Funeral associations and burial issues
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
S wants the motions on burial fees, church funeral homes, and the sharing of ashes to be dismissed 1. S considers that the burial fee is functioning well as it is based on actual costs and is charged proportionally to income 1. S argues that the church should be allowed to operate its own funeral homes as there are no compelling reasons to prohibit it and that the church meeting has already made a decision on this 1. S considers that the possibility to share ashes already exists in current legislation 1. M also wants the motions to be dismissed 2. M argues that a ban on the church's funeral homes may conflict with the freedom of trade 2.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Per-Arne Håkansson (S)
Madam Speaker! It has now been over 23 years since the Church of Sweden ceased to be the state church. It was on January 1, 2000, that it was formally implemented.
Funeral associations and funeral matters
But through the Act on the Church of Sweden, however, strong ties still remain between society and the church. A tradition over 500 years old and activities closely associated with society leave their mark on the relationship and will continue to do so in the future as well.
The Church of Sweden shall be an open people's church, democratically structured and with independent parishes and pastorates. It can be likened, if one wishes, to the local self-government in other parts of society.
In times of crisis and anxiety, the church's role in social life perhaps becomes particularly palpable. It can be about upheaval crises that affect thousands of people in a locality or in society at large. But it can also be about a crisis-like situation for one or a couple of individuals. Death and burial is such an occasion that each and every one of us is affected by. These are tasks where respect, dignity, accessibility, and security are of great importance to consider and safeguard.
The Committee on the Constitution's report 22, which is presented here in the chamber today, deals with issues within this area. The report also deals with three motions from the general motion period. They include questions regarding the burial fee, the burial operations, and the sharing of ashes during burial.
I would like to move for approval of the committee's unanimous proposal and thereby rejection of the motion proposals.
Madam Speaker! I nevertheless wish to account for some of the reasoning regarding the motion's processing. In one motion, it is proposed that the funeral fee should be changed so that it becomes part of the publicly decided tax levy. Similar motions have been processed earlier by the committee, most recently in 2019, and we did not then find grounds to ordain a change of the funeral fee. The circumstances have, as we see it, not changed since then, and we therefore maintain this view.
Apart from the municipalities of Stockholm and Tranås, it is the Church of Sweden that is the primary authority for funerals in Sweden. The collective experience and knowledge that exists within this area, both in churches and in cemetery administrations, is to be considered a great asset.
The funeral fee is determined, as appears from the report, on the basis of the actual funeral costs and is collected in the same manner as the municipal tax, that is, in proportion to the taxable income. The principal for funerals where the deceased was registered in the population register shall, at no cost to the estate, provide a grave site or equivalent at a public cemetery for a period of 25 years.
There is a broad consensus and a well-functioning organization regarding this order. For that reason, it is proposed that the motion be dismissed.
Madam Speaker! Another issue that from time to time has been debated and also received a considerable amount of space in the debate is whether the Church of Sweden should have the right to operate its own funeral homes. In a motion, criticism is expressed regarding this arrangement and it is proposed that an inquiry be appointed to examine whether specifically ecclesiastical funeral homes would distort competition in relation to other funeral homes. This is an issue that on several occasions has also been discussed at the Church Assembly and the Bishops' Conference.
The Church Assembly is the Church of Sweden's highest decision-making parliamentary body, and the discussion was prompted by an in-depth investigation and analysis work presented to the Church Assembly in October 2022. The renewed review that the Church Assembly had conducted showed that there are no longer any overriding reasons not to allow parishes to conduct commercial activities in the form of funeral homes and that it should therefore be permitted through an explicit regulation in the Church Order. The amendment has entered into force, and the new order applies from the most recent turn of the year.
An argument put forward in the discussions was the question of sanctions, as for some there are no such sanctions for the church to resort to in this context. Furthermore, it is entirely based on democratic decisions in both the church assembly and every parish. The local and popular anchoring is a decisive factor in this case. It can also be seen as a regional policy issue, as the church may be the only activity in the local community in some parts of the country, which should also be considered in this context.
I do not see it as a particularly viable path for us here in the Riksdag to review the church council's position in this matter. On the other hand, there is of course reason to follow up on the decision, and in this work, continued dialogue between the church and social life will be of great importance.
Madam Speaker! Finally, I shall say a few words regarding the motion to amend the Funeral Ordinance to facilitate the possibility of sharing the ashes of a deceased person. According to current legislation, remains or ashes may only be interred at a public or private cemetery. The Government may, however, issue regulations regarding the possibility of disposing of the ashes in another way, and decisions in such cases are issued by the County Administrative Board.
The legislation already includes that permission for the sharing of ashes may be granted if there are special reasons for it, for example if a part of the ashes is to be interred abroad, and if it is obvious that the ashes - this is emphasized - will be handled in a respectful manner. Based on the fact that the possibility for this already exists, the committee refers to a previous position in the matter and is therefore not prepared to support an initiative for change.
Lars Johnsson (M)
Madam Speaker! The report we are considering concerns three individual motions relating to funeral issues. A unanimous Committee on the Constitution proposes that all motions be rejected. In my speech, I will very briefly touch upon the three issues raised in the motions.
In a motion, a reform of the funeral fee is proposed, partly with reference to that the current system would be cost-driving and non-transparent. Today's system means that everyone who is registered as a resident in Sweden pays a funeral fee. The territorial parishes of the Church of Sweden have the state's mandate to conduct funeral activities in all municipalities except in Stockholm and Tranås, where it is instead the municipalities that are responsible for the funeral activities.
Since 2016, an arrangement has been in place where the funeral fee rate is uniform for all funeral activities conducted within the Church of Sweden. The fee is determined based on the actual funeral costs, and the fee is collected in the same way as the municipal tax, i.e., in proportion to the municipally taxable income.
The Swedish Church's funeral activities are audited by funeral representatives appointed by the county administrative boards. The funeral representatives investigate, among other things, how funerals function for those who do not belong to the Swedish Church, but they also verify that the funeral fee is used for its intended purpose.
A unanimous Committee on the Constitution sees no reason to initiate an investigation into reforming the funeral fee and therefore proposes a rejection of the motion.
Madam Speaker! In another motion, it is proposed that an investigation should be appointed on whether the Church of Sweden should be allowed to operate its own funeral homes. It can be stated that the Church of Sweden is now separated from the state and constitutes its own legal entity. To forbid the Church of Sweden from conducting a certain activity would likely conflict with the provision on freedom of trade in the Instrument of Government. The Committee on the Constitution finds no reason to support the motion.
Funeral associations and funeral matters
Finally, Madam Speaker, the committee report deals with a motion regarding an amendment to the Burial Ordinance to facilitate the sharing of ashes from a deceased person. It can be noted that even today, under certain conditions and after permission from the County Administrative Board, there is a possibility to share the ashes of a deceased person at burial in more than one grave. The committee also sees no reason in this matter to investigate the issue further.
Thus, Madam Speaker, I wish to vote in favor of the committee's proposal for a decision.
The deliberation was hereby concluded.
(Decisions were made under § 21.)
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.