Funeral service for the deceased: how long, how it happens, prices, what is needed

How the funeral service is held

The coffin is brought into the temple without a lid. A ribbon with the faces of the Lord and saints (corolla) is placed on the forehead of the deceased, which symbolizes the crown of earthly life and the reward for hardships.

Those bidding farewell stand with lighted candles, the priest reads psalms, troparia and funeral stichera are sung, St. Scripture. Then the testimony of the forgiveness of all sins for which the deceased has repented is proclaimed. After the final prayer, a piece of paper with the text is placed in the hands of the deceased, then the priest says a special “prayer of permission.”

Then everyone says goodbye to the deceased: they come up to him, touch their lips to the icon on the chest of the deceased and the aureole, say the last “forgive”, and bow. A blanket is placed over the body, and the coffin is covered with a lid.

Peculiarities of holding an absentee funeral service in a church - how it goes

The procedures for in-person and absentee burial are similar; in both cases, special prayers are read, but the occasion for those gathered is different. If the body of the deceased is in a coffin, the priest must conduct a full burial ceremony, otherwise the focus is on the ground. It is with her that the main manipulations are carried out when performing the correspondence ceremony. Relatives are advised to wear white clothes, as is the clergy. This is a symbol of purity, birth into a new world.

Funeral service in absentia

Reading funeral prayers

The personal presence of the priest is correct. When someone replaces him or uses a video conference to broadcast online, such words also have power, but not as significant as a prayer read by a clergyman in person. Relatives can also pronounce sacred words. At the same time, you can ask for forgiveness from the deceased, and also let go of your grievances. When candles are burning nearby, the prayer effect is felt more strongly, so during the service almost everyone holds candles.

For the funeral service, they use land that was prepared in advance. However, if the grave of the deceased is nearby, but the service (burial ceremony) was not held for some reason, it is permissible to take a handful from it.

You can order a memorial service at a monastery or temple, and this is done on the 3rd, 9th, 40th day and every anniversary of death.

Reading funeral prayers in the monastery

Transferring special symbolic paraphernalia to the relatives of the deceased

If the grave remains empty, the family needs something more to grieve. At the same time, relatives will not be able to come to the deceased, have conversations or perform any actions to put the territory in order. To ease the fate of relatives, they are given all the attributes that could be used during the funeral service: a whisk, land, and a piece of paper with a prayer of permission. But there are conditions. For example, a whisk and a piece of paper with a prayer of permission are given to those whose relative has not yet been buried, and a reburial procedure may also be carried out. You can take the scarves in which the candles were held with you, but the candle stubs, on the contrary, are left on the territory of the temple.

Permissive prayer with a whisk

Funeral service for the deceased in absentia

Previously, an absentee funeral was allowed only if there were no remains to bury them - for example, when a person burned down in a fire, drowned without a trace, disappeared during an earthquake and other natural disasters, was buried according to a maritime rite, etc.

The practice of funeral services in absentia became widespread during the Soviet era. Then many temples were closed or destroyed, and there was nowhere to hold the ceremony. Believers had no other option but to ask for a funeral service in absentia.

In many places of residence there are still no churches, so transporting the body to the place of burial is often impossible - it is too far and expensive. Therefore, the church meets the needs of believers and in some cases allows the funeral ceremony to be held in absentia.

What happens to the soul of the deceased after the funeral service?

The position of the incorporeal shell after death is precarious. It is believed that at this time angels and demons appear, each inclining the soul to their side. Burial on the third day is a symbolic event. This is a kind of milestone, meaning that the soul has correctly gone through the process of separation from the body. Then she calms down. Moreover, such changes are facilitated by outside participation—the prayers of relatives. The body goes down, the soul rises. This is an intermediate stage. The incorporeal shell does not yet go to heaven or hell.

Another reason explaining why the funeral is not scheduled before the third day is that the soul is still nearby, it will be unbearably painful for it to contemplate the burial of its material container.

Departure of the soul of the deceased

How much does a funeral service cost?

The Church does not and cannot demand any price for the funeral service - funeral services in the church are performed free of charge. Voluntary donations are welcome, provided they come with a pure heart.

A church ritual is performed only at the behest of the heart and faith and cannot be paid for. Look - you can always find a church where they don’t ask for money for a funeral service.

If you don’t have money, remember: the priest will not refuse your request to conduct a funeral service without payment. If you do see a church price list with the phrase “Funeral service for the deceased. The cost of the service,” it is better not to hold a service where they charge a fee for serving before the Lord.

Actions of relatives

When the funeral service takes place in absentia, you need to behave in accordance with the established procedure. This will make the path of the incorporeal shell easier.

Continuously pray for the soul of the deceased

The correct thing to do is to read the prayer silently. When a funeral ceremony is carried out in the absence of the deceased, it is necessary to put in a lot of effort to make his soul feel better. The more guests come, the better. In addition to reading the prayer, there is another meaning to this ritual - this is how tribute is paid to the deceased.

If relatives are unable to pray continuously, you can ask strangers to replace them when the sacred words are spoken alternately.

People at the funeral service

Pour soil onto the deceased's blanket

Most often, it is recommended to scatter the soil on the grave. This is done subject to certain rules being met. They take into account the method of sprinkling, family relationships with other deceased nearby graves and the method of burial. In some cases, the earth that was used to read prayers over it can be poured onto the deceased (on top of the blanket with which he is covered). This option is considered if the burial ceremony needs to be carried out before the burial.

Spilling out soil

If there is no grave, scatter it on another with an Orthodox cross installed

Relatives are not always able to bury a loved one. In the event of a flood, explosion, earthquake and other cataclysms, major accidents, man-made disasters, no body remains. Then it is permissible to scatter the soil in the area where family burials are taking place. It is allowed to pour soil onto any other grave. An important condition is that a cross must be installed on it.

Pour soil into the urn with ashes in case of cremation

The body is not always buried. For religious reasons, as well as due to severe damage, it is burned. After cremation, the urn containing the ashes is given to the family. You can pour the earth over which prayers were read into it, and then keep it or bury it.

Urn with ashes

Place the crown on the head of the deceased, the prayer is placed in his hands

The crown is put on after the body is prepared for burial, when ablution has been performed. This is an important symbol, personifying the crown of glory and truth. In Orthodoxy, such an attribute indicates that a person led a righteous life. If the funeral service was performed later than the burial, it must be worn. The prayer is said over the deceased; this period of preparation does not last long. Then the paper is folded and left in the hand of the deceased.

Funeral aureole

Burn the attributes if it is impossible to cover the deceased with them

The prayer of loved ones gives the ethereal shell of the deceased the opportunity to reduce the intensity of the pain experienced while it wanders the earth, familiar places and among loved ones. But it is also important to learn how to store things from the cemetery. If the attributes used during the burial ceremony are not useful, it is better to destroy them. Fire removes negative energy. In addition, the reminder of this unfortunate event disappears.

Fire removes negative energy

Who shouldn't have a funeral service?

A priest may refuse to perform a funeral service for a non-church person or an atheist. Non-believers, atheists, agnostics, occultists made their choice during their lifetime. And we must respect this choice, even if it seems terrible to us. Meeting the Holy God will only bring them torment.

The funeral service is not performed for the unbaptized (including infants), heterodox and non-Orthodox people, as well as those killed while committing a crime and suicides.

In the latter case, the deceased may be buried if he committed suicide in a state of insanity or madness. To do this, relatives can seek written permission from the ruling bishop by submitting a petition to him with an attached medical report on the cause of death of their loved one.

In a crematorium or morgue

Many morgues have special farewell rooms where you can have a funeral service for a person before going to the cemetery. The ritual is carried out immediately after the removal of the coffin and is in many ways reminiscent of a service in a church. The only difference is the limited time of the ceremony, since the morgue may have many deceased people who they want to say goodbye to in the ritual hall.

In recent years, the Orthodox Church has not prohibited the cremation of the dead, but the majority of true believers prefer to bury their loved ones in a grave. Meanwhile, a funeral service before cremation is a popular service. As in the case of the morgue, it is held in the hall at the crematorium in accordance with accepted church traditions.

General provisions regarding funeral services after funerals

Let us immediately emphasize that our text will contain only that information that is relevant for the Russian Orthodox Church - in non-Orthodox and even in other Orthodox churches, orders may be different. So, according to the canons, the funeral service must take place before the burial. Relatives or other legal representatives of the deceased, however, can contact the parish priest and ask whether he can perform the funeral service after the burial due to certain circumstances. If the decision on the matter is within his jurisdiction, the decision will depend on him. If the situation turns out to be particularly difficult, then with some probability permission for a posthumous funeral service will have to be obtained from higher church officials - for example, from a bishop. However, it is safe to say that the church will not perform a funeral service for a person after burial just because it was more convenient for his family to organize their time and resources - such a reason is not considered valid.

What else can you do to help the soul of the deceased?

The funeral service and Christian burial of a deceased Christian, caring for his soul does not begin and does not end. It is advisable to perform prayer - cell (private) and public (in church). Notes about the deceased are submitted for proskomedia and memorial services (funeral prayers). The person submitting the note should not rely only on the prayer of the priest, but should also be prayerfully present at the service.

To help the soul of a loved one, we ourselves must come to God and get to know Him. We must live according to His commandments, communicate with Him in prayer, ask Him for mercy (including for the soul we want to help). For the sake of the soul of a loved one, we can give alms, perform deeds of mercy, fast, pray, and thereby reconcile the soul of the departed with God. 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 deceased relatives and friends.

Funeral service for cremation

In contrast to the civil legislation of the Russian Federation, which recommends cremation, the Orthodox Church considers burning a body a sin incompatible with Orthodoxy. The Church believes that the body is the temple of the soul, and it is preserved until the Last Judgment, where reunification with the soul will occur, therefore the body cannot be burned. Cremation is allowed only in exceptional cases, for example, when there is no space in cemeteries.

All prayers and funeral services for the deceased are performed in the same order, but before burning the icon is removed from the coffin. The urn can be buried in the ground in compliance with all rituals.

One should not be afraid that burning will condemn the deceased to eternal torment. Cremation is not approved by the Orthodox Church, because this action instills despair in the souls of loved ones and leaves no hope for resurrection. But the fate of each deceased is in the hands of God, and does not depend on the method of burial.

On what day is the funeral service held?

The funeral service is performed in the temple, usually on the third day after death; The first day is considered to be 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, the funeral service is performed on the days of Bright Easter Week: instead of sad funeral prayers, joyful solemn chants of Holy Easter are sung.

On the day of the Holy Resurrection of Christ and on the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, the deceased are not brought into the church and funeral services are not performed, moving it to the next day.

How to behave at a funeral service?

If a person is not familiar with church services, then most often, when he comes to the funeral service, he faces not the altar, but the coffin, and throughout the service he does not take his eyes off the deceased. This is, of course, wrong. Unfortunately, this story repeats itself over and over again - although it is difficult to demand anything from a person in a difficult moment for him.

But still, a funeral service is a prayer service that takes place in a church, and therefore those who come must pray for the deceased, listen to the words of the priest and the choir and try to understand them.

Force majeure circumstances

Sometimes a person is interred inappropriately: for example, he could be a victim of murder or political repression. It is obvious that in this case the funeral service also could not be carried out according to the canons. As a rule, in this case, the clergy also do not refuse the family a posthumous funeral service - even if many years have passed from the moment of death to the funeral service. Similarly, a funeral service after death can be organized even when a Christian believer was buried in a non-Christian manner: for example, if the relatives who took upon themselves the responsibility of organizing the burial neglected the wishes of the deceased and did not bury him/her according to Christian rites. In this case, other members of the deceased’s family may ask the church to organize a funeral service - consent here is by no means guaranteed, however, if the deceased was truly a believing Christian and went to church, then his priest is unlikely to refuse to perform the last rites, even if they are not timely.

REMEMBER'S SERVICE

A memorial service is a service at which those who have left us for eternity are remembered. Out of the feeling of our love for our departed loved ones, we ask God to save their souls from the trials (ordeals) that they undergo beyond the threshold of life. Memorial services should especially be celebrated on the 3rd, 9th, 40th days, as well as on the birthday of the deceased, the day of remembrance of the saint whose name he bore during his life on earth, and on the anniversaries of death.

The third day. The commemoration of the deceased on the third day after death is performed in honor of the three-day resurrection of Jesus Christ and in the image of the Holy Trinity. Ninth day. The commemoration of the deceased on this day is in honor of the nine ranks of angels, who, as servants of the King of Heaven and representatives to Him for us, petition for pardon for the deceased. Fortieth day. The forty-day period is very significant in the history and tradition of the Church as the time necessary for preparation and acceptance of the special Divine gift of the gracious help of the Heavenly Father. The Prophet Moses was honored to talk with God on Mount Sinai and receive the tablets of the law from Him only after a forty-day fast. The Israelites reached the promised land after forty years of wandering. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself ascended into heaven on the fortieth day after His resurrection. Taking all this as a basis, the Church established commemoration on the fortieth day after death, so that the soul of the deceased would ascend the holy mountain of Heavenly Sinai, be rewarded with the sight of God, achieve the bliss promised to it and settle in the heavenly villages with the righteous.

After the second worship of the Lord, the Angels take the soul to hell, and it contemplates the cruel torment of unrepentant sinners. On the fortieth day, the soul ascends for the third time to worship God, and then its fate is decided - according to earthly affairs, it is assigned a place to stay until the Last Judgment. That is why church prayers and commemorations on this day are so timely. They atone for the sins of the deceased and ask for his soul to be placed in paradise with the saints.

UNIVERSAL MEMORIAL SERVICES (PARENTAL SATURDAYS)

In addition to memorial services, which are served for one or another deceased individually, the Church has special days called Ecumenical Parental Saturdays, when all Orthodox Christians who have departed from the ages are remembered.

Meat Saturday. Dedicating the Meat Week to the reminder of the last Last Judgment of Christ, the Church, in view of this judgment, established to intercede not only for its living members, but also for all those who have died from time immemorial.

Saturday Trinity. The commemoration of all dead pious Christians was established on the Saturday before Pentecost due to the fact that the event of the descent of the Holy Spirit completed the economy of human salvation, and the deceased also participate in this salvation.

Parental Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of Great Lent. On Holy Pentecost - the days of Great Lent, the feat of spirituality, the feat of repentance and charity to others - the Church calls on believers to be in the closest union of Christian love and peace not only with the living, but also with the dead, to perform prayerful commemorations of those who have departed from this life on designated days.

Radonitsa. The basis for the general commemoration of the dead, which takes place on Tuesday after St. Thomas Week (Sunday), is, on the one hand, the remembrance of the descent of Jesus Christ into hell and His victory over death, connected with St. Thomas Sunday, and on the other hand, the permission of the church charter to perform the usual commemoration of the dead after Holy and Holy Weeks, starting with Fomin Monday. On this day, believers come to the graves of their relatives and friends with the joyful news of the Resurrection of Christ. Hence the day of remembrance itself is called Radonitsa (or Radunitsa).

Unfortunately, in Soviet times, the custom was established to visit cemeteries not on Radonitsa, but on the first day of Easter. It is natural for a believer to visit the graves of his loved ones after fervent prayer for their repose in the church - after a memorial service has been served in the church. During Easter week there are no funeral services, for Easter is an all-encompassing joy for believers in the Resurrection of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, during the entire Easter week, funeral litanies are not pronounced (although the usual commemoration is performed at the proskomedia), and memorial services are not served.

FUNERAL SERVICE

The funeral service is a funeral liturgical rite performed by a priest, with which the Church escorts to eternal life the one who has passed away from temporary life, prayerfully interceding for him forgiveness of sins and repose in the Heavenly Kingdom.

Funeral service is a popular name that was given to this rite because most of the prayers in it are sung. In the Trebnik, the funeral service is called “the follow-up of the dead.”

It is performed over the deceased 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 service. The rites include stichera, the canon, and the reading of the Apostle and the Gospel. The funeral service must take place in the church. 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 for the deceased.

It is customary for Orthodox Christians to bury them in a coffin, which remains open until the end of the funeral service (if there are no special obstacles to this). The funeral and burial are usually performed on the third day; 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).

During the funeral service, all those accompanying the deceased pray with lit candles, signifying the Non-Evening Light of eternity. When saying goodbye, the icon on the chest and the forehead (crown) of the deceased are kissed. In the case when the funeral service takes place with the coffin closed, the cross on the coffin lid is kissed.

According to a special rite, the funeral service is performed on the days of Bright Easter Week: instead of sad funeral prayers, joyful solemn chants of Holy Easter are sung. On the day of the Holy Resurrection of Christ and on the Feast of the Nativity of Christ, the deceased are not brought into the church and funeral services are not performed, moving it to the next day.

When coming to church, you should remember, firstly, that the funeral service and commemoration are needed for prayer. And those who truly loved the deceased usually pray sincerely, that is, people close to him, those who worry about the soul of the deceased. Secondly, it would be good if people standing in the church took the text of the rite (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.

WHO CANNOT BE SERVED IN THE ORTHODOX CHURCH

The funeral service is not performed for the unbaptized (including infants), heterodox and non-Orthodox people, as well as those killed while committing a crime and suicides. In the latter case, the deceased may be buried if he committed suicide in a state of insanity or madness. To do this, relatives can seek written permission from the ruling bishop by submitting a petition to him with an attached medical report on the cause of death of their loved one.

Nothing changes after the funeral service for a person who did not confess God during his lifetime. The funeral service is not a “pass to Heaven,” a magical act in which the deceased’s sins are automatically forgiven or his soul will definitely enter the Kingdom of God.

The simultaneous funeral of several deceased is not a violation of liturgical rules.

FUNERAL SERVICE AND PRAYER - CARE FOR THE SOUL OF YOUR NEIGHBOR

The funeral service and Christian burial of a deceased Christian does not end with the care of his soul. It is advisable to perform prayer - cell (private) and public (in church). Notes about the deceased are submitted for proskomedia and memorial services (funeral prayers). The person submitting the note should not rely only on the priest’s prayer according to the note, but should also be prayerfully present at the service.

To help the soul of a loved one, we ourselves must come to God and get to know Him. We must live according to His commandments, communicate with Him in prayer, ask Him for mercy (including for the soul we want to help). For the sake of the sinful soul of a loved one, we can give alms, perform deeds of mercy, fast, pray, and thereby reconcile the soul of a departed loved one with God. 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 deceased relatives and friends.

IN OUR TEMPLE

In our church, funeral services are performed by appointment. In order to sign up, you need to go to the church shop and leave your phone number to contact the priest.

Sorokoust

Sorokoust is a special prayer that is read for 40 days at the Divine Liturgy. Sorokoust can be for both health and peace. The funeral magpie is performed for the same thing as other successions: to beg God for forgiveness of the sins of the deceased and to make his afterlife easier.

At the proskomedia, the priest takes out one particle at a time from the prosphora, pronouncing the names from the submitted notes “On Repose.” These actions are certainly performed on the altar, where prayer gains great power. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the particles are lowered into the chalice with the Blood of Christ as a sign of washing away the sins of all the mentioned deceased. This rank is called “with a particle.”

Funeral

If you are planning to have a funeral service at a cemetery, contact the Honest Agent funeral bureau for help. We provide a full range of funeral services and can help you organize the ritual with full honors. Our specialists will undertake:

preparation for the farewell ceremony;
contacting a clergyman to perform a ceremony;
delivery of the deceased to the temple;
preparation of necessary ritual supplies;
consultations on farewell issues.

We understand well that in times of loss, relatives are in a difficult psychological state and are in dire need of support. Our staff will take care of the tedious hassle of organizing the burial and help prepare for the ceremony. When you contact us, you can count on affordable prices, quality service and a decent funeral.

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Death far from home

The most common reason for a funeral service after a burial is the death of a person far from his home. For example, a sailor may die while sailing, a tourist may die while abroad, or a military personnel may die on a foreign military base or during combat operations in another country. In these and similar cases, the dead are often buried not far from the place of death - sometimes for economic, sometimes for other reasons (for example, sometimes it may simply be impossible to remove the body of a military man from the scene of hostilities). Moreover, the relatives of the deceased may find out about the death and burial of a person long after it all happened. Obviously, in this case they had no opportunity to organize a funeral service before the funeral - as a rule, parish priests in such cases agree to conduct the ceremony after the fact.