State funeral board: Monks who sell caskets risk fines, prison time
August 13, 2010
Citing a state law that threatens violators with major fines and imprisonment, the Louisiana Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors has ordered the Benedictine monks of St. Joseph Abbey to stop selling funeral caskets without a license. The monks, whose caskets are $250 cheaper than average, refuse to seek a license because the law would require them to convert the abbey into a funeral home with embalming equipment. On August 12, the monks filed suit in federal court to strike down the law.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
- St. Joseph Abbey's monks battle state funeral industry regulators for right to sell caskets (New Orleans Times-Picayune)
- Saint Joseph Abbey
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: Lilacs2me -
Aug. 13, 2010 8:05 PM ET USA
Government run amuck. The monks don't want to be funeral directors, they simply want to provide a wooden casket at a decent price! I even looked into their products myself. What is so hard to understand about a plain pine box? I hope they win.
-
Posted by: stpetric -
Aug. 13, 2010 7:54 PM ET USA
This law is absurd. I've e-mailed Gov Jindal - http://www.gov.la.gov/index.cfm?md=form&tmp=email_governor - to ask him to overrule the Board and lead an effort to repeal the law.
