Should a Catholic refuse to attend a cremation?
Robert Sungenis advises telling the family plainly beforehand that your Church is against cremation and that you cannot attend, rather than simply staying away without explanation. He holds that silence can look insulting even when it is not meant that way, and says to go to them personally and stand up for your faith.
A viewer asks whether a Catholic should refuse to attend a cremation, describing being accused of dishonoring the deceased for not attending.
Answer
You are going to have to make it known to the people. Tell them, look, my Church is against cremation, I love your husband or wife, but I just do not agree with this, so I cannot come. I would definitely announce it beforehand rather than simply deciding not to attend and not telling them, because that can appear insulting even when you do not mean it that way. So go to them personally, tell them, and stick up for your faith. In the case you describe, you should have gone and talked to them first; this is death, and worldly people do not understand it, so next time you will know what to do.