What must a Christian observe to be deemed worthy of a Christian burial with a priest and commemoration for the departed during the liturgy?

What must a Christian observe to be deemed worthy of a Christian burial with a priest and commemoration for the departed during the liturgy? #

The Order of Confession states:

“If a Christian dies without repentance, the priest must neither chant over him (burial service) nor offer the oblation (commemoration during the liturgy) for him, as he has not fulfilled the Law of God and the Christian faith.”

In the same text, the priest admonishes his spiritual children:

“If, through the action of the devil, something happens (i.e., a sin is committed), confess it promptly to me, your spiritual father, so that the devil does not take root in your soul and death does not overtake you without repentance. For the Lord has said: ‘Be ready, for you know not when the end will come.’ We do not know the span of our life. If death finds us in sin, then what is the point of having been born at all?”

According to Church Tradition, the Lord has said:

“In the state in which I find you, in that will I judge you.”

If a person dies in piety and repentance, this is beneficial and salvific for the Christian soul. However, if someone dies unrepentant in grave sins, they risk eternal torment rather than eternal salvation. Those who die without repentance (e.g., having not confessed for many years or lacking a spiritual father) are denied a Church burial. This is because, according to the rite, the burial must be performed by the deceased’s spiritual father, who reads absolution prayers over the grave, forgiving all sins previously confessed. As stated in the book Chrysostom (Zlatoust), “If someone among us dies without repentance, it would have been better for them not to have been born. No oblation for them is worthy to be brought to God in the Church.”

Additionally, the following categories of people are deprived of a Church burial and commemoration for the departed:

  • Those who do not hold the Orthodox faith (i.e., those who do not profess the Symbol of Faith).

  • Suicides (except for those mentally ill), including those who caused their death through:

    • Alcoholism or drug addiction.

    • Reckless boasting of bravery (e.g., climbing great heights or riding on the roofs of moving vehicles).

    • Swimming in rivers while intoxicated or during storms.

  • Those living in fornication or unblessed unions (unless they repented before death).

  • Sorcerers, fortune-tellers, spiritists, astrologers, and similar practitioners.

  • Unrepentant murderers and all others who died in mortal sin without repentance.

A Christian must prepare for death daily by living according to God’s commandments. If they fail, they must turn to the Sacrament of Confession. As the ancient saints said:

“Remember death, and you will never sin.”

— Archpriest Vadim Korovin