Christian burial
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[[Image:Ascension-Parish-Burial-Ground-Cambridge.jpg|thumb|250px|Ascension Parish burial ground, [[Cambridge]], [[UK]].]]
A '''Christian burial''' is the [[burial]] of a deceased person with [[Ecclesiology|ecclesiastical]] rites; typically, in [[consecrated]] ground.
==History and antecedents of Christian burial rites==
===Early historical evidence===
[[Image:9691 - Milano - S. Ambrogio - San Vittore in Ciel d'oro - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto 25-Apr-2007.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Fourth century Christian burial depicted in [[relief]] at the [[Shrine]] of San Vittore in ciel d'oro, [[Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio]], [[Milan]].]]
Among the Greeks and Romans, both [[cremation]] and [[burial]] were practiced. However, the [[Judaism|Jews]] and most of the nations of antiquity buried their dead. Even [[God in Christianity|God]] himself is depicted in the [[Torah]] as performing burial: "And [God] buried him ([[Moses]]) in the depression in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor. No man knows the place that he was buried, even to this day." ([[Book of Deuteronomy|Deuteronomy]] 34:6). Early Christians used only burial, as can be demonstrated from the direct testimony of [[Tertullian]]<ref>Tertullian, ''De Corona'' (in [[Migne]], ''[[Patrologia Latina]]'' [P.L.], II, 92, 795); cf. Minucius Felix, ''Octavius'', xi (P.L., III, 266)</ref> and from the stress laid upon the analogy between the [[resurrection of the body]] and the [[Death and Resurrection of Jesus|Resurrection of Christ]] ({{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|15:42|NRSV}}).<ref>cf. [[Tertullian]], [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.iv.xi.lv.html ''De Animâ'', LV]; [[Augustine of Hippo|St. Augustine]], ''[[De civitate Dei]]'', I, 13</ref>
In the light of the [[dogma]] of the [[resurrection]] of the body as well as of Jewish tradition<ref>Cf. [[Book of Tobit|Tobit]] 1:21; 12:12; [[Sirach]] 38:16; [[2 Maccabees]] 12:39</ref>, the burial of the mortal remains of the Christian dead has always been regarded as an act of religious import. It is surrounded at all times with some measure of religious ceremony.<ref name="CE">{{Citation
| last =Thurston
| first =Herbert
| author-link =
| contribution =Christian Burial
| year =1908
| title =[[The Catholic Encyclopedia]]
| editor-last =
| editor-first =
| volume =III
| pages =
| place=New York
| publisher =Robert Appleton Company
| id =
| url = http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03071a.htm
| accessdate = 2008-01-04}}</ref>
Very little is known with regard to the burial of the dead in the early Christian centuries. The first Christians likely followed the national customs of the people among whom they lived, as long as they were not directly [[Idolatry|idolatrous]]. [[Jerome|St. Jerome]], in his account of the death of [[Paul of Thebes|St. Paul the Hermit]], speaks of the singing of hymns and psalms while the body is carried to the grave as an observance belonging to ancient Christian tradition.
Several historical writings indicate that in the fourth and fifth centuries, the offering of the [[Sacrifice#Sacrifice in Christianity|Eucharist]] was an essential feature in the last solemn rites. These writings include: [[Gregory of Nyssa|St. Gregory of Nyssa]]’s detailed description of the [[funeral]] of [[Saint Macrina the Younger|St. Macrina]], [[Augustine of Hippo|St. Augustine]]’s references to his mother [[Monica of Hippo|St. Monica]], the ''[[Apostolic Constitutions]]'' (Book VII), and the ''[[Celestial Hierarchy]]'' of [[Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite|Dionysius the Areopagite]].
Probably the earliest detailed account of funeral ceremonial which has been preserved to us is to be found in the Spanish ''Ordinals'' of the latter part of the seventh century. Recorded in the writing is a description of "the Order of what the clerics of any city ought to do when their bishop falls into a mortal sickness." It details the steps of ringing church bells, reciting psalms, and cleaning and dressing the body.
[[Image:Funeral Procession - 15th Century - Project Gutenberg eText 16531.jpg|thumb|15th Century monastic funeral procession entering [[Old St. Paul's Cathedral]], [[London]]. The coffin is covered by a blue and gold [[pall]], and the [[grave]] is being dug in the foreground.]]
Traditionally, the Christian Church opposed the practice of cremation by its members. While involving no necessary contradiction of any article of faith, it is opposed alike to ancient [[canon law]] and to the usages (''[[Praxis (Eastern Orthodoxy)|praxis]]'') of antiquity. Burial was always preferred as the method of disposition inherited from Judaism and the example of Jesus' burial in the [[Holy Sepulchre|tomb]].<ref name="Devlin">
{{Citation
| last =Devlin
| first =William
| author-link =
| last2=
| first2=
| author2-link=
| contribution =Cremation
| year =1908
| publication-date=
| title =[[The Catholic Encyclopedia]]
| editor-last =
| editor-first =
| editor-link=
| edition=
| volume =IV
| series =
| pages =
| place =New York
| publisher =Robert Appleton Company
| id =
| isbn =
| url = http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04481c.htm
| accessdate =2008-01-08}}
</ref> During times of [[Persecution of Christians|persecution]], pagan authorities erroneously thought they could destroy the [[martyr]]s' hope of resurrection by cremating their remains. Though the church always taught that the destruction of the earthly remains posed no threat to the bodily resurrection,<ref>[[Marcus Minucius Felix]], ''Octavius'' (P.L., III, 362)</ref> many Christians risked their lives to prevent this [[desecration]] of the [[relic]]s of the saints. Furthermore, the bodies of Christians were considered to have been [[sanctification|sanctified]] by [[baptism]] and the reception of the [[sacrament]]s, and thus were to be treated with dignity and respect, as befits a "[[Temple]] of the [[Holy Spirit]]" ({{bibleverse|I|Corinthians|3:16-17|KJV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|I|Corinthians|6:19|KJV}}). In reaction against the Christian opposition to cremation some have deliberately instructed that their remains be cremated as a public profession of irreligion and materialism.<ref name="Devlin"/> The revival of cremation in modern times has prompted a revision of this opposition by many Christian churches, though some groups continue to discourage the practice, provided there is no intent of [[apostacy]] or [[sacrilige]].
During the [[Middle Ages]] a practice arose among the aristocracy that when a nobleman was killed in battle far from home, the body would be defleshed by boiling or some such other method, and his bones transported back to his estate for burial. In response, in the year 1300, [[Pope Boniface VIII]] promulgated a law which excommunicated ''ipso facto'' anyone who disembowelled bodies of the dead or boiled them to separate the flesh from the bones, for the purpose of transportation for burial in their native land. He further decreed that bodies which had been so treated were to be denied Christian burial.<ref>Boniface VIII, ''Extrav. Comm.'', Lib. III, Tit. vi, c. i.</ref><ref name="Devlin"/>
===The wake===
{{main|Wake}}
The custom of [[vigil|watching]] by the dead (the wake) is an ancient practice. The origins are not entirely known. It may have been a Christian observance, attended with the chanting of psalms, or was adopted from paganism, and the singing of psalms was introduced to "Christianize" it.
In the [[Middle Ages]], among the [[Monasticism|monastic orders]], the custom was practiced in a desire to perform religious duties and was seen as beneficial. By appointing relays of monks to succeed one another, orderly provision was made that the corpse would never be left without prayer.
Among secular persons, these nocturnal meetings were sometimes an occasion of grave abuses, especially in the matter of eating and drinking. The following is found in the Anglo-Saxon canons of [[Ælfric]], addressed to the clergy:
<blockquote>Ye shall not rejoice on account of men deceased nor attend on the corpse unless ye be thereto invited. When ye are thereto invited then forbid ye the heathen songs (''haethenan sangas'') of the laymen and their loud cachinnations; nor eat ye nor drink where the corpse lieth therein, lest ye be imitators of the heathenism which they there commit.<ref>
{{Citation
| last =Thorpe
| first =Benjamin
| author-link =Benjamin Thorpe
| contribution =
| year =1840
| title =Ancient Laws and Institutes of England
| editor-last =
| editor-first =
| volume =
| page =448
| place=London
| publisher =George E. Eyre and Andrew Spottiswoode
| id =
| url =
| accessdate = }}</ref></blockquote>
In the earliest [[Ambrosian Rite|Ambrosian ritual]] (eighth or ninth century), which Magistretti pronounces to be derived from Rome,<ref>Magistretti, ''Manuale Ambrosianum'', Milan, 1905, I, 67 sqq.</ref> the funeral is broken up into stages: at the house of the deceased, on the way to the church, at the church, from the church to the grave, and at the grave side. But it is also clear that there was originally something of the nature of a wake (''vigilioe'') consisting in the chanting of the whole [[Psalter]] beside the dead man at his home.<ref>Magistretti, ib., I, 70</ref>
===Absolution===
The [[Absolution]] became common in the second half of the eleventh century. It involves laying a form of absolution upon the breast of the deceased. This is enjoined in the monastic constitutions of [[Lanfranc|Archbishop Lanfranc]].<ref>{{Citation
| last =Thurston
| first =Herbert
| author-link =
| contribution =
| year =
| title =Life of St. Hugh of Lincoln
| editor-last =
| editor-first =
| volume =
| page =219
| place=
| publisher =
| id =
| url =
| accessdate = }}</ref> Occasionally, a leaden cross etched with a few words was used for this purpose. Many such crosses have been recovered in opening tombs belonging to this period. In the [[Orthodox Church]], a Prayer of Absolution, usually in printed form, is first read over the deceased by his [[spiritual father]] and then rolled up and placed in his hand and left with him in the coffin.
===Offertory===
The medieval ritual also included an [[offertory]] in the funeral of well known and distinguished people. Generous offerings were made in money, and [[gift in kind|in kind]], in the hope of benefiting the soul of the deceased. It was also usual to lead his war-horse up the church fully accoutered and to present it to the priest at the altar rails. It would later be redeemed by a money payment.
==Catholic burial ritual==
The various Catholic religious observances surrounding mortal remains can be divided into three stages.
===Conveyance of the body to the church===
[[Image:John Hughes burial - Brady-Handy.jpg|thumb|Archbishop [[John Hughes (archbishop)|John Hughes]] prepared for burial, [[St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, New York]], 1864.]]
The first stage involves the parish priest and other clergy going to the house of the deceased. One cleric carries the cross and another carries a vessel of [[holy water]]. Before the coffin is removed from the house it is sprinkled with the holy water. The priest, with his assistants, says the psalm ''[[De profundis]]'' with the antiphon ''Si iniquitates''. Then the procession sets out for the church. The cross-bearer goes first, followed by members of the clergy carrying lighted candles. The priest walks immediately before the coffin, and the friends of the deceased and others walk behind it.
[[Image:Canterbury Cathedral 072 Funeral Procession from Healing window.JPG|thumb|left|Funeral procession from the "Healing Window" at [[Canterbury Cathedral]].]]
As they leave the house, the priest intones the antiphon ''Exsultabunt Domino'', and then the psalm [[Miserere]] is recited or chanted in alternate verses by the cantors and clergy. On reaching the church the antiphon ''Exsultabunt'' is repeated. As the body is placed "in the middle of the church," the responsorial ''Subvenite'' is recited.
Historical precedence provides that if the corpse is a layman, the feet are to be turned towards the altar. If the corpse is a priest, then the position is reversed, the head being towards the altar. The earliest reference to this is in Johann Burchard's "Diary". Burchard was the master of ceremonies to [[Pope Innocent VIII]] and [[Pope Alexander VI]].
A rule also exists that both before the altar and in the grave, the feet of all Christians should be pointed to the East. This custom is alluded to by [[Hildebert|Bishop Hildebert]] at the beginning of the twelfth century<ref>Hildebert of Tours, ''Sermones'' (P.L., CLXXI, 896)</ref>, and its symbolism is discussed by [[Guillaume Durand]]. "A man ought so to be buried", he says, "that while his head lies to the West his feet are turned to the East…"<ref>Guillaume Durand, ''Rationale divinorum officiorum'', VII, 35</ref> The idea seems to be that the bishop (or priest) in death should occupy the same position in the church as during life, facing his people who he taught and blessed in Christ's name.
===Ceremony in the church===
[[Image:Folio 199v - A Funeral Service.jpg|thumb|A Funeral Service (''[[Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry]]'', Folio 199v. [[Musée Condé]], [[Chantilly]].]]
The second stage is a cycle of [[prayer]]s, the funeral [[Mass (Catholic Church)|Mass]], and [[absolution]]. Candles are lit around the coffin, and they are allowed to burn throughout this stage.
====Prayers====
The prayers offered are the [[Office of the Dead]]. Throughout the prayers, certain omissions are made. For example, each psalm ends with [[Requiem|Requiem aeternam]] instead of the [[Doxology|Gloria Patri]]
====Mass for the Dead====
As in the case of the Office, the Mass for the Dead (''Missa de Requie'') is chiefly distinguished from ordinary Masses by certain omissions. Some of these may be due to the fact that this Mass was formerly regarded as supplementary to the Mass of the day. In other cases it preserves the tradition of a more primitive age. The suppression of the Alleluia, Gloria in excelsis, and the Gloria Patri seems to point to a sense of the incongruity of joyful themes in the presence of God's searching and inscrutable judgments.<ref>Cf. [[Antonio Maria Ceriani]], ''Circa obligationem Officii Defunctorum'', 9.</ref> In the early Christian ages, however, it would seem that the Alleluia, especially in the East, was regarded as especially appropriate to funerals.
During the Mass it is customary to distribute candles to the congregation. These are to be lit during the Gospel, during the latter part of the Holy Sacrifice from the Elevation to the Communion, and during the absolution which follows the Mass. As already remarked the association of lights with Christian funerals is very ancient, and liturgists here recognize a symbolical reference to baptism whereby Christians are made the children of Light, as well as a concrete reminder of the oft repeated prayer ''et lux perpetua luceat eis''.<ref>
{{Citation
| last =Thalhofer
| first =Valentin
| author-link =
| contribution =
| year =1912
| title =Handbuch der Katholischen Liturgik, etc.
| editor-last =
| editor-first =
| volume =II
| page =529
| place=Freiburg
| publisher =
| id =ASIN: B000IUXNYM
| url =
| accessdate = }}</ref>
====Absolution====
After Mass follows the [[absolution]], which are prayers for pardon over the corpse before it is laid in the grave. These prayers, like those said by the graveside, ought never to be omitted. After several standard prayers, psalms, and the use of incense, the priest pronounces the prayer of absolution, sometimes in the following form:
<blockquote>O God, Whose attribute it is always to have mercy and to spare, we humbly present our prayers to Thee for the souls of Thy servants which Thou has this day called out of this world, beseeching Thee not to deliver them into the hands of the enemy, nor to forget them for ever, but to command Thy holy angels to receive them, and to bear them into paradise; that as they have believed and hoped in Thee they may be delivered from the pains of hell and inherit eternal life through Christ our Lord. Amen.</blockquote>
It may be noted that these prayers of absolution are not demands made to God, but are prayers imploring God's mercy upon the deceased.
===Ceremony by the graveside===
[[Image:Burial at Ornans.jpg|thumb|250px|left|''Burial at Ornans'' (1850, [[Gustave Courbet]] , [[Louvre]], [[Paris]]).]]
After the absolution, the body is carried to the grave. The tomb or burial plot is then blessed, if it has not been blessed previously. A grave newly dug in an already consecrated cemetery is considered blessed, and requires no further consecration. However, a [[mausoleum]] erected above ground or even a brick chamber beneath the surface is regarded as needing blessing when used for the first time. This blessing is short and consists only of a single prayer after which the body is again sprinkled with holy water and incensed. Apart from this, the service at the graveside is very brief.
The priest intones the antiphon "''I am the Resurrection and the Life''", after which the coffin is lowered into the grave and the [[Benedictus (Song of Zechariah)|Canticle Benedictus]] is recited or sung. Then the antiphon is repeated again, the [[Lord's Prayer]] is said silently, while the coffin is again sprinkled with holy water. Finally, after one or two brief responses, the following ancient prayer is said:
<blockquote>Grant this mercy, O Lord, we beseech Thee, to Thy servant departed, that he may not receive in punishment the requital of his deeds who in desire did keep Thy will, and as the true faith here united him to the company of the faithful, so may Thy mercy unite him above to the choirs of angels. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.</blockquote>
The final petition made by the priest is "May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace." At that point, the graveside ceremony and the burial is complete.
==Eastern Orthodox burial ritual==<!-- A link from [[Psalm 119]] redirects here-->
[[Image:Witte Grave.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Grave of an Orthodox Christian in Lazarev Cemetery, [[Alexander Nevsky Lavra]].]]
The full burial service of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] is lengthy, and there are several features unique to the Eastern Church. There are five different funeral services, depending upon the deceased's station in life: laity, children, monks, priests, and a special form served for all of the above during [[Bright Week]] (Easter week).
===Ablutions===
When an Orthodox Christian is preparing for death, the priest comes to him and hears his final [[confession]] and gives him [[Holy Communion]], if he is conscious ([[Anointing|Holy Unction]] is not a part of Orthodox [[last rites]]). The priest then reads the ''Office at the Parting of the Soul from the Body'',<ref name="Hap">{{Citation
| last =Hapgood
| first =Isabel
| author-link =
| contribution =
| year =1922
| title =Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church (2nd Edition)
| editor-last =
| editor-first =
| volume =
| pages =360, ff.
| place=Englewood, N.J.
| publisher =Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese
| id =
| url =
| accessdate = }}
</ref> which consists of prayers and a [[canon (hymnography)|canon]] to encourage repentance, and help ease the soul's transition from earthly life to the hereafter. There is a special form of this service "For One who has Suffered Long".
Immediately after death, a unique memorial service, called the "First [[Pannikhida]]" is celebrated. After this, the [[Ablution in Christianity#Ablutions for the Dead|body is washed]] and clothed for burial. Traditionally, this act of love is performed by the family and friends of the deceased ({{bibleverse||Acts|9:37|KJV}}).
A crown (sometimes referred to as a ''[[phylactery]]''), is placed upon the dead layman's head. This consists of a strip of paper upon which the [[Trisagion]] is written, and sometimes an [[icon]] of the [[Deesis]] is printed on it as well. A small [[icon]] of [[Christ]], the [[Theotokos]] or the deceased's [[patron saint]] is placed in his right hand; or, alternately, a cross. A [[prayer rope]] may be placed in his left hand. If the deceased served in the military or held some other high office, he may be dressed in his uniform. If he had been [[tonsure]]d as a [[reader (liturgy)|Reader]] he will be vested in a [[sticharion]]. If he had been [[ordination|ordained]] a [[Subdeacon]] he will be vested in his [[sticharion]] and [[orarion]]. A deceased [[deacon]] is vested in [[sticharion]] and [[orarion]], and a [[censer]] is placed in his right hand.
A [[monk]]'s body is prepared by one of his brethren in the [[monastery]]. He will be clothed in his [[monastic habit]] and a prayer rope placed in his hands. If he was a [[Stavrophore]] or [[Megaloschema]]-monk he will be wrapped in his [[mandyas]] (cloak), from which two strips will be cut. These strips are wound around the body, so that they cross over the breast, the waist and the legs, thus symbolising not only the [[cross]], but also the [[swaddling bands]] in which Jesus was wrapped as a baby, since the death of the body is considered to be a birth for the soul into new life.<ref>{{Citation
| last =A Nun of the Orthodox Church
| first =
| author-link =
| last2=
| first2=
| author2-link=
| contribution =Let's Talk About Death
| year =
| publication-date=
| title =The Shepherd
| editor-last =
| editor-first =
| editor-link=
| edition=
| volume =XVI, No. 2 (November, 1995)
| series =
| pages =2-4, 24
| place =
| publisher =
| id =
| isbn =
| url = http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/death/death_talk.aspx
| accessdate = 2008-01-08}}
</ref> His [[klobuk]] will be placed backwards over his head so that the [[veil]] covers his face.
The body of a deceased [[priest]] or [[bishop]] is prepared by the clergy, and is anointed with oil. He is then clothed in his full Eucharistic [[vestments]] (however, if he was a [[hieromonk]] he will usually be colthed in his monastic habit and be vested only in his [[epitrachelion]] [stole] and [[epimanikia]] [cuffs]). His face is covered with an [[Aër]], the liturgical [[veil]] with which the [[Holy Mysteries]] ([[chalice (cup)|chalice]] and [[diskos|paten]]) are covered during the [[Divine Liturgy]]. Also a [[Gospel Book]] is laid upon his breast (a similar practice was found in the West in the early Spanish ''Ordinal'').
When a [[bishop]] dies, he is vested by the clergy in his full episcopal vestments, including [[mitre]]. As each vestment is placed on him, a [[Protodeacon]] swings the censer and reads the vesting prayers, exactly as was done for him when he served the [[Divine Liturgy]]. After the vesting the bishop is set upright in a chair and the [[dikirion]] and [[trikirion]] (candlesticks used by a bishop to bless the people) are placed in his hands as the clergy chant ''Eis polla eti, Despota!'' for the final time. He is then placed in his coffin. In ancient times, and still in some places, the bishop is not placed in a coffin, but remains seated in a chair, and is even buried buried in a sitting position. This custom was taken from the burial customs of the Byzantine Emperors.
After the clothing of the deceased, the priest sprinkles the [[coffin]] with [[holy water]] on all four sides, and the deceased is placed in the coffin. Then the wake begins immediately. Often, an Orthodox casket will have a solid lid which is removeable. The lid, with a large cross on it, is often placed outside the front door of the house as a sign that the house is in mourning, and to invite all who pass by to pray for the deceased and give comfort to the bereaved.
===Wake===
For Orthodox Christians the wake consists of continuous reading of the [[Psalter]] aloud, interrupted only by the occasional serving of [[Panikhida]]s (brief memorial services). Anyone is allowed to read, and the family and friends will often take turns reading the psalms throughout the night up until it is time to take the body to the church.
If the deceased was a priest or bishop the reading is done by the higher clergy (bishops, priests and deacons) and instead of reading the Psalter, they read from the [[Gospel Book]]. If there are not enough clergy to read continuously, the laity may read the Psalter at times clergy are unavailable.
===Conveyance of the Body to the Church===
After a final Panikhida at the house of the deceased, the body is brought to the church in a procession headed by the cross and [[khorugv|banners]]. The priest or deacon walks in front of the coffin with the censer. During the procession all sing the [[Trisagion]]. Bells may be rung during the procession, though they are not required by the [[rubric]]s.
Once the procession arrives at the church, the coffin in placed either in the center of the [[nave]] or, if the [[narthex]] is large enough it is placed there. Four candlestands are placed around the coffin, forming a cross. The priest censes around the coffin and begins a Panikhida. Then, the reading of the Psalter continues until the beginning of the services.
===Ceremony in the Church===
Throughout the service, upon a table close to the coffin stands a dish containing [[kolyva]], made of wheat—symbolic of the grain which falling to the ground dies and brings forth much fruit ({{bibleverse||John|12:24|KJV}})—and honey—symbolic of the sweetness of the [[Heavenly Kingdom]]. A taper is placed in the kolyva and is lit during the service.
In the Orthodox funeral, the coffin is usually open in church<ref>{{Citation
| last =
| first =
| author-link =
| last2=
| first2=
| author2-link=
| contribution =A Question About Open Coffins
| year =
| publication-date=
| title =The Shepherd
| editor-last =
| editor-first =
| editor-link=
| edition=
| volume =XVI, No. 9 (June, 1996)
| series =
| pages =6-7, 13-16
| place =
| publisher =
| id =
| isbn =
| url = http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/death/opencoffins.aspx
| accessdate =2008-01-08}}
</ref> (unlike the West, where it is usually closed), and the lower part of the coffin is covered with a [[Pall (casket)|funeral pall]]. The lid of the casket may be left outside the church door, as an invitation to all who pass by to enter and join in the funeral.
==== Divine Liturgy for the departed ====
The celebration of the [[Divine Liturgy]] takes place as usual, with the addition of special hymns for the departed. There are also special [[Epistle]] and [[Gospel]] readings for the dead, which vary according to the day of the week on which the funeral is served. There will also be a special [[ektenia]] (litany) for the departed, and at the end another [[Panikhida]] will be served around the coffin.
====Funeral service====
The funeral will usually begin immediately after the [[dismissal]] of the Divine Liturgy. The funeral service is called in Greek, ''[[Pannychis]]'', meaning "vigil", and it originally lasted through the entire night and into the next morning. Today, it has been considerably shortened, but it may still last around two and a half hours.
Throughout the entire service, everyone holds lighted candles, and the [[censer]] is swung by the deacon or priest throughout much of the service.
Because death is not defeat for a faithful Christian, the [[Alleluia]] is sung as part of the service, with special funeral verses.
As mentioned above, there are five different funeral services, all of which have different outlines:
*'''Laymen'''—This is the most common form of funeral; it is used for all adult members of the laity and for lower clergy and deacons. It is the form detailed below.
*'''Children'''—Because young children are generally not held to be morally responsible for their sins, the funeral for a child has none of the usual penitential elements, or prayers for the forgiveness of the sins of the deceased.
*'''Monks'''—The burial of monks and nuns differs in a number of respects, most noticeably that there is no [[Canon (hymnography)|canon]], but rather special [[antiphon]]s are chanted in all the [[eight tones]] in succession, as if recalling the monastic's participation in the whole life of the Church. This funeral is used for all [[tonsure]]d monks, and for [[hierodeacon]]s. Some [[hieromonk]]s (priest-monks) are buried using the monastic ritual.
*'''Priests'''—When bishops and priests are buried, their funeral is different from those of laymen or monks (a hieromonk may be buried either as a monk or as a priest). Because of their important role as [[preachers]] of the Word, the funeral for priests has numerous Gospel readings in it. These are usually read from the Gospel Book which has been placed in the coffin.
*'''Paschal'''—Because of the joy and extraordinary grace of the [[Easter|Paschal]] season, any funeral performed during [[Bright Week]] (Easter week) is remarkably different than that served at any other time of year. In place of the mournful melodies and penitential nature of the normal funeral services, joyful paschal hymns are chanted. There is also a special paschal funeral for children.
Important features of the funeral service are as follows:
;Psalm 118
Right at the beginning of the funeral, [[Psalm 119|Psalm 118]] ([[Septuagint]] numbering; [[KJV]]: Psalm 119) is chanted. In the Orthodox [[Psalter]] this is known as the 17th [[Kathisma]], and is the longest [[psalm]] in the [[Bible]]. The psalm is divided into three sections, called Stases, the first two of which is followed by a brief [[Ektenia]] (litany) for the Dead. Each verse of the Psalm is followed by a [[refrain]]. The refrain at the first and third stases is "Alleluia", the refrain for the second stasis is "Have mercy upon Thy servant." The Kathisma is followed by a set of hymns called the ''Evlogitaria'', which is based upon a similar [[Easter|Paschal]] hymn chanted during the Easter season and on Sunday. Thus the themes of prayer for God's mercy and of the [[General Resurrection]] are tied together.
;Kontakion
The [[Kontakion]] of the Dead is one of the most moving portions of the service. It is linked to the [[Ikhos]], another hymn which follows it. During the funeral it takes place after the Sixth Ode of the [[Canon (hymnography)|Canon]]. It is also chanted during [[panikhida]]s (memorial services) which are conducted both before and after the funeral:
<blockquote>'''Kontakion:''' With the saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul of Thy servant where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life everlasting.</blockquote>
<blockquote>'''Ikhos:''' Thou alone art immoratal, who hast created and fashioned man. But we mortals are formed of earth, and unto dust shall we return, as Thou who madest me didst command and say unto us: For thou art dust, and to dust shalt thou return. Whither, also, all we mortals wend our way, making as a funeral durge the song: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!</blockquote>
The Russian melody for this Kontakion was famously sung during the funeral scene in the movie, ''[[Doctor Zhivago]]''.
;Hymns of St. John Damascene
After the canon, the choir chants [[stichera]] that were composed by St. [[John Damascene]]. According to [[Sacred Tradition|tradition]], Saint John composed these hymns to help one of the brethren in his monastery as he grieved for a family member. There are eight stichera, each composed in one of the tones of the [[Octoechos]]. These hymns are also chanted on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings throughout the year, since Saturday is a day set aside for general commemoration of the departed.
;Absolution
At the end of the funeral service, the [[spiritual father]] of the deceased will read the Prayer of Absolution, which is printed on a separate piece of paper. After the prayer, he will roll the paper up and place it in the deceased's hand.
;Last kiss
Symbolic farewell is taken of the deceased by a "last kiss", during which the faithful come forward and give a last [[kiss of peace]] to the departed. Though traditions vary, often they will kiss the phylactory on the deceased's forehead and the icon or cross in his hand. During this time, the choir chants moving hymns which are intended to assist the mourners as they work through their grief and love for the deceased.
;Memory Eternal
After the last kiss, the choir chants, "Memory Eternal" (Slavonic: ''Vyechnaya pamyat'') three times, to a slow and solemn melody. If the deceased has a [[shroud]], it is pulled over the face of the deceased. Finally, the coffin is closed. In some traditions, the priest will sprinkle a little earth on the remains, in the shape of a cross, before closing the coffin.
===Ceremony at the graveside===
[[Image:Bishop-Syria.jpg|thumb|left|Syrian bishop seated in state at his funeral (ca. 1945).]]
A [[Crucession|procession]] forms, with the cross and [[banner]]s going from the church to the cemetery. This procession is similar to the one during which the body was taken to the church. If the deceased is a priest, instead of singing the [[Trisagion]], the clergy chant the [[Irmos|Irmoi]] of the "Great Canon" written by [[Andrew of Crete|St. Andrew of Crete]].
;Tolling of bells
{{main|Russian Orthodox bell ringing}}
During the procession, the bells are tolled. In the Russian tradition, the funeral toll is called ''Perebor''. Each individual bell is struck once, from the smallest to the largest, in a slow, steady peal. After that, all of the bells are struck together at the same time. Striking the bells from the smallest to the largest symbolizes the stages of a person’s life from birth to death; the final striking of all the bells together symbolizes the end of this earthly life.
;Committal
Upon arriving at the grave, the Panikhida is again chanted.
The coffin may be sealed with nails. Traditionally there are four nails, reminiscent of the nails with which Christ was affixed to the Cross.
As the body is lowered into the grave, the choir chants:
<blockquote>Open wide, O earth, and receive him (her) that was fashioned from thee by the hand of God aforetime, and who returneth again unto Thee that gave him (her) birth. That which was made according to his image the Creator hath received unto himself; do thou receive back that which is thine own.</blockquote>
Then the priest takes a shovelful of dirt and makes the [[Sign of the Cross]] with it in the grave, saying:
<blockquote>The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.</blockquote>
If the deceased received the [[Sacred Mystery]] (Sacrament) of [[Unction]], the priest will pour some of the consecrated oil on the coffin (in some places, this is done at the funeral, immediately before the coffin is closed). The priest then pours the ashes from the censer into the open grave, after which the family and friends fill in the grave as the choir chants hymns.
Orthodox Christians are buried facing east; that is to say, with their feet to the east. When a cross is placed at the grave, it is not normally placed at the head of the grave, but at the foot, so that as the faithful stand at the grave and pray facing the cross, they will be facing east, in the traditional Orthodox manner.
In the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] era, bishops were buried sitting upright in a chair, a practice that is still observed in some places. After the remains were lowered into the ground, the bishop's [[mitre]] would be removed, and his monastic [[klobuk]] placed on his head so that the [[veil]] covered his face.
In the Orthodox Church, it is only permitted to celebrate a funeral for a person who is a member of the Orthodox Church in good standing. Generally speaking, funerals are not permitted for persons who have committed [[suicide]], or who will be voluntarily [[cremation|cremated]]. In cases where the local authorities impose cremation, such as for reasons of public health, this is no obstacle to an Orthodox funeral. For those persons for whom a funeral is not allowed, the most that may be done is the chanting of the [[Trisagion]] as the body is being carried to the cemetery.
The Orthodox burial rite is discussed in several sources.<ref name="Hap"/> <ref>{{Citation
| last =[[Jacques Goar]]
| first =
| author-link =
| contribution =
| year =1647
| title =Euchologion sive Rituale Graecorum complectens ritus et ordines divinae liturgiae
| editor-last =
| editor-first =
| volume =
| pages =423 sqq.
| place=Paris
| publisher =
| id =
| url =
| accessdate = }}</ref> <ref>Al. Dmitrieoski (1895-1901), Kiev</ref>
===Mourning period===
Orthodox Christians do not consider death to be an end, but a beginning. However, sorrow at the separation from a loved one is natural to the human condition. In Orthodox theology, Jesus' weeping for his friend [[Lazarus]] is understood as a manifestation of the fullness of his humanity ({{bibleverse||John|11:35|KJV}}). But Christians are taught not to grieve "even as others which have no hope" ({{bibleverse|I|Thessalonians|4:13|KJV}}). In the light of the Resurrection, the death of a believer is not considered to be a tragedy but a triumph. Both the funeral and the memorial services feature the singing of "[[Alleluia]]" many times.
The traditional mourning period of Orthodox Christians lasts for forty days. During this period [[Panikhida]]s (memorial services) are served to pray for the repose of the soul of the deceased and to comfort their loved ones. During this period, certain days are considered to have special significance: the third day (on which the funeral is usually held), the ninth day, and the fortieth day. Of these three days, the fortieth is the most important, because it is believed that on that day the soul undergoes the [[Particular Judgment]], which will determine where the soul will remain until its reunification with the [[glorified body]] at the [[Second Coming]].
Additionally, it is a common practice for the friends and family to request a memorial on the deceased's anniversary of death. The first anniversary is almost universally celebrated, but some families will continue to request annual memorials on every anniversary of death.
===Offerings===
It is customary for [[almsgiving]] to be done in the name of a departed person. This not only honors their memory, but is believed to also be of spiritual benefit to them.
The departed are also commemorated regularly during the [[Proskomedie]] of the [[Divine Liturgy]]. The name of the departed is given to the priest, who then removes a particle of bread from the [[prosphora|prosphoron]] (loaf of bread) offered for the Liturgy. In the Russian usage, there is a separate prosphoron for the departed, from which these memorial particles are taken. After the [[consecration]], these particles are placed in the [[chalice (cup)|chalice]], and the church teaches that the departed benefit spiritually from this action more than any other on their behalf.<ref>Pope St. [[Gregory the Great]], ''Dialogues'' IV: 57, 60</ref><ref>{{Citation
| last =Seraphim (Rose)
| first =Hieromonk
| author-link =Seraphim Rose
| last2=
| first2=
| author2-link=
| contribution =
| year =1980
| publication-date=1995
| title =The Soul After Death
| editor-last =
| editor-first =
| editor-link=
| edition=
| volume =
| series =
| pages =190-193
| place =Platina, Calif.
| publisher =Saint Herman of Alaska Brotherhood
| id =
| isbn =0-938635-14-X
| url =
| accessdate = }}
</ref>
===Consecration of a Cemetery===
In the Orthodox Church there is a ritual for the "Consecration of a Cemetery", found in the ''[[Euchologion]]'' ([[Church Slavonic|Slavonic]]: ''Trebnik''). The ritual begins with the planting and blessing of a large cross in the center of the cemetery. The entire property is blessed with prayers, incense and the sprinkling of holy water.
Persons for whom a funeral service may not be chanted (see paragraphs above) may not be buried in a consecrated cemetery without the blessing of the local bishop.
If it is not possible to bury an Orthodox Christian in a consecrated cemetery, the individual grave may be consecrated, using the rite called the "Blessing of a Grave".
==Burial confraternities==
Even from the period of the catacombs such associations seem to have existed among the Christians and they no doubt imitated to some extent in their organization the pagan collegia for the same purpose.
Through-out the Middle Ages the [[guild]]s to a very large extent were burial confraternities; at any rate the seemly carrying out of the funeral rites at the death of any of their members together with a provision of Masses for his soul form an almost invariable feature in the constitutions of such guilds.
But still more directly to the purpose we find certain organizations formed to carry out the burial of the dead and friendless as a work of charity. The most celebrated of these was the "Misericordia" of Florence, believed to have been instituted in 1244 by Pier Bossi, and surviving to the present day. It is an organization which associates in this work of mercy the members of all ranks of society. Their self-imposed task is not limited to escorting the dead to their last resting-place, but they discharge the functions of an ambulance corps, dealing with accidents as they occur and carrying the sick to the hospitals. When on duty the members wear a dress which completely envelops and disguises them Even the face is hidden by a covering in which only two holes are left for eyes.
==References==
<references/>
==See also==
*[[Cemetery]]
*[[Cremation]]
*[[Requiem]]
==External links==
*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/death/death_talk.aspx Let's Talk About Death] by a Nun of the Orthodox Church
{{Catholic}}, s.v. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03071a.htm "Christian Burial"] (some sections may be outdated).
[[Category:Christian liturgy, rites, and worship services|Burial]]
[[Category:Eastern liturgy]]
[[Category:Catholic liturgy]]
[[Category:Death customs]]
[[Category:Religious behaviour and experience]]
[[Category:Prayer]]