funeral service- the funeral service performed by the priest; , through which he escorts the deceased to the world of other being, prayerfully interceding for him, asking God for his forgiveness and granting him rest in. The funeral service is a popular name that was given to this service because most of the prayers are sung in it. The funeral service is called "following the dead."
Liturgical books of Russian Orthodox Church contain 6 types of succession of the dead:
1. infants - for Christians under the age of 7;
2. worldly people;
3. monastic - for monks (including hieromonks);
4. priestly - for persons in the priestly rank, as well as bishops;
5. hierarchal - according to the will of such (Holy Synod of 12/13/1963);
6. in the first week of Easter.
What is the meaning of the funeral?
There are three main themes in the funeral service: the theme obligatory prayer for the deceased, the theme of the memory of death and - the hope of the resurrection. The gospel reading at the funeral and the apostolic - they talk about the resurrection!
What day is the funeral?
The funeral service is performed in the temple, usually on the third day after; the first day is the day of death itself (that is, if a person died on Wednesday, then it is customary to bury him on Friday).
According to a special rite, a funeral service is performed on the days of Bright Paschal Week: instead of sad prayers for the dead, joyful solemn hymns of Holy Pascha are sung.
On the day of the Light Christ's Resurrection and on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, the dead are not brought into the temple and the funeral service is not performed, transferring it to the next day.
How is the funeral done?
The funeral of the deceased is performed once, on the day of his burial. If it is not known for sure whether a person who once died was buried or not, then it is possible to order an absentee funeral. The composition of the rites includes, reading and. The funeral should be performed in the temple. Since ancient times, according to tradition, the deceased was not only buried in the temple, but also left there for three days. And during this time, right up to the funeral, they read the Psalter from the deceased (see).
Coming to the temple, one should remember, firstly, that the funeral service is needed for prayer. And those who sincerely pray are usually those to whom the deceased was truly dear, that is, people close to him, those who worry about the soul of the deceased. Secondly, it would be good if the people standing in the temple took the text of the rites (you can download it in advance on the Internet) and understood what the choir was singing. Understanding what is happening will strengthen prayer and help the soul of a loved one.
It is customary for the Orthodox to bury in a coffin, which remains open until the end of the funeral service (if there are no special obstacles for this). The body of the deceased in the coffin is covered with a special white cover (shroud) - as a sign that the deceased, who belonged to the Orthodox Church and united with Christ in her Holy Sacraments, is under the protection of Christ, under the patronage of the Church - she will pray for his soul until the end of time . The paper halo on the head of the deceased is a symbol of the crown, a symbolic designation of the fact that the deceased has gone into Eternal Life as a warrior who has won a victory on the battlefield.
All those who see off the deceased pray with lit candles, signifying the Non-Evening Light of eternity. When parting, the icon on the chest and forehead () of the deceased is kissed. In the event that the funeral service takes place with the coffin closed, they kiss the cross on the lid of the coffin.
Who can't be buried?
The priest may refuse the funeral of a non-church person or. Unbelievers, atheists, agnostics, occultists made their choice during their lifetime. And we must respect this choice, even if it seems terrible to us. Meeting with the Holy God will bring them only torment.
The unbaptized (including infants), heterodox and heterodox, also killed in the commission of a crime and suicides are not buried.
In the latter case, the deceased may be punished if he committed suicide in a state of insanity or insanity. To do this, relatives can ask for written permission from the ruler by submitting a petition to him with an attached medical report on the cause of death of their loved one.
Is it possible to sing in the morgue?
Is it possible to sing in absentia?
It is possible, but only in exceptional cases (when the body is not found, buried by other people, or before those who wish to sing to God turn).
Does the funeral provide a guarantee of salvation?
It makes no sense to bury a person who did not confess during his lifetime. The funeral service is not a "pass to Paradise", a magical act in which the deceased is automatically forgiven of sins or his soul will definitely enter the Kingdom of God. The simultaneous funeral of several deceased is not a violation of the liturgical rules.
How else can you help the soul of the deceased?
How is the funeral service different from the "ordinary" prayer for the deceased?
In our time, one often encounters bewilderment: if God hears and answers our prayers in general, then, of course, He also answers prayers for the departed; Why then is there a funeral service? Is it really not enough for God to have “simple” prayers?
The result of a misunderstanding of the meaning and importance of the funeral of the dead is that many refer to this action as just a formal, ancient, folk rite, no more significant than, for example, a funeral feast or the custom of throwing change into the graves.
Others, on the contrary, approach this action mechanically or magically, believing that as soon as the funeral is performed, the deceased will automatically be awarded the highest Heavenly Gifts.
In fact, neither the first nor the second judgment corresponds to the true nature and goals of the Christian funeral service.
By by and large the funeral service is a sacrament (although it is not called Church in the strict sense of the word). As a sacrament, it includes a successive series of symbolic actions and prayers. In addition, during the funeral, the psalms, the Apostle, the Gospel are read.
This helps the participants of the sacrament to better tune in to the mood of prayer, contributes to a more sincere, concentrated, intense prayer. This is also facilitated by the presence (in front of the assembled relatives, friends, acquaintances ...) of the coffin with the body of the deceased.
Unlike private prayers, prayers at the funeral, which implies a lot of those saying goodbye (seeing off), are of a conciliar nature. And where at least two or three are gathered in the name of Christ, there He is in the midst of them ().
As a sign that the deceased was faithful (in one way or another) to Christ and betrayed his soul to Him, a saint is placed on his chest. This is a symbol and a sign that he is under the protection of Christ.
Covering the body of the deceased with a white shroud has the same semantic meaning. Again, white is associated with the light of Christ, moral purity.
The paper halo, placed on the head of the deceased, symbolizes the crown of the warrior of Christ.
All this together favorably reflects on the fate of the deceased, including the effect during the passage of terrible test by him (his soul).
In accordance with church tradition, it is appropriate to perform the funeral service on the third day after death. According to the teachings of a number of holy fathers, at this time the period of stay of the soul separated from the body on earth ends. However, as a rule, the duration of ordeals reaches forty days (in the earthly dimension) (under conditions current life the term for the burial of the dead is often postponed for several days due to various reasons, such as: delay with an autopsy, with drawing up a conclusion on the cause of death, etc.).
At the end of the funeral, the neighbors give the deceased the last kiss and farewell. Then the priest sprinkles the body of the deceased with earth; the coffin is closed and interred (if the coffin is closed, the cross on its lid is kissed).
What is a burial (burial)?
Burial is a prayer service established by the Church for parting words and seeing people off to another world. The funeral service is a popular name that was given to this service because more than half of the prayers are sung in it. The correct name for the funeral service is "mortal follow-up" or "burial".
Who is possible and who is impossible to be buried in the Orthodox Church?
In the Orthodox Church, only a person of the Orthodox faith can be buried. If there is any doubt about a person's religion or baptism, then a priest should be consulted.
Unbaptized babies are not buried, including those unborn as a result of miscarriage or abortion. About the afterlife of such, St. Gregory the Theologian wrote: “They will not be glorified and will not be punished by the righteous Judge ... for not everyone who is not worthy of punishment is already worthy of honor, just as anyone who is not worthy of honor is already worthy of punishment.”
But there are cases when burial is not performed, even if the person was baptized in the Orthodox Church.
First of all, these are those who, during their lifetime, refused Orthodox faith in favor of another faith or disbelief (atheists, agnostics, occultists). The funeral service is not performed even when it is known for certain that the newly deceased blasphemed God during his lifetime or asked in his will not to bury him according to Orthodox custom.
Burial does not change anything in the posthumous fate of a person who did not confess God during his lifetime. And, even more so, if he positioned himself as an atheist, laughed at faith and believers, and maybe even was their persecutor. Such a person never repented, did not confess, did not strive for God, did not desire Him. Do not impose on the soul loved one communication, which he did not want in life. We must respect this choice, even if it seems wrong to us. One should not force the will of a person after his death. God is his judge!
The Church also does not bury suicides. These are people who did not want to endure to the end the trials measured out to them and independently encroached on what lies solely in the power of God - human life.
Nevertheless, taking into account the grief of relatives and friends about suicides, the Russian Orthodox Church has established a prayer service for their consolation. The text "The rite of prayerful consolation of relatives who voluntarily died his stomach" was adopted on July 27, 2011 at a meeting Holy Synod. If trouble happened in your family and someone voluntarily died, then you can ask the priest to serve this rank instead of the funeral of a suicide.
Burial is an exception. only in cases where the suicide was mentally ill, random suicides - i.e. those who did not calculate the dose of alcohol, who drank poison by mistake, accidentally discharged the barrel into themselves while cleaning their weapons, fell out of the window, just wanting to scare relatives or play a joke on friends, faking a suicide attempt, etc. Then the Church can bury the deceased, but first his relatives will need to obtain special permission from the bishop, providing a certificate of his illness and death. In the same way, murderers are not supposed to be buried if they have not repented of their deeds.
It is important to remember that the names of people belonging to the groups listed above are not given in the commemoration of the deceased at memorial services or liturgies in the church. This is because the texts church prayers Orthodox Christians are commemorated, and therefore the inclusion of non-Orthodox names or people who died in opposition to Christianity would be a lie and a deceit.
Any deliberate concealment from the priest of information about the conditions of death and the religious views of the deceased is a grave sin of relatives or friends.
As per Orthodox tradition prepare the body of the deceased for burial?
The deceased is freed from clothes, his jaw is tied up and placed on a bench or on the floor, spreading a cloth. For ablution, a sponge, warm water and soap are used, rubbing all parts of the body three times with cross-shaped movements, starting from the head. On the neck of the deceased there must be a cross, if preserved - a baptismal one. Dressed in a strict and new dress. As a rule, a man - in a suit without a tie, and a woman - in a long dress or long skirt with a blouse "under the throat" and long sleeves. The head of a Christian is covered with a large scarf that completely covers her hair, and its ends can not be tied, but simply folded crosswise. The washed and clothed body is placed face up in the coffin. The mouth of the deceased must be closed, eyes closed, arms folded crosswise on the chest, right over left. Usually the vesting of the deceased takes place in a hospital or mortuary. It is important that one of the relatives follow the process of vesting and positioning the deceased in the coffin.
How to pray for the deceased?
As soon as relatives learn about the death of a loved one, it is important to start praying for the deceased. This can be done by one of the relatives, friends or acquaintances. There is a tradition to ask someone from the knowledgeable pious believers to pray.
The following prayers are read: "Following the outcome of the soul from the body." The canon for the deceased, which is part of the "Following the Exodus of the Soul from the Body", is desirable to read daily until the burial of the deceased. In some prayer books, the "Canon for the Reposed" is called the "Canon of the One Departed." In addition, this canon is read each time after reading the entire Psalter over the deceased.
In the course of 40 days after death, you can read the following prayer in the morning and evening, which ends the Follow-up: "Remember, Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the life of your eternally reposed servant (your reposed servant), our brother (our sister) (name), and as Good and Humanitarian, forgive sins and consume injustice, weaken, leave and forgive all free of his (her) sins and involuntary, deliver him (s) eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant him (her) the communion and enjoyment of Your eternal good, prepared for those who love You: if you sin, but do not depart from You, and without a doubt in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Thy God in the Trinity glorified, faith, and the Unity in the Trinity and the Trinity in Unity Orthodox even until his last breath of confession. , and with Your saints, like a Generous, rest in peace: there is no man, even if he lives and does not sin, but You are One, except for all sin and truth, Your truth forever, and You are the One God of mercy and bounty, and philanthropy, and glory to You we send, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen."
An ancient custom is the reading of the Psalter for the deceased. God-inspired psalms console the grieving hearts of the deceased's neighbors and serve as help to the soul that has been separated from the body.
If the days of remembrance fall after Easter, on Bright Week, then instead of the Psalter, they traditionally read one of the books of the New Testament.
It is recommended to order a magpie for the deceased - a prayer commemoration in the temple at the Divine Liturgy for forty days. If opportunities allow, then order a magpie in several temples or monasteries. In the future, Magpie can be renewed or immediately file a note for a long-term commemoration - six months or a year. During Great Lent, when the Divine Liturgy is celebrated much less often, in a number of churches they commemorate the names of the dead - in the altar during the entire Lent.
For forty days, you can also read an akathist for the one who died. And in some cases, if possible, read the Psalter and Akathist together. For example, Psalms in the morning and Akathist in the evening. And, of course, if possible, it is necessary to do alms, works of mercy for the deceased. It is these actions that are a real indicator of love for the deceased.
When, where and why is the burial performed?
The burial should be performed in the temple, according to custom, on the third day. At the same time, the day of death is always included in the countdown of days. For example, for a person who died on Sunday, the third day will fall on Tuesday. You must bring to the temple in advance: a copy of the passport of the deceased, a death certificate and a certificate of Baptism of the deceased (if any).
From ancient times, according to tradition, the deceased was not only buried in the temple, but also left there for three days. During this time, right up to the funeral, they read the Psalter after the deceased. Currently, the deceased is brought to the temple directly to the burial rite. However, it is also possible to bring the coffin to the temple and leave it for the night, reading the entire Psalter over the deceased. The funeral service may also be held in the cemetery chapel or in the mortuary chapel. In exceptional cases, this service is performed at home or in a cemetery. The place of the funeral should be discussed with the priest or other responsible person in the church.
How is the rite of burial in the temple?
Before burial, the body of the deceased is covered with a special white cover - shroud- as a sign that the deceased, who belonged to the Orthodox Church and united with Christ in her holy Sacraments, is under the protection of Christ, under the patronage of the Church, which until the end of time will pray for his soul. This cover is decorated with inscriptions with texts of prayers and excerpts from Holy Scripture, the image of the cross banner and angels. paper whisk, with the image of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and the Forerunner of the Lord John, with the inscription "Trisagion", is placed on the forehead of the deceased, as a symbol of the crown of victory. The whisk reminds us that the feats of a Christian on earth in the fight against all suffering, temptations, temptations and passions have ended, and now he expects a reward for them in the Kingdom of Heaven. Put into hands crucifixion(there is a special funeral type of the Crucifixion) and a permissive prayer. A small icon: for a man - an icon of the Savior, for a woman - an icon of the Virgin. All necessary items can be purchased at the church shop.
In the temple, the body of the deceased is placed on a special stand with their feet to the altar, and candlesticks with lighted candles are placed crosswise near the coffin. The lid of the coffin is left in the porch or in the yard. It is allowed to bring fresh flowers into the church. All worshipers have burning candles in their hands. Light is a symbol of joy and life, victory over darkness. This expression bright love to the deceased and warm prayers for him. Candles remind us of the candles we keep in Easter night testifying to the Resurrection of Christ. On a separately prepared table near the coffin they put memorial kutya, with a candle in the middle. The coffin remains open until the end of the funeral, if there are no special obstacles for this.
Priests perform burial in white festive vestments. It also has a symbolic meaning. The funeral service is the birth of the soul into eternal life. The white clothes of the priests emphasize the significance of this event.
What do they pray for at a funeral?
The funeral service consists of many hymns. They briefly depict the whole of human destiny: for the violation by the first people, Adam and Eve, of the commandments of the Creator, man again turns into the earth from which he was taken, but despite many sins, he does not cease to be an image of the glory of God, and therefore the Holy Church prays to the Lord , by His inexpressible mercy, to forgive the departed sins and to honor him with the Kingdom of Heaven. If the deceased led a spiritual life, if he confessed and took communion, if he, at least minimally, participated in the life of the community, the Church can prayerfully admonish him.
At the end of the funeral, after reading the Apostle and the Gospel, the priest reads permissive prayer. With this prayer, the deceased is allowed (liberated) from the prohibitions and sins that burdened him, in which he repented or which he could not remember at Confession. Thus the deceased enters afterlife reconciled to God and neighbors. After reading, the text of the prayer is put into the hands of the deceased.
Burial is not an automatic forgiveness of sins and a guaranteed pass to heaven. Everything is in the hands of God, and ultimately He pronounces judgment on the soul based on the results of its earthly life. Nevertheless, we pray and give alms, hoping that the Creator will take into account our love and have mercy on the soul of the deceased. After leaving the body, the soul begins to suffer from its own imperfections and passions. Prayers performed during burial help the soul and comfort it.
How is the farewell to the deceased?
After the end of the prayers, farewell to the deceased takes place. The last kiss marks the eternal union of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Relatives and friends of the deceased with a bow ask for forgiveness for involuntary insults, are applied to the icon on the chest of the deceased and the nimbus on the forehead. In the event that the funeral service takes place with the coffin closed, they kiss the cross on the lid of the coffin or the priest's hand. At the end of the funeral, the body of the deceased is escorted to the cemetery with the singing of the Trisagion. If the priest does not accompany the coffin to the grave, then the burial takes place where the funeral took place - in the temple or at home. With the words "The earth is the Lord's and its fulfillment (that is, everything that fills it), the universe and all who live on it," the priest crosswise sprinkles the body of the deceased covered with a veil with earth. If unction was performed on the deceased before his death, then the remaining consecrated oil also poured crosswise on the body.
The escort of the deceased to the cemetery by a priest must be agreed in advance.
How is the coffin lowered into the grave and what kind of monument is erected?
The deceased is usually lowered into the grave with his face to the east (head to the west, and feet to the east) in anticipation of the Second Coming of Christ, and as a sign that the deceased goes from the west (sunset) of life to the East of eternity. When the coffin is lowered into the grave, the Trisagion is sung.
The tombstone Cross can be made of any material, but it must be of the Orthodox eight-pointed shape. He is placed at the feet of the deceased, with a crucifix to the face of the deceased - so that at the general resurrection of the dead, rising from the tomb, he could look at the sign of Christ's victory over the devil. Tombstones with crosses carved on them are also placed. The cross over the grave of a Christian is a silent preacher of blessed immortality and the coming Resurrection.
What is an absentee burial and in what cases is it performed?
Previously, absentee burial was allowed by the Church only in the case when the body of the deceased was not available for burial: fires, floods, wars and other extraordinary circumstances. Now absenteeism is more common. Firstly, due to the lack of temples in many cities and villages; secondly, because of the high cost of transport and other funeral services, as a result of which the relatives of the deceased Christian cannot afford to bring the body of the deceased to the temple. It is better to give up commemoration, wreaths, dear tombstone, but make every effort and bring the body to the temple, in extreme cases, call the priest home or to the cemetery. This speaks of only one thing - the attitude towards the deceased of his relatives, who are too lazy to lead the deceased to the temple. If a person loves his loved one and wants to bury him in a Christian way, then this must be done in accordance with church traditions. However, in case of emergency The church is coming towards people and, if necessary, performs an absentee rite of burial.
An absentee burial must be done before the funeral. In the case of an absentee burial, the necessary burial items (an icon, a crucifix, a whisk, a scroll of paper with the text of a permissive prayer) are placed in the coffin independently. It is also necessary to take a bag with consecrated earth. The earth must be scattered over the body over the shroud in a crosswise manner - from the head to the feet and from the right shoulder to the left before closing the coffin lid. When an absentee funeral is performed some time after the funeral. Then the burial earth should be scattered over the grave, and the aureole and prayer should be buried in the grave mound to a shallow depth.
Is cremation allowed in the Orthodox Church?
God is the Creator of the human soul and body. He is the sole master of their destiny. We must not interfere with our will in what God wants to do with our body. It can be completely destroyed, but it can also be wonderfully preserved by the will of God. If Christians burned the bodies of the dead, then there would be no relics of saints in the Church.
On the other hand, throughout history, the Church prays for the repose of the souls of those of her children whose bodies, due to various circumstances, were buried in water element, abandoned on the battlefield, burned in the fire, became the food of animals or fish, disappeared without a trace as a result of earthquakes and various disasters. Many holy martyrs of Christ, both in ancient and recent times, did not receive Christian burial, which did not deprive them of eternal salvation and glory. Heavenly Kingdom. However, in all these cases, this happened not at the request of people or their loved ones, but because of the elements or evil human will.
The burial customs of Christians are determined by the fact that, on the basis of Divine Revelation, the Church professes faith in the bodily resurrection of the dead (Is. 26:19; Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 15:42-44, 52-54; Phlp. 3:21) and refers to the Christian's body as the temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16). In the rite of Christian burial, the Church expresses the reverence befitting the body of a deceased person. social concept Russian Orthodox Church, XII, 7).
The burial of the body in the ground, as well as in coffins or caves carved in stone, corresponds to the belief of the Church that the day of the general resurrection will come, when the earth will vomit the dead(Isaiah 26:19) and what is sown in corruption will rise in incorruption(1 Corinthians 15:42). Until then, the dust will return to the earth, which it was; and the spirit will return to God who gave it(Eccl. 12:7), says the word of God. The human race in the person of the forefather Adam received the command of the Lord in the sweat of your face ... eat bread until you return to the ground from which you were taken, for dust you are and to dust you return(Gen. 3:9).
Based on the evidence of Church Tradition, the Russian Church cannot recognize cremation as the norm for dealing with the bodies of deceased Christians, consistent with the faith of the Church. At the same time, the Church believes that the Lord has the power to resurrect any body and from any element (Rev. 20:13). We are not afraid of any damage in any way of burial, but we adhere to the old and best custom of interred the body in the ground.”, wrote the early Christian author Mark Minucius Felix. Bearing this in mind, the Russian Orthodox Church does not deprive the prayerful commemoration of Christians who, for various reasons, have not been honored with burial in accordance with church tradition.
Relatives or friends of the deceased should do everything to bury the body, and not cremate it. If they deliberately perform cremation in circumstances where a Christian burial is possible, then they are committing a sin for which they will be held responsible before God.
How are baptized children under 7 buried?
Over the dead babies who have accepted the sacrament of Baptism, a special follow-up is performed, as over immaculate creatures. It does not include prayers for the forgiveness of sins, but there are petitions to vouchsafe the baby of the Kingdom of Heaven according to the unfalse promise of the Lord (Mark 10:14). Although the baby did not perform any feats of Christian piety, but, having been cleansed in holy Baptism from original sin became an unblemished heir of eternal life. The rite of infant burial is replete with words of consolation to grieving parents. His chants testify to the faith of the Church that blessed infants after death become prayer books for all who loved them on earth. The funeral service for this rank is performed for children under seven years of age.
On what days are burials not performed?
On the first day of Easter and on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, the dead are not brought into the temple and no burials are performed.
What happens to the soul after death?
According to church tradition first two days the soul is still on earth and, with the angel accompanying it, visits those places that attract it with memories of earthly joys and sorrows, good and evil deeds.
AT third day The Lord commands the soul to ascend to heaven to worship Himself. Then the soul, returning from the Face of God, accompanied by angels, enters the heavenly abodes and contemplates their inexpressible beauty. So she stays for six days - from the third to the ninth. On the ninth day, the Lord commands the angels to again present the soul to Him for worship. After the second worship of God, the angels take the soul to hell, and she contemplates cruel torments unrepentant sinners. AT fortieth day upon death, the soul ascends for the third time to the Throne of the Lord, where its fate is decided - a place is assigned, which she was honored by her deeds.
From this it is clear that the days of intense prayer for the dead should be third, ninth and fortieth days after death. These dates also have another meaning. The commemoration of the deceased on the third day is performed in honor of the three-day resurrection of Jesus Christ and in the image Holy Trinity. Prayer on the ninth day - honoring the nine angelic ranks who, as servants of the King of Heaven, petition for pardon for the deceased.
How to commemorate the dead after burial?
In the Orthodox Church, they pray for the dead, not because they consider it possible to change the posthumous fate of the deceased by their own power, but because they trust in God's mercy to the deceased. Praying for the departed relatives, we testify before God of our love for them, and humbly hope that the Lord, who is Love, will accept our prayers and fulfill our petitions. At least we must always understand in our hearts that God may not fulfill our petitions, and this is His holy will.
In addition to commemorating the deceased on the third, ninth and fortieth days after his death, he is commemorated on the annual day of death, birthday and name day, since the deceased is alive and immortal in spirit and will someday be completely renewed when the Lord raises up his body.
To correctly commemorate the deceased on a memorable day, you need to come to the temple at the beginning of the service and submit a memorial note with his name. Notes are accepted for proskomidia and memorial service. The note should be titled "On Repose", write the names legibly, putting them in genitive case, for example: new pr. Peter, Mary. For clergy, indicate their dignity, in full or in an understandable abbreviation, for example: Met. John, prot. Nicholas, St. Sergius, deacon. Vasily. Children under the age of seven are referred to as infants; deceased in the period up to the fortieth day - newly deceased; on the anniversary of death - ever-memorable. Warriors are listed separately.
During the proskomidia - the first part Divine Liturgy, from special loaves of prosphora, the priest extracts small particles, praying for the living and the dead, filed in notes. Subsequently, after communion, these particles will be lowered into the Chalice with the Blood of Christ with a prayer Wash away, O Lord, the sins of those who are remembered here by Your precious Blood and the prayers of Your saints.
"Panihida" in Greek means "all-night singing". Even in the era of Roman persecution, it became customary to pray at night for the dead. The essence of the memorial service is the prayerful commemoration of the deceased brothers and sisters, who, although they died faithful to Christ, did not completely renounce the weaknesses of fallen human nature and took their infirmities with them. Performing a memorial service, the Church reminds all living people of how the souls of the departed ascend from the earth to the Judgment of God, how they stand at this Judgment with fear and trembling, confessing their deeds before the Lord.
In addition to private commemorations of the departed, the Holy Church established general commemorations. So, for prayers for the dead, a special day is defined in the week - Saturday, on which the funeral service is due, except for holidays, if they happen on this day. Days of a special general commemoration of the dead are called parental Saturdays. On these days, all Christians who have died from the age are commemorated. On Saturday, as a day of rest, it is more logical to pray for the repose of the dead with the saints. And they are called parental because each person commemorates, first of all, the closest people - his parents and relatives.
Meat-waste universal parent saturday a week before Great Lent;
Parental Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of Great Lent;
Trinity ecumenical parental Saturday before the day of the Holy Trinity;
Demetrius parental Saturday, a week before the feast of the memory of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica;
Radonitsa, on Tuesday of the second week after Easter;
May 9 is the day of commemoration of all those who died and tragically died during the Great Patriotic War.
the day before parent days in the evening, Parastases are performed in churches - all-night vigils for the dead, and after the Liturgy there are ecumenical memorial services.
In addition to participating in funeral services, the Holy Church commands her children to commemorate the dead at home prayer as well. Here each one who prays is given some freedom to exercise personal diligence.
In addition to praying for the dead, another act of commemoration of them is almsgiving. By alms is meant not only giving to the poor in memory of the deceased, but any kindness in relation to those in need. Saint John Chrysostom said: A luxurious burial is not love for the deceased, but vanity. If you want to condole with the deceased, I will show you a different way of burial and teach you to put on robes, decorations worthy of him and glorifying him: this is almsgiving.
The simplest and most common way to sacrifice for the dead is to offer a candle. Each temple has a kanun - a special candlestick in the form of a rectangular table with many cells for candles and a small crucifix. It is here that candles are placed with a prayer for repose, memorial services are performed here and absentee funerals. Also, for commemoration, they bring to the temple and put some of the products on the eve.
However, in order to help the soul of a loved one, we must ourselves come to God. We must live according to His commandments, communicate with Him in prayer, ask Him for mercy, including for the soul we want to help. God accepts everyone who turns to Him. So, there is no reason for despair, on the contrary, we still have time to do the necessary things that can help the souls of the deceased relatives and friends.
How to organize a commemoration in accordance with the Orthodox tradition?
After the burial, as well as on the 9th, 40th days and the anniversary, after prayer in the church, memorial meals are held at home. The meal should begin with a prayer for the deceased. The set table should correspond to the day. If it is a fast day, then the meal should be fast. Per memorial meal fun and excess in dishes and drinks are excluded. Alcohol should be consumed in moderation, it is better if it is wine, and not spirits. In Russia traditional memorial dishes kutia, pancakes and jelly are considered. During Great Lent, it is better to arrange a commemoration on Saturday or Sunday.
Is it worth taking children with you to funerals and commemorations?
It is necessary to be consistent with the nature of the child and his age. There is a sense in the presence of a child at the rank of burial, when he is already able to comprehend what is happening. The child must be protected from the wrong perception of death. He must see that our nature is passionate, perishable and mortal. And in the funeral service of the deceased, we must see another lesson, for ourselves and for our children. This great lesson lies in the fact that the newly deceased shows by his own example what will happen to us. And this gives all the people present at the funeral the opportunity to once again think about the frailty of their being, about true sense life, about the vector of its development.
It is not right that now death has been hidden from children. First, they are afraid because they feel that something important is being hidden from them. When adults say: “grandfather is no more, and you don’t need to see this,” while they themselves sob, for a child, the concept of “death” becomes a horror. And, of course, he does not perceive it as part of life or birth into eternity. He begins to perceive death as a catastrophe. But he will have to face it many times in his life, and not only with someone else's, but also with preparation for his own death. And those false ideas that his parents imposed on him in childhood, when they hid the dead from him, will reflect very badly on him. mental state. Besides, Orthodox worship the burial is filled with consolation and bright joy and instills peace in the heart, and therefore it cannot frighten a child who is already able to understand what is happening. In this case, the child can attend only part of the service and commemoration.
How much does a funeral cost?
When performing a burial, the priest, choir and church servants work, and therefore it will be fair to make a donation for these works. At the same time, there are no special tariffs in the Church for the performance of trebs, but only a voluntary donation of relatives and friends for the performance of the Church Sacrament or rite. The size of the sacrifice is determined by the capabilities and diligence of people.
19.11.2013As part of the discussion of the draft document “On the Christian Burial of the Dead,” questions arose about the funeral service at home. How widespread is this practice now? What is the difference - to bury the deceased in the temple or at home? In what cases is a home funeral permissible? Our survey contains the opinions of priests from Moscow, Blagoveshchensk, Stavropol, Saransk and Gubkin.
Hegumen Siluan (Tumanov), cleric of Feodorovsky cathedral(Saransk):
- In this issue, as in many others, theory comes into conflict with established practice. Admissible or not, but in many regions, for example in Mordovia and the Nizhny Novgorod region, the vast majority of funerals today are performed at home. This practice has been reinforced in Soviet years when there were few temples and secular authorities prevented the funeral.
On the one hand, the texts of the funeral do not speak of the obligatory presence of the deceased in the temple. They remind the relatives gathered at the tomb of the worthy life of the deceased, the promises of Christ and the general resurrection, on the other hand, burial, as the sacrament of a person’s transition to eternal life, is more appropriate to perform in the presence of the entire community, in the temple that the deceased regularly visited for prayer.
Personally, I am a supporter of the burial service in the temple - it is more reasonable and natural for a Christian to be buried in the temple in which he prayed during his lifetime.
Archpriest Vladimir Vigilyansky, Rector of the Church of the Holy Martyr Tatiana at Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov:
- In the entire history of serving in the temple of the martyr Tatiana, I have not had a chance that I would have buried at home. There were cases when the funeral service had to be performed in the "ritual halls" at the hospital morgues, several times - in the cemetery chapels. Most often, this was due to organizational and financial difficulties that relatives faced (for example, due to traffic jams in Moscow, and also due to the fact that there are no parking lots for a hearse near the temple). We had to delve into these details of our life and meet the requests of the parishioners.
Formally, unfortunately, there are no prohibitions on funerals either in these halls, or in the chapel, or even at home. However, it is better to celebrate this service in the temple of God - in Moscow, for example, there are many churches with parking lots and not far from cemeteries. This issue, of course, should be clarified in the discussed draft document on the funeral service.
Archpriest Dimitry Karpenko, Rector of the Church of the Holy Apostle James, Brother of God (Gubkin):
- Funerals at home happen quite often, and there are a number of reasons for this. One of them is that people simply do not have enough money to bring the body of the deceased to the temple, or there is no such possibility, for example, if a person died in a village where there is no temple, but take him somewhere far away for one reason or another It is difficult. Priests often encounter this, although, of course, in more or less large settlements in urban cemeteries there are churches or chapels, where most of the dead are usually buried.
Of course, ideally, the funeral should be performed in the temple and, preferably, in the one whose parishioner was the deceased person.
Funeral services at home may also be due to the fact that people specifically do not want to waste time (although there are funds). This comes from a lack of churchness. When permanent parishioners die, the question never arises of where exactly to bury a person: only in the temple.
Since we do not have criteria by which we could refuse people a church burial (for example, a deceased person never went to church, did not go to confession, did not receive communion, but by the fact of baptism he is formally a member of the Church), we cannot refuse people and in a home funeral. Moreover, for the relatives of the deceased, sometimes the funeral service becomes the first church service at which they are present.
I repeat, it is better to perform the funeral in the temple, but then it’s as it should, and we cannot miss such an opportunity: it is very important for the priest to feel the situation, to find Right words when communicating with the relatives of the deceased, in order, together with words of condolence, to try to dispose people to the necessity for them of church life.
Priest Svyatoslav Shevchenko, cleric of the Annunciation Cathedral (Blagoveshchensk):
- For all the time that I was a city priest, I had to do the funeral at home only twice: once - at the invitation of the Armenian diaspora, and the second - in a large gypsy family. That is, today in large cities they practically do not see off the deceased at home. In my opinion, this only applies to countryside, where a home funeral is either part of the village traditions, or there is simply no church nearby.
In the city, this rite is performed mainly in ritual halls at morgues or in temples. Often, ritual halls become the last refuge of the deceased due to the non-church relatives. And this is a kind of act of condescension of the Church to the weakness of compatriots who are under the influence of the secular world. And the priests, following the example of the ancient apostles, go beyond the church fence to preach the word of God at the body of the deceased.
It is difficult for me to understand the clergy who refuse Christian burial to baptized Orthodox Christians, who were rare guests in the temple. I am sure that there is a large share of our priestly guilt in this, that after the Sacrament of Baptism we could not, either by word or by personal example, convince people to love God and His Church.
Priest Evgeny Shishkin, cleric of the Andreevsky Bishops' Compound (Stavropol):
− The practice of funeral services at home is permissible and justified when locality there is no temple or bringing the body of the deceased to the temple is associated with significant inconvenience. A classic example of such a situation is the period of persecution of the Church. In fact, the funeral service at home became entrenched in Russian parish practice just in the Soviet period, when many believers tried not to draw the attention of outsiders to their participation in the life of the Church.
At present, the custom of performing funeral services at home, as a rule, is preserved by inertia, and for the most part in cities. However, if the arrival of a priest for burial in a remote farm, where all divine services are already performed “at home”, looks quite appropriate, then in major city the need for such a practice is not at all obvious. It is dictated, rather, by considerations of comfort and consumer psychology: the funeral service is perceived as a kind of "church service", which will be much more convenient to receive "with home delivery". However, the funeral service is not a service provided by a priest, but common prayer those who see off the last journey of a loved one. That is why it should take place in the temple.
Notice what an amazing unity in prayer comes when the whole community gathers at the grave of church people, deeply believing parishioners whom everyone knew and loved during their lifetime. If the deceased was a permanent parishioner of some temple, it is better to bury him in the church where he himself always prayed; for other cases, in most large cities there are cemetery churches. The funeral service at home should be performed in the presence of any special circumstances, as an exception.
Prepared by Olga Bogdanova
specially for the portal "Prikhody"
The Bible says that every Christian should turn to God through prayer. It is believed that in this way a person asks for help and blessings in all endeavors. We pray when we fall asleep and when we wake up, before we eat and during working time. The sacrament of the birth and baptism of a child is accompanied by hymns, and the conclusion of marriage is accompanied by a wedding. Therefore, when a loved one dies, his relatives also indulge in prayer. They do not know what the deceased thought, what secrets he hid, and whether he repented of his sins. Prayer helps his soul find peace, receive repentance, be forgiven and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
In order to take the deceased on his last journey, relatives must observe all the canons, the main of which is the prayer rite. The funeral service is a solemn ceremony that is carried out in the process of burying the body. Such a ritual cannot be compared either with a minute of silence or with the purchase of ritual supplies. A funeral service performed with good intentions brings great benefit to the soul of a deceased person, as well as to his living relatives and friends. It is not uncommon for people to leave their lives at a young age: children, spouses, sisters and brothers. The fact that they did not die of natural causes seems unfair to us. Prayer helps to realize that death is the next step into eternal life. When we bury a person, we find consolation for our own grief. It also gives each of us the opportunity to take a different look at our lives, realize our mistakes and remember that we came into this world to do good.
Why is a funeral held?
When we read prayers for a dead person, we hope that God will hear us. With the words "With the saints, rest, O Christ, the soul of your servant," we call him to us. The funeral ceremony is an important part of the mourning ritual. To pass it with honor, it is not enough to stand with flowers in the cemetery. It is important to begin preparations for the procession with communion of the dying. Of course, if this is possible. When a person is near death, the canon is read by the priest, which allows the soul to become stronger in consciousness. After death, a memorial service is performed - a small prayer, and then the funeral ceremony itself. Over the next 40 days, relatives read the psalter and remember the good deeds of the deceased.
Does the soul go to heaven after the funeral?
There are seven sacraments of the church: Baptism, Chrismation, Repentance, Marriage, Communion, Unction, Priesthood. Any of these sacraments is a guarantee of the fulfillment of what we ask God for. For example, the sacrament of Baptism gives us the right to assert that a person joined the church and became a Christian, the sacrament of the Priesthood - that he accepted the rank of priest, the sacrament of marriage - that a man and a woman tied their fate, becoming one. The funeral is not part of the sacrament. It does not give close people a guarantee that the soul of a deceased person will go to heaven and find eternal rest.
We must understand that it is worth doing only good deeds. A person does not have the right, for example, to serve in the temple and lead a dissolute life, get involved in alcohol or drugs. After the funeral, in this case, what happened in the famous parable can happen: at the entrance to paradise, the rich man was returned all the money that he donated to the construction of churches. So, there is a belief that you can receive special grace if you wash the floors in the temple. However, it should be understood that this is unlikely to save the cleaner after death. Having a lot of money and doing the only good deed in your life does not mean being forgiven and going to heaven after death.
Is a funeral ceremony necessary?
The funeral service will not save the soul from the sins that a person committed during his lifetime. There are cases when priests neglected this rite. They ordered the relatives of the deceased to postpone funeral procession with honors, but instead throw the dead body into a pit or ditch for stray dogs to gnaw at their bones. Here it is worth mentioning righteous prophet Verkolsky. His death from a lightning strike was hasty. Fellow villagers, in front of whom this happened, considered it a heavenly punishment. They did not bury the body, covering the dead prophet with brushwood. After 28 years, people discovered that all this time the body was incorruptible.
The human soul can go to heaven without observing the funeral service. However, this ritual should not be taken lightly. The funeral service is the last good deed we can do for the deceased. Today, many families are unwilling to pray because of ignorance and delusion, as well as additional financial costs. deceased person in old age who has lived last years his life, asking God for forgiveness and wanting to quickly move to him, it is unlikely that anything will come of it. But for a family that does not drink it in order to save money, such an action can be regarded as a grave sin.
It is allowed in some cases to exclude the rite of burial at a funeral. An example is the death of a warrior in battle or a sailor on a ship. Then the body of a person is buried near the place of his death, and the funeral ceremony is held by relatives after that. If, due to other circumstances, the body of a person close to you was not buried according to Christian traditions, you can explain this to the priest and perform the ceremony in a cemetery or in a church. It is unacceptable to perform the funeral service after the funeral just because it is so convenient for the relatives of the deceased.
How to get permission to conduct a ceremony?
If a person died a natural or violent death, permission to conduct the funeral service does not need to be taken. It must be obtained in controversial cases where suicide occurs. If the suicide was the result of a severe psychological disorder, it is necessary to obtain approval from the diocesan administration. parish priest should not make this decision on his own. This is done by the bishop at the general meeting.
Who can not be buried after death?
As mentioned earlier, it is impossible to perform the funeral service over the dead who committed suicide, as well as over the bodies of those people who lived a godless life: they were fond of promiscuity, robbed and killed. The rite is unacceptable for the deceased, who during their lifetime were not Christians or renounced their faith. It is believed that they were not reunited with the Church. It is not true that women who died during childbirth should not be buried after death.
If people close to you, relatives or friends deliberately refused the sacrament of Baptism, it is necessary to conduct conversations with them in order to avoid such an outcome. That way you will know that you did everything you could for them. The rest depends on the will of the person himself. The Lord has many mansions. Therefore, the Church does not forbid praying for the peace of the soul and the forgiveness of the grave sins of the deceased, who was not baptized. You can do this at home, in a cemetery or in a temple.
Is it possible to hold a funeral ceremony for drug addicts?
People who abused alcohol or drugs during their lifetime consciously chose this path. However, it should be understood that the Church forgives and accepts those who have strayed from the righteous path. Its goal is not to destroy, but to justify a person as far as possible. Therefore, the deceased, suffering from drug or alcohol addiction, relatives can be buried.
Rules of conduct at the funeral
people, not knowing the nuances church service, in the process of the funeral service, they often behave inappropriately. For example, they face not the altar, but the coffin, and throughout the service they look not at the priest, but at the deceased. Of course, it is difficult for relatives to accept the loss of a loved one. Therefore, at such moments, one should not require them to comply with all the canons. However, no one canceled the elementary rules of conduct during the funeral service.
Those who come to the temple should sincerely pray for the remission of the sins of the deceased, listen carefully to the priest and look at the altar. The next of kin should have candles in their hands. The coffin is placed facing the altar. During the funeral, it is not appropriate to talk loudly and actively gesticulate. Silence must be observed. After the ceremony, the candles are extinguished, and the mourners bow, ask the deceased for forgiveness for all offenses, kiss the icon that is on his chest. Then the priest takes it out and covers the body with a veil.
The funeral ceremony is not desirable to be carried out in the morgue, and, moreover, in the crematorium. The dead are buried in the mortuary only when there is no other way to perform the ceremony. In this case, before starting it, make sure that the priest has permission to carry it out. If the funeral service takes place in the temple and several dead are brought at once, then this should not embarrass you.
What to wear to the temple?
The priests who carry out the funeral service put on a long white cassock in the temple. It is also used in the sacrament of Baptism. It is believed that these two events are the main ones in the life of every person. After death, the deceased enters the path of eternal life, at the beginning of which he sees a bright light. This light is the Lord God himself. Myrrh-bearing women also put on clothes white color. The servants of the temple should not wear black attire.
Those who come, on the contrary, wear mourning clothes, which should be closed and modest. For women, long dresses and skirts are appropriate. The head is covered with a black scarf. You can not wear bright jewelry. Of the decorations, only watches and wedding ring. The best option for men - a classic suit, shirt and shoes. This custom does not apply to Christianity, but it is firmly entrenched in modern life. We perceive death as a tragedy. And if someone comes to the service in a white robe, he will not be understood by the relatives of the deceased.
All of the above features of observing the rules for the funeral of the dead are of course important, but, most importantly, it must always be remembered that the administration of the last rite is an integral part of the funeral ritual both for the soul of the deceased and for believing relatives who see off a loved one to another world.
