As Christians, the body of the deceased supports our belief that we are destined for future glory at the resurrection of the dead. Therefore "the Church clearly prefers and urges that the body of the deceased be present for its funeral rites… Thus, the Roman Catholic Church's reverence and care for the body grows out of reverence and concerns for the person whom the Church now commends to the care of God. The longstanding practice of burying the body of the deceased in a grave or tomb continues to be encouraged as a sign of Christian faith."