But what if the deceased was an unbeliever , unbaptized, a suicide, or followed other religious teachings? This is how the Holy Father answers this question:
“In churches they do not pray for such people and do not perform a funeral service for them, but in the case of suicides, with the blessing of the priests , home prayer should be read, and funeral meals with relatives are not prohibited. You should visit the temple on Trinity Parents' Saturday - on this day the church prays for everyone “who has died from eternity,” including those “those who are kept in hell.”
You cannot submit suicide notes, but to take part in the service and pray “for everyone.” In memory of the Gentiles, you need to pray for them and give alms. Since they have never been in the bosom of the Orthodox Church, notes about them are not given and candles are not lit.”
The attitude of religions to the commemoration of suicides
Many religions, including Christianity, have a negative attitude towards suicide:
- Islam considers intihar (suicide) a terrible sin. The rite of janaza-namaz is performed for these people: they did not leave Islam. Dying in war for the benefit of other Muslims is not considered intentional taking of life. Commemoration of those killed on the battlefield is permitted.
- Buddhism calls the act of suicide a great mistake. If an individual interrupts his life, he will not be reborn as a human at his next reincarnation. His suffering will increase. Christians believe in reincarnation, but ending a life is considered an irredeemable sin, which prohibits funeral services and commemorations.
Judaism, like Christianity, does not accept suicide. According to Jewish law, the body belongs to the Almighty. No one has the right to encroach on a person’s life given by God. Forensic experts are carefully studying the cause of death. If the Christian who died suffered from a mental disorder, the sinfulness of the act is reduced. In view of this, commemoration of the deceased is not prohibited.
The religious world condemns suicide for sinfulness, neglect of the commandments of the Almighty.
Why you can’t remember in Orthodoxy
Life is given by the Lord, a Christian cannot commit suicide or encroach on the Divine plan. Suicide shows disbelief in the omnipotence of the Creator. A person violates the prepared plan. In Orthodoxy, this act is equated to violations of the main commandments.
You cannot remember suicided Christians or perform funeral services for them. The priest does not perform rituals or read prayers. If a person dies prematurely, he violates God's commandment.
Funeral services are prohibited for those who committed suicide. You cannot bring the coffin into church or read prayers over the body. The deceased should not be given a whisk (an attribute of a martyr), an icon, or a cross. They do not place a cross over the grave and do not commemorate the deceased. Previously, it was forbidden to bury suicide victims in a cemetery with other Christians. They were buried along the road. Today the funeral is held in a designated place. The graves are located in regular cemeteries.
Reasons for the prohibition of commemoration in Christianity:
- the creation of universal sin;
- suicide - neglect of one's own life;
- violation of Christian canons, which prohibit commemorations of suicides;
- contempt for the Lord and God's creatures;
- the desire to equate one’s actions with God.
In Christianity, the Orthodox Church considers cases of commemoration of children who have committed suicide individually. A small child cannot commit suicide voluntarily, without outside influences. The incident is taken to be an accident. Some clergy may conduct memorials for children. The actions of teenagers who decide to end their lives prematurely are equated with the sin of adults.
The exceptions are suicidal Christians who committed suicide in a state of depression, alcohol or drug intoxication, and patients in psychiatric dispensaries. To remember, the relatives of the deceased must provide the clergy with documents confirming the illness, evidence of treatment of the deceased Christian. This will allow a funeral service to be held and the deceased to be remembered.
With the blessing of the bishop, the funeral ceremony for those who committed suicide can take place. Christian chronicles mention holy martyrs who committed the act of death. This is how they prevented violent abuse of their bodies. They were considered martyrs.
The question of drowned people and people who died from weapons remains controversial: it is difficult to find out whether a deceased Christian is a sinner or a victim of murders. Some ministers of the Lord's temple hold funeral services for them.
Why is church prayer for a person who committed suicide impossible?
Church commemoration of the dead (funeral service, requiem service, commemoration at the liturgy, etc.) is performed in relation to baptized Orthodox Christians. Their souls are living members of the Holy Church. However, such prayer for a suicide in Orthodoxy is prohibited by church canons (14th canon of Timothy of Alexandria). This applies even to those suicides who were baptized.
Suicides deliberately cut themselves off from communion with the Lord.
“Life is a gift from God. But by ending it with suicide, such people are like throwing this gift into the face of God.”
- says the Monk Paisiy Svyatogorets. Archbishop John Shakhovskoy calls the unauthorized taking of one’s life “the murder of one’s love for God.” Suicide is a mortal sin that deprives a person of the opportunity to repent. This is the transfer of temporary, earthly torment into Eternity. Saint Theophan the Recluse teaches:
“The Church does not pray for suicides, for they die in unresolved mortal sin - not purified by repentance” (Collected Works).
A true member of the Church is a Christian not only during life, but also at the moment of death. The death of a suicide cannot be called Christian. Such a person “amputated” himself from the living body of the Holy Church. Bishop Jonah (Cherepanov) notes:
“During the funeral service, we pray: “With the saints, rest your servant.” But it is difficult to call a servant of God a person who has renounced the will of God, much less boldly to ask the Lord to rest him with the saints.”
The Church makes an exception only for those suicides who committed suicide in a state of passion or due to mental illness. Only the ruling bishop can give a blessing for the church commemoration of such a person. To do this, the relatives of the deceased must provide the diocesan administration with the relevant medical certificates and documents.
On what day is it allowed to pray for suicides and how to do it
The Orthodox Church is categorical regarding suicide by believers. In Christianity, there is no day dedicated to prayers for those who died by other means. It is forbidden to commemorate suicides in the temple.
There is Ecumenical Parental Saturday - a service before Trinity, when it is customary to pray for all the departed. In the chants for Parents' Saturday there are lines where they ask the Lord to have mercy on suicides. This text is used to remember suicide victims. The names of the deceased are not announced.
Christians have a holiday - Radonitsa. Celebrated on the second Tuesday after Easter. It's parents' day. According to ancient beliefs, the border between the world of the living and the dead is thinning. You can remember the dead at home through a conversation with God. All the dead and suicides are close to their homes. Prayer on this day is useful for the lost soul.
Relatives of a suicide victim can pray at home, light candles at icons, give alms, and do good deeds on behalf of the deceased. Grieving Christians can accept a special Order. The essence of the ritual is a prayer service in support of grieving loved ones. The action of the ritual is equated to remembrance. By prior agreement, the ceremony is held in the temple in the presence of relatives.
Private prayer for a suicide victim
Prayer of St. Leo of Optina for cell reading
Seek, O Lord, the lost soul of Thy servant (name): if it is possible, have mercy. Your destinies are unsearchable. Do not make this my prayer a sin, but Thy holy will be done.
Troparion to the Martyr Uar of Egypt, tone 4
Through the army of the saints, the passion-bearer of the lawfully suffering, / in vain, you showed your courageous strength. / And you rushed to the passion of your will, / and died lustfully for Christ, / Who accepted honor for you Years of your suffering, Ware, // pray for our souls to be saved.
Translation: Seeing the army of holy passion-bearers suffering under the law, you courageously showed your strength and voluntarily rushed to suffer, and wished to die for Christ, having accepted the reward of the victory of your martyrdom, Uar, pray for the salvation of our souls.
Kontakion to the Martyr Uar of Egypt, tone 4
Following Christ, martyr Ware,/ having drunk the cup,/ and wearing a crown of torment,/ and rejoicing with the Angels // pray unceasingly for our souls.
Translation: Having followed Christ, martyr Uar, having drunk His cup, you were crowned with the crown of martyrdom and rejoice with the Angels, pray unceasingly for our souls.
Prayer to the martyr Uar of Egypt
Oh, holy martyr Ouare! We kindle with zeal for the Lord Christ, you confessed the Heavenly King before the tormentor, and you suffered zealously for Him, and now the Church honors you as glorified by the Lord Christ with the glory of Heaven. Accept our petition and with your prayers free us from eternal torment. Amen.
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Where do suicides go after death?
A Christian who commits suicide will not go to Heaven. It is impossible to determine the location of the soul of the deceased. He will end up in Hell, Paradise, he will wander between worlds - it’s all God’s will. It is prohibited to commemorate a person who has committed a terrible crime. This transfers the sin onto them.
Christians believe that a suicidal person goes to Hell, where he serves difficult trials. The soul of a suicide victim forever wanders without shelter. For a sinner there is no road to the gates of hell or heaven. This explains the categorical ban on remembering the dead by such a death.
The Creator has mercy on loved ones, removing a heavy burden. Atonement for the sin of suicide requires patience and perseverance from them.
Death is a difficult test for the family of the deceased; premature death hurts loved ones and brings pain from loss. The Christian Church prohibits the commemoration of those who committed suicide, but God is merciful and generous.
What else should relatives of a suicide do?
The soul of a suicide can be helped not only by prayer, but also by doing good deeds for his repose. For example, by distributing alms or food. Priest Roman Prisypkin advises:
“When giving alms, ask those you help to also remember the name of the suicided person in private prayer.”
The relatives of the suicide victim should remember that their personal pious life is also important: the desire to fulfill God’s Commandments, regular attendance at divine services and participation in the Church Sacraments. The Lord will ease the fate of the soul of the deceased if he sees the diligent spiritual efforts of his loved ones.
The most significant church rituals are called sacraments, in which the Lord Himself invisibly participates. The main Church Sacraments for baptized Orthodox Christians are Confession and Eucharist (Communion). Confession is a sincere repentance before God of one’s sins, performed in the presence of a witness-priest. Genuine repentance implies an active change in one’s life and firm opposition to sin. In the Sacrament of Confession, the Lord forgives a person and gives him spiritual strength to fight passions. The Holy Venerable Paisius the Svyatogorets instructs:
“In the Sacrament of Confession, the Grace of God acts and a person is freed from sin... A heavenly door opens to a repentant sinner, the Grace of God generously overshadows him... Having removed themselves from the Sacrament of Confession, people suffocate in thoughts and passions” (“Words”, volume 3).
The Sacrament of Communion consists of a saving communion with Christ through the partaking of His Blood and Body under the guise of bread and wine:
“He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56).
This is not a symbolic, but a real union with the Lord, sanctifying and transforming a person. Through Communion, the Almighty restores fallen human nature, heals it from the deadly ulcer of sin. Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) notes:
“As Christ permeates bread and wine with Himself, filling them with His Divinity, so He enters into man, filling his flesh and soul with His life-giving presence and Divine energy.”
How are people who commit suicide remembered?
From this article you can find out how those who committed suicide are remembered, where they are buried, and how relatives can help them in the afterlife. And also what happens to the souls of those who voluntarily die. Moreover, recently this has begun to happen more and more often.
Suicide or euthanasia?
Our life now is such that quite a large number of people decide to voluntarily leave this world without waiting for a natural end. The reasons for this are completely different, but psychologists are of the opinion that in any case at this moment the person is not completely healthy from a mental point of view.
Suicide is a grave sin in almost all religions. Some sects are exceptions; also in Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism, voluntary death is possible in some cases, i.e. it is not considered a mortal sin. If you are wondering whether it is possible to commemorate those who committed suicide, then the clergy will definitely give you a negative answer. There can’t even be any question of anything else here. Of course, there are exceptions, but they are quite rare and documented (more on this will be written below).
It should be noted that in the modern world, some countries practice voluntary death from the terminally ill and those who “turn into vegetables.” This method is called euthanasia. It is believed that it is a personal matter for everyone to “live as a plant” or die. However, it should be remembered that the Lord never gives a person a burden that is beyond his strength. You just need to set your priorities correctly and reconsider your life, decide where to move. Maybe we should turn to the Lord?
And the doctors themselves, helping to carry out euthanasia, understand that this is a banal murder. Every life is valuable to the Lord, and he himself knows when to take it. You just need to rely on him in your troubles and sorrows.
The attitude of Orthodox Christians towards suicides:
As stated above, suicide is a sin. This action is equivalent to breaking one of the Ten Commandments. After all, a murder occurs, albeit of one’s own body. This also indicates that the person does not believe that he can cope with the situation by turning to the Lord. He dares to decide his own destiny, without at all trying to pass tests or temper his spirit. The souls of those who commit suicide are doomed to wander and suffer forever.
It should be noted that this sin cannot be forgiven by the church. All this presupposes repentance for the person who committed this unworthy act. In addition to not absolving sin, the church does not pray for the soul of someone who voluntarily left this world. Therefore, there is no traditional church commemoration for him. You also cannot submit notes with the name of the deceased.
The worst thing is that it is very difficult to help such souls in the afterlife. If relatives have a question about when it is possible to remember those who committed suicide, then they should know that this action is prohibited in the church. As an exception, funeral services are carried out with special permission.
The meaning of prayer for the dead
Is there an Orthodox prayer for a suicidal person? Why is it impossible to commemorate suicides in church and how to help their souls? To find out the answers to these questions, you need to understand the meaning of Orthodox prayer for the dead.
Christianity teaches that man consists of a perishable physical body and an immaterial immortal soul. During life, when these entities form one whole, we have free will and the ability to repent. But after the death of the body, the soul is separated from it and passes into the spiritual world, into Eternity. She is no longer able to change and influence her fate. If a person did not strive for God and did not work for his salvation, then in the afterlife his soul suffers at the mercy of dark forces.
Prayer for a suicidal person
However, the souls of the dead are helped by the love and compassion of living people. Orthodox Christians offer church and home prayer to God for their departed loved ones, and also perform good deeds for the repose of their souls. The merciful Lord does not leave unanswered a fervent prayer for the deceased and makes his fate after death easier. Saint John Chrysostom teaches:
“Offerings for the dead are not in vain, prayers are not in vain, alms are not in vain: the Holy Spirit established all this, wanting us to benefit through each other” (“Conversations”).
