How should one pray at home for the health or repose of non-Orthodox people, especially if they have non-Russian names? Is it permissible to submit notes for deceased relatives of another faith in their heretical churches? Can one participate in the burial of a non-Orthodox relative? #

In response to your question, it is worth noting that most Christian names are not originally Russian but Greek, Persian, or Hebrew. Truly Russian (Old Slavic) names from our hagiography are only princely names, which were reserved exclusively for members of princely (and later influential boyar) families: Vladimir, Vyacheslav, Svyatoslav, Boris, Gleb, Olga, and so on. Names commonly considered “Russian” today (such as Ivan, Marya, Peter, etc.) actually originate from saints who were not Russian.

We are accustomed to assigning names based on the hagiography, and names not found there are not given at baptism. However, in ancient times, before the existence of the hagiography, Christians bore common names typical of their nations, including those among Jews and pagans. God knows the name of every person, whether Christian or not. Therefore, in private prayers for the health of others, we may refer to “non-Russian” individuals by names not traditionally used in Russian Orthodoxy. However, submitting commemorative notes in churches with such names is inappropriate.

Now, regarding the commemoration of deceased non-Orthodox individuals in their churches: we believe that there is only one true Church on earth, described as a “garden enclosed, a fountain sealed” (Song of Solomon 4:12), meaning it is the sealed (unique and inaccessible to outsiders) conduit of salvific Divine grace. Outside the true Church, sacrifices and offerings are fruitless, and prayers of heretical communities for the repose of their members are ineffective. Seeking blessings from heretics (which includes prayers for the dead) is forbidden by sacred canons, as “it is not proper to receive blessings from heretics, which are more like vain words than blessings” (Canon 32 of the Council of Laodicea). For this reason, it is better to pray for the deceased outside the Church by appealing to the holy martyr Varus, who has been granted by God the grace to deliver such people from eternal torment through his intercession. One may read the canon to St. Varus or pray with bows, for example, using a lestovka (traditionally, three lestovkas are considered equivalent to one canon). It is also permissible to submit notes for the repose of “all relatives and all Orthodox Christians” at the altar, as the liturgy for deceased believers provides some consolation even to the souls of non-believers, as revealed in a vision to St. Macarius of Egypt.

If a relative or close person who did not belong to the Holy Old Orthodox Church of Christ (РПСЦ) dies, one should not participate in prayers over their body, including funeral rites conducted by non-Orthodox, as “if anyone prays with heretics in a church, or in a home with those excommunicated from the Church, he himself shall also be excommunicated” (Canon 10 of the Holy Apostles). One may approach the coffin to bid farewell to the deceased and accompany the coffin to the gravesite without participating in prayers with non-Orthodox, without making the sign of the cross, bowing, or holding candles during their prayers. It is preferable not to enter a non-Orthodox church during the funeral service and to wait outside until the prayers conclude.

One should also refrain from participating in memorial meals for non-Orthodox individuals. If you wish to show mercy to the deceased, it is better to commemorate them privately, as St. Theodore the Studite advised, and give alms on their behalf.

— Archpriest Vadim Korovin