our Lady of Fatima Church (1, Church Road, Tung Wan, Cheung Chau)
Our Lady of Lourdes Church (1, Chi Fu Close, Pokfulam)
Our Lady of the Rosary Church (25, Pokfield Road, Kennedy Town)
Star of the Sea Church (200, Chai Wan Road, Chaiwan)
St. Anne's Church (1, Tung Tao Wan Road, Stanley)
St. Anthony's Church (69A, Pokfulam Road, West Point)
St. Joseph's Church (37, Garden Road)
St. Jude's Church (30, Kin Wah Street, North Point)
St. Margaret's Church (2A, Broadwood Road, Happy Valley)
St. Peter's Church (220, Aberdeen Main Road, Aberdeen)
Mother of Good Counsel Church (5, Choi Hung Road, San Po Kong)
Our Lady of China Church (148, Tai Kok Tsui Road)
Resurrection Church (100, Tsui Ping Road, Kwun Tong)
Rosary Church (125, Chatham Road South, Tsimshatsui)
St. Bonaventure Church (89, Po Kong Village Road, Tsz Wan Shan)
St. Francis of Assisi Church (58, Shek Kip Mei Street, Shamshuipo)
St. James' Church (8, Ka Wing Street, Yau Tong)
St. Joseph's Church (57, Kwun Tong Road, Kwun Tong)
St. Lawrence's Church (9, Kwong Li Road, Lei Cheng Uk Estate)
St. Mary's Church (5, Dyer Avenue, Hunghom)
St. Peter's Church - Mariners' Club (11, Middle Road, Tsimshatsui)
St. Teresa's Church (258, Prince Edward Road)
Annunciation Church (11, On Yin Street, Chai Wan Kok, Tsuen Wan)
Holy Redeemer Church (2, Heung Sze Wui Road, Tuen Mun)
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (10, Wan Tau Street, Taipo)
Mother of Christ Church (11, Po Ping Road, Sheung Shui)
Sacred Heart Church (Lot 1762, DD221, Saikung)
SS. Cosmas and Damian Church (37-41, Tak Wah St., Tsuen Wan)
SS. Peter and Paul Church (201, Castle Peak Rd., Ping Shan, Yuen Long)
St. Alfred's Church (19-21, Man Lai Road, Shatin)
St. Benedict Church (7, Kong Pui Street, Shatin Wai, Shatin)
St. Francis Church (11, Hang Kwong Street, Ma On Shan)
St. Joseph's Church (5, Wo Tai Street, Luen Wo Market, Fanling)
St. Stephen's Church (14, Wing Fong Road, Ha Kwai Chung)
St. Thomas the Apostle Church (5, Tsing Luk Street, Tsing Yi)
MASS OFFERINGS[Back to the top]
By order of Cardinal John B. Wu, all previous varieties of Mass offerings are abrogated.
Starting from 1st October 1991:
1. the offering for the celebration of Mass for a specific intention shall be H.K.$30.00 (minimum);
2. the offering for the celebration of a set of Gregorian Masses (30) shall be H.K.$2000.00.
N.B. Whenever singing or extra flowers are requested on the occasion of a marriage, funeral or other celebration, the person concerned may make the necessary arrangements directly with the choir and florist, or he may have these arrangements made by the parish and defray the cost.
Any person, whether cleric, religious or lay, wishing to collect money for any pious purpose or to solicit funds for a Catholic institution (church, hospital, school, etc.) has to obtain the written permission of the Bishop.
This refers to all means of collecting money such a bazaars, raffles, gala premieres, door-to-door calls, walk-athons, special sales.
The faithful are hereby warned that donations for any pious or ecclesiastical institution or purpose can be solicited only by persons duly authorized, as stated above.
To avoid abuses and to ensure the proper coordination of fund-raising activities in the diocese, the written permission of the Bishop is to be requested well in advance, each time these activities are to be carried out.
This permission is to be obtained before any approach is made to the relevant civil authorities.
INFANT BAPTISM[Back to the top]
1. Obligation of Infant Baptism
"Baptism, the gateway to the sacraments, is necessary for salvation, either by actual reception or at least by desire. By it people are freed from sins, are born again as children of God and, made like to Christ by an indelible character, are incorporated into the Church" (can. 849). As far as infant baptism is concerned, the new Code states the following:
(a) in ordinary circumstances -"Parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptised within the first few weeks" (can. 867, par. 1);
(b) in danger of death - an infant is to be baptised without delay (can. 867, par. 2); the same rule applies to those who habitually lack the use of reason, because they are regarded as infants (can. 99). Infants of non-Catholic parents may be baptised in danger of death even if the parents are opposed to it (can. 868, par. 2), but in this case prudence must be exercised.
2. Infant Baptism - no violation of the child's freedom
In recent years some people have objected that baptising infants is an obstacle to their freedom. They say it is contrary to the dignity of children as persons to impose on them future religious obligations that they may perhaps later reject. In this view, they insist, it would be better to confer the sacrament only at an age when free commitment has become possible; until then parents and teachers should restrain themselves and avoid exercising any pressure.
Rejecting this view, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, in the "Instruction on Infant Baptism" which it issued on 20 October, 1980, pointed out that "there is no such thing as pure human freedom, immune from being influenced in any way. Even on the natural level, parents make choices for their child that are essential for its life and for its orientation towards true values. A so-called neutral attitude on the part of the family with regard to the child's religious life would in fact be a negative choice that would deprive the child of an essential good" (n. 22).
3. Pastoral Directives
Since the well-being of an infant's future Christian life is closely related to the parent's life of faith, the Church will not entrust parents' with the task of nurturing an infant's faith if they themselves do not practise the faith.
The above Instruction declares: "Assurances must be given that the gift granted (by baptism) can grow by an authentic education in the faith and Christian life, in order to fulfil the true meaning of the sacrament. As a rule, these assurances are to be given by the parents or close relatives, although various substitutions are possible within the Christian community. But if these assurances are not really serious there can be grounds for delaying the sacrament; and if they are certainly non-existent the sacrament should be refused" (n. 28, 2).
Indications that these assurances are existent are regular attendance at Sunday Mass, devout reception of sacraments, prayers, Scripture readings, acts of charity, etc.
On the other hand, when parents ask to have their child baptised simply for worldly or superstitious motives (e.g., for admittance to a Catholic school, to obtain corporal blessings, or to be saved from misfortune), baptism should be refused or delayed until, through catechetical instruction, they can grasp the real significance of baptism.
Similarly, when Catholics who are married civilly only ask for baptism of their children, the sacrament should also be refused or delayed unless, meanwhile, they make a sincere promise to have their marriage regularized and return to Church life. In any case, whenever baptism has to be deferred or refused, it must be made absolutely clear that this is being done not as a means of exercising pressure on the parents, but simply because, in the circumstances, the probability of the child being educated and brought up as Catholic is absent.
4. Practical Guidelines
(a) Parents rather than other relatives should apply for their infant's baptism, thus showing their awareness that responsibility for the baptism of their children rests primarily on them;
(b) when selecting god-parents, parents should take into consideration the person's spiritual maturity and his relationship with the child;
(c) as a rule and unless a just reason suggests otherwise, parents should have the child baptised in their own proper parish (cf. can. 857, par. 2)
(d) parents and god-parents, whenever possible, should attend the instruction course arranged for them by the parish in order to fully understand the meaning of infant baptism and their responsibility;
(e) infant baptism should normally be administered after the parents have obtained their child's birth certificate. This is to avoid possible discrepancies in spelling of names, dates, etc;
(f) since infant baptism is a sacrament which admits one into the Church and is an occasion of joy for the Christian community, it should normally be administered at a communual Baptismal Service. This service should be held, as far as possible, on Sunday, when the Church commemorates the Lord's resurrection; sometimes infant baptism may be celebrated even during Sunday Mass, but this should not be done too frequently.
N.B. Whenever an infant is baptised in danger of death,either in an institution or at home, the person who administered the sacrament must notify the parish priest in whose parish the baptism took place.
RULES OF THE CATHOLIC CEMETERIES[Back to the top]
WHAT TO DO WHEN A CATHOLIC DIES?
Inform promptly the parish priest of the domicile of the deceased.
Death Registries:
A. If the deceased died naturally and had been attended by a registered doctor, must
be registered within 24 hours at the register office for the district in which it occurred.
1. Documents required if the dead body is to be buried: -
(i) The registered medical practitioner who attended the deceased during his last illness signs a Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (Form 18).
(ii) The informant should take his identity card, the identity card of the deceased and the Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (Form 18) to any death register offices to obtain:
a. Certificate of Registration of Death (Form 12);
b. Burial permit i.e. Certificate of Registration of Death (Form 10).
2. Documents required if the body is to be cremated: -
(i) Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (Form 18) and Medical Certificate (Cremation)
(Form 2).
(ii) The informant should take his identity card, the identity card of the deceased, the Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death (Form 18) and the Medical Certificate (Cremation) (Form 2) to any death register offices to obtain:
a. Certificate of Registration of Death (Form 12);
b. Cremation Permit (M.D. Form 3);
c. Evidence of a booking for cremation at a Government crematorium from the Cemeteries and Crematoria Offices.
B. Sudden, accidental or suspicious death or death due to the effects of poison, violence, illegal operation, privation or neglect ;should be reported immediately to the police.
1. Documents required if the dead body is to be buried: -
(i) A burial or cremation order (Form 11).
2. Documents required if the body is to be cremated: -
(ii) A burial or cremation order (Form 11);
(ii) The informant should take his identity card, the identity card of the deceased, the Burial or Cremation order (Form 11) to any death register offices to obtain a cremation permit and a booking for cremation.
CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF HONG KONG RULES OF THE CATHOLIC CEMETERIES
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTORY
1. These Rules may be cited as the Catholic Cemeteries Rules.
2. In these Rules, unless the context otherwise requires -
"Diocese" means the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, legally known as "THE BISHOP OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN HONG KONG INC."
"Board" means the Diocesan Board of the Catholic Cemeteries and which is a policy making body for the Catholic Cemeteries. The members of this Board are appointed by the Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong.
"Superintendent" means the Superintendent of the Catholic Cemeteries in Hong Kong. He is appointed by the Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong to administer and to manage for and on his behalf all the Catholic Cemeteries.
"Relative" means the spouse, parent, parent-in-law, brother, sister, brother or sister-in-law, direct descendant (including their wives), or siblings of a dead person buried or deposited in the Catholic Cemeteries.
"Catholic Cemetery" means any cemetery, burial ground, ossuary or columbarium for the time being under the management and control of the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church in Hong Kong. (See Schedule I)
"Human Remains" means the dead body of a human being, but does not include ashes thereof after cremation.
"Permanent Burial Lot" means a burial space (area: 900mm X 2400mm) allocated for burial of human remains and which, under normal circumstances, and within the duration stated in the Government lease to the said Cemetery, needs not to be exhumed and relocated. The fees charged are for the use of the said lot and do not pass the ownership of the said lot to the human remains buried therein nor to his surviving relative. As soon as the set of human remains buried therein is exhumed and relocated, the right of use of the said lot is terminated and the said lot will revert to the Diocese for further allocation. The said lot is not transferable, saleable, leasable or to be reserved by the surviving relatives.
"Permanent Urn Burial Lot" means a burial space (area: 450mm X 1200mm) allocated for burial of exhumed human remains and which, under normal circumstances, and within the duration stated in the Government lease to the said Cemetery, needs not to be exhumed and relocated. The fees charged are for the use of the said lot and do not pass the ownership of the said lot to the human remains buried therein nor to his surviving relatives. As soon as the set of human remains buried therein is exhumed and relocated, the right of use of the said lot is terminated and the said lot will revert to the Diocese for further allocation. The said lot is not transferable, saleable, leasable or to be reserved by the surviving relatives.
"Exhumable Burial Lot" means a burial space for the burial of human remains which are to be exhumed and relocated after a prescribed period according to the provisions made in these Rules.
"Niche" means a specified space for the deposit of exhumed human remains or cremated human ashes. The deposited remains or ashes, under normal circumstances and within the duration stated in the Government lease to the Cemetery, need not to be removed. The fees charged are for the use of the said niche and do not pass the ownership of the said niche to the exhumed human remains or the cremated human ashes deposited therein nor to his surviving relatives. As soon as the exhumed human remains or the cremated human ashes deposited therein is relocated, the right of use to the said niche is terminated, and the said niche will revert to the Diocese for further allocation. The said niche is not transferable, saleable, leaseable or to be reserved by the surviving relatives.
3. Catholic Cemeteries are governed by the Board under these Rules and any other 0 for the time being in force issued by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and by the relevant government ordinances on Public Health and Private Cemeteries.
4. Catholic Cemeteries are reserved for the burial of Catholics in accordance with the provisions made by these Rules.
CHAPTER 2. INTERMENT
5. Eligibility:
(a) Only Catholic faithful may be
buried or deposited in a Catholic Cemetery.
(b) Catechumens who have received the Catholic Rite of Becoming Catechumens
may be buried or deposited in a Catholic Cemetery.
(c) A person who has not received any catechetical instruction and is baptized
at the moment of death or when unconscious may not be buried or deposited in
Catholic Cemetery.
(d) No person is permitted to be buried or deposited in a Catholic Cemetery
unless an official Burial Permit has first been obtained.
6. Requirements:
(a) Surviving relatives of the
deceased should first have received the relevant burial documents from Government
Registry and a Burial Permit from the Parish where the deceased had domicile
before they make reservations at the Cemetery Office for the date and time of
burial. Once the reservation is confirmed, they are to pay the required fees
as prescribed in Schedule II.
(b) A Burial Permit authorizing burial or deposit in a Catholic Cemetery may
be issued only by the Parish Priest, Assistant Parish Priests of the Parish
where the deceased had domicile, and by other persons duly authorized by the
Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong.
(c) The Cemetery Office staff will offer assistance in accordance with the provisions
of these Rules.
7. Categories of burial lots:
(a) Exhumable grave lot:
This is a grave lot which is allocated for an initial term of ten years and
which may be extended for one further term of six years only, subject to the
payment of an additional fees as prescribed in Schedule II applicable at the
time of applying for the extension.
At the expiry of ten years, if nobody comes forth to apply for an extension
or for the exhumation of the graves, the Superintendent may, upon the approval
of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, exhume the human remains in
these graves and place the exhumed remains in a designated depository.
(b) Ossuary niche:
The size of an ossuary niche is the same as that of a niche for cremated ashes.
Only one set of exhumed human remains is permitted to be interred in one niche.
(c) Urn niche:
Not more than two sets cremated ashes of human remains may be interred in an
urn niche and they are to be placed in such manner that one urn is placed in
front of the other.
Remarks: Started in the year 1988 only "Exhumable Lots" will be allocated for burial of human remains. No more "Permanent Burial Lots" and "Permanent Urn Burial Lot" will be allocated by the Diocese.
8. Co-burials:
While there is already one interment, permanent burial lots, urn burial lots
or niches may be allowed for one subsequent co-burial. This is for the co-burial
of the spouse, unmarried child or un-married brother or sister of the deceased
first interred in the grave or niche. Persons arranging a co-burial should produce
the official receipt of the lot/niche allocated to the deceased first interred,
documented proof of relationship between the two deceased and the other relevant
documents required for a burial as stipulated in these Rules.
CHAPTER 3. FEES
9. Fees chargeable for the use of grave lots, niches for exhumed remains and cremated ashes, co-burial and issuance of duplicate receipts etc. are to be paid in accordance with the provisions made by the Board at the relevant cemetery offices. A temporary receipt signed by the said Cemetery Supervisor is issued immediately upon receipt of the payment. An official receipt signed by the Superintendent will follow within a prescribed time and this is mailed directly to the recipient according to the postal address given at the time of making the payment. The official receipt is the only valid document of proof/evidence and must be kept in a safe place for all future referral.
10. Fees are charged in accordance with the "Table of Fees of the Catholic Cemeteries" prescribed in Schedule II.
Fees may be exempted partially or completely at the discretion of the Superintendent upon receipt of a written recommendation from the Parish Priest or the Assistant Parish Priest of the Parish in which the deceased had domicile.
11. The Diocesan Board of Catholic Cemeteries reserves the right to revise the Table of Fees if and when it is deemed necessary.
CHAPTER 4. BURIAL LOTS
12. Human remains must be buried in a coffin; exhumed human remains and cremated human ashes must be put in a suitable container prior to interment.
13. A coffin burial space shall have only an area of 900mm wide by 2400mm long. The standard space of an urn or ossuary niche is 300mm wide by 300mm high by 600mm deep.
14. It is prohibited to burn any paper articles or to place sacrificial offerings for the dead in a Catholic Cemetery in the customs of other religious beliefs, nor shall it be permitted to determine the direction of a grave by means of "Fung Shui" instruments and other superstitious practices.
15. The Diocese gives no warranty to the graves against landslip, collapse and damage of retaining walls, subsidence of land, natural disaster or civil commotion. The Diocese shall not be held liable for indemnification or compensation for the disturbance caused to any grave as a result of such events.
16. Within two years after the burial of the deceased, a gravestone should be erected and properly maintained over the grave. Otherwise, the said grave shall be deemed to be an abandoned grave. The Superintendent reserves the right to exhume the remains from an abandoned grave and to treat the remains in whatever way he considers appropriates.
17. Only one burial lot shall be allocated to one set of human remains, and only one set of encoffined human remains shall be interred in one burial lot.
18. No arrangement for pre-allocation or pre-subscription of burial lots or niches shall be permitted.
CHAPTER 5. ERECTION AND MAINTENANCE OF GRAVESTONES
19. Persons who intend to erect
gravestone for the deceased should first have received approval from the Superintendent
by producing to him either in person or by an appointed Contractor the following
documents:
(a) The original official receipt of the burial lot allocated to the deceased.
(b) The proposed design of the gravestone with complete information in respect
of the design, measurements, material to be used and the text to be engraved.
Work should not be commenced until formal approval has been received and the prescribed deposit has been paid by the Contractor.
Work should be completed within 60 working days from the date of the formal approval. If for any reason the said work is not completed within this prescribed period, the Contractor should apply for an extension of time from the Superintendent and pay an additional prescribed deposit. The deposit previously paid shall then be forfeited.
20. When erecting the gravestone,
the following measurements and criteria should be noted:
Coffin burial lots: The size of the platform slab shall not exceed 900mm in
width, 1800mm in length and the height measuring from ground to top of gravestone
shall not exceed 1500mm.
Urn burial lots: The size of the platform slab shall not exceed 600mm in width, 900mm in length and the height measuring from ground to top of gravestone shall not exceed 1200mm.
Design: A gravestone shall be so designed that no water can accumulate on it. The lot number assigned to the grave should be clearly engraved on a prominent surface for easy identification.
21. Gravestones, statues and other commemorative or decorative objects set up or placed in the Catholic Cemeteries are set up or placed at the sole risk of the owners of these objects. The Diocese shall not be held liable for the loss or damage of these objects due to burglary, vandalism, natural disaster, landslip, civil commotion or from any cause whatsoever.
22. For the purpose of identification, only the holder of the original official receipt for the burial lot allocated to the deceased shall be recognized as the legal trustee of the deceased. Only this person may apply to the Superintendent for any work to be carried out in the Cemetery for the deceased. These works include the erection and maintenance of a gravestone, exhumation and removal of human remains and arrangement of a co-burial etc.
In the unlikely event that the original official receipt of the burial lot allocated to the deceased is lost, the holder should first obtain an affidavit from Home Affairs Department. With this affidavit he may apply to the Superintendent for a Duplicate Copy of the said official receipt. Upon request, Staff of the Cemetery Office will offer the necessary information for the application of an affidavit.
Only until he has received a Duplicate Copy of the said official receipt, the applicant may not make arrangement for any work to be done for the deceased in the cemetery.
CHAPTER 6. EXHUMATION AND RELOCATION
23. Exhumed human remains or cremated human ashes which are buried or deposited in a Catholic Cemetery may be relocated by a trustee who should make an application at the relevant Catholic Cemetery Office by producing the original official receipt for the burial lot allocated to the deceased.
24. No person may exhume or relocate any human remains or human ashes in a Catholic Cemetery without first having obtained a written consent of the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene and the Superintendent of the Catholic Cemeteries.
25. On the expiry date of the exhumable burial lots, the human remains buried therein shall be exhumed. If nobody attends to the exhumation, the Superintendent may disinter and remove the human remains if:
i. the Superintendent's intention
to disinter has been published in all the parish churches in Hong Kong, in the
Cathedral church of Macao, in the Diocesan News Weekly and in not less than
5 local newspapers; and
ii. 6 months has elapsed from the date of such publication;
iii. the consent of the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene has been
obtained.
And to relocate them to a depository in the Catholic Cemetery without giving further notice. A storage fee and an exhumation fee shall be charged to the trustees who, at a later date, may come forth to claim these exhumed human remains.
26. After exhumation or relocation of the human remains, the lots, whether permanent or exhumable, and niches so left vacant shall revert to the Diocese for further allocation. Nobody shall have any right to transfer, resell, or to let the said lot or niche to other parties, and to demand for compensation of any form whatsoever from the Diocese for the reversion of the said lot or niche.
27. In the case a burial lot is seriously damaged, collapsed, and unattended for a long period of time and is deemed to have become an abandoned grave, the Superintendent shall first notify the surviving relatives of the deceased at the last known address registered at the Cemetery Office. If no reply or notification of action is received, the Superintendent may, with the written consent of the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, authorize the human remains in this lot to be exhumed and stored in a depository of the Catholic Cemetery. The said burial lot will then revert to the Diocese for further allocation.
CHAPTER 7. MANAGEMNT
28. Catholic Cemeteries are administered in accordance with the Rules drawn up by the Board of the Catholic Cemeteries and are managed by the Superintendent appointed by the Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong.
29. Cemetery staff and workers are employees of the Diocese and are not permitted to solicit or receive commissions, profits or material benefits of any kind. They are not permitted to sell any service, article or object or to conduct any business or trade of their own. Offenders are subject to disciplinary action or immediate dismissal by the supervisor.
30. No person shall, in any Catholic Cemetery, post, affix, or distribute any handbill, card, circular or advertisement of any kind whatsoever, or willfully disturb or interfere with a funeral service or hold, promote or take part in any meeting other than a meeting of a religious or commemorative nature relating to the death of a person whose human remains have been buried or otherwise disposed of in the Cemetery.
31. No person shall dig privately any grave or carry out any work in a Catholic Cemetery without the permission of the Cemetery Office and that of the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene.
32. Gambling, drug taking, drug trafficking vandalism or any other act of civil or criminal offences is strictly forbidden in the Catholic Cemeteries.
33. Cemetery employees are authorized to stop any person contravening the aforecaptioned No.30, 31 and 32 and to report to the police for action. Cemetery employees incurring these contraventions are subject to disciplinary action or immediate dismissal.
34. Any person causing damage, defacement, soiling or defilement for any reasons, whether willfully or otherwise, in a Catholic Cemetery shall be held liable to make good and to indemnify all the damages.
35. Should there be any employee of the Catholic Cemetery who is insinuating, exacting or soliciting for material benefits of any kind out of any motive or purpose, this should be reported immediately to the Superintendent and to the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
36. Any complaint whatsoever should be either sent in writing with true name, correspondence address and telephone number or conveyed in person to the Superintendent of the Catholic Cemeteries whose office is as follows:
The Superintendent,
Catholic Cemeteries,
c/o St. Raphael's Cemetery,
Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon.
Tel No.: (852) 2745-4220 ÊÊÊÊFax No.: (852) 2307-2585
CHAPTER 8. GRAVESTONE CONTRACTORS
37. A gravestone contractor who is appointed to erect gravestones should apply to the Superintendent for a permit to work on this burial lot in the Cemetery. He should produce the original official receipt of the burial lot allocated to the deceased and two copies of the detail design of the proposed gravestone for approval. After having received the approval and paid the prescribed fees, the contractor will be issued a work permit. No work shall commence until the contractor has received the permit.
38. The contractor should follow strictly the provisions of the Cemetery Rules and take particular note of the following:
(a) No work should be carried out unless all aforementioned procedures have been completed.Transgressors shall be liable to prosecution, and the said contractor shall be banned from conducting any further work or business in the Catholic Cemeteries.
39. During the construction period, the approved designs should be posted up at the work site at a prominent place.
40. If the contractor causes any direct or indirect damage to the Catholic Cemetery, or if he is forced to dismantle or to demolish a gravestone constructed by him because of non compliance with the contract or with the designs, or upon completing the work he has not cleared away the debris left behind, and in all these cases, the Superintendent reserves the right to forfeit the deposit so far received from the said contractor and to demand the said contractor to indemnify the Diocese and to keep the Diocese indemnified until the whole incidence is settled.
41. The contractor should carry out the work in accordance with the specifications of the approved design. Should any jerry-building performance is discovered, the Superintendent reserves the right to exclude the said contractor from further carrying out work and business in the Catholic Cemeteries.
42. The validity period of the permit to carry out work in a Catholic Cemetery is sixty days. If for any reason the work cannot be completed within this period, the contractor has to apply for an extension of the permit. (Refer to No.19). At the completion of the work, the contractor should notify the Cemetery Supervisor and the contracting party to inspect the work. If the work is considered to be completed to the satisfaction of the Superintendent or his representative, and to that of the contacting party, and without prejudice to the provisions made in No.19, the contractor may apply for a refund of the deposit from the Cemetery Office by producing the original deposit receipt for cancellation.
CHAPTER 9. GENERAL
43. These Rules are compiled by the Board of Catholic Cemeteries and are approved and promulgated by the Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong.
44. These Rules are in accordance with the relevant government ordinances governing Private Cemeteries and which are for the time being in force in Hong Kong. Should any of these Rules are in contravention of those provided by the relevant government ordinances, the relevant government ordinances shall prevail.
45. These Rules are subject to addition, deletion and amendment by the Board of Catholic Cemeteries as from time to time it is deemed appropriate and necessary.
Revised by the Diocesan Board of Catholic Cemeteries in October 2000. Approved by the Food And Environmental Hygiene Department of Hong Kong Government and with effect from the 1st December 2000.
|
SCHEDULE I. |
LIST
OF CATHOLIC CEMETERIES
|
|
|
St. Raphael's Catholic Cemetery |
Holy
Cross Catholic Cemetery Cape Collinson, Chai Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: 2557-4213 |
Saikung Catholic Cemetery |
|
St. Michael's Catholic Cemetery |
Cheung Chau Catholic Cemetery Cheung Chau, Hong Kong. (Our Lady of Fatima Church) Tel: 2981-0031/2 |
Ê |
Ê
|
SCHEDULE II. |
CATHOLIC
DIOCESE OF HONG KONG
TABLE OF FEES OF THE CATHOLIC CEMETERIES |
|||
|
Scale
(HK$)
|
||||
|
1. Exhumable Lot (same charge for adult and child) |
$15,500.00
|
|||
|
(for an initial term of 10 years extendible for one further and final term of 6 years. Cf. "Rules of the Catholic Cemeteries" [1988], n. 11.) |
||||
|
2. Extension (Cf. ibid.) |
||||
|
(a) Fee applicable will be determined annually by the Diocesan Board of Catholic Cemeteries: |
||||
|
(b) For the year 1991, the fee is: |
$5,500.000
|
|||
|
(c) No pre-arrangement for extension is entertained. (Cf. ibid., n. 18) |
||||
|
3. (a) Niche at the Ossarium/Columbarium in |
$3,300.00
|
|||
|
(b) This includes one niche space, sealing slab, photograph, inscription of name, Christian name, date of birth and death of the deceased. |
||||
|
4.?Co-burial (for existing Permanent Lots - for the 2nd burial) |
||||
|
(a) each coffin burial |
$7,700.00
|
|||
|
(b) each urn burial or re-burial |
$3,900.00
|
|||
|
(c) each Co-interment at Ossarium (This includes sealing slab, photograph, inscription of name, Christian name, date of birth and death of the deceased.) |
$2,300.00
|
|||
|
5. Exhumation of human remains including digging, cleaning and paving of grave (This fee is not refundable even when, upon digging, the human remains are discovered to be still unsuitable for exhumation.) (Cf. Item 6 below) |
||||
|
(a) 7 years Exhumable Lot |
$1,900.00
|
|||
|
(b) Permanent Lot and 10 years Exhumable Lot |
$4,700.00
|
|||
|
(c) Urn Lot |
$3,200.00
|
|||
|
6. Exportation of human remains or ashes from the cemetery (If exported from Ossarium the work of breaking down and cleaning of the sealing slab is included) |
$480.00
|
|||
|
7. Cement paving of grave Lot |
$1,600.00
|
|||
|
8. Custody fee for exhumed human remains (For one year or part thereof) |
$550.00
|
|||
(Approved by the Hong Kong Government Food And Environmental Hygiene Department and with effect from 9th March 2001.)
Ê
|
CATHOLIC
DIOCESE OF HONG KONG |
|
|
Scale (HK$)
|
|
|
1. Removing of existing grave digging and cleaning (Permanent Lots and 10-year Exhumable Lots) (A special fee will be separately determined for a specially constructed grave, or for a request to retain the old gravestone) |
$5,000.00
|
|
2. Removing of existing grave digging and cleaning (Urn Lots) |
$3,500.00
|
| 3. Licence fee for contractor carrying out construction, repair and maintenance work in the Catholic Cemeteries (for each grave) |
$200.00
|
| 4. Contractor's deposit (for each grave) |
$2,000.00
|
| (As soon as the approval of the Superintendent for the construction, repair, or maintenance work of the grave lot in question is granted, the contractor is required to lodge this deposit. An official licence will be issued and will be valid for a period of 60 days from the date of issuance. Upon completion of the work, which should be made to the satisfaction of the employer and of the Superintendent, this amount of the deposit will be reimbursed to the contractor. The Superintendent, however, reserves the right to retain all or part of the said Deposit Fee to carry out any required work if in his judgment it is determined that the said contractor has not fulfilled the terms and conditions in accordance with the licence. | |
*The superintendent may waive or reduce any of the aforementioned fees chargeable if it is recommended by the parish priest that the applicant is financially handicapped.
|
CATHOLIC DIOCESE
OF HONG KONG
TABLE OF MISCELLANEOUS FEES OF THE CATHOLIC CEMETERIES |
|
|
Scale (HK$)
|
|
| 1. Marble box for exhumed human remain |
$630.00
|
| 2. Marble Urn for cremated human remain |
$380.00
|
| 3. Marble flower-vase |
$120.00
|
| 4. Certified of record copy |
$80.00
|
(Revised by the Diocesan Board of Catholic Cemeteries in July 2000, with effect from 9th March 2001.)