Funerals

[Rosehip]

I am curious to learn more about the paper crown placed on the forehead of the newly reposed, and the cloth with the images stamped on it spread over the body(see the photo of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's funeral), and all the other elements of the Orthodox funeral, and their meaning and history.

[SolEX01]

^ None of the above things are placed on the deceased at GOA funeral services unless of course the deceased was a Priest or Hierarch who is buried with full clerical garb.

[stashko]

I am curious to learn more about the paper crown placed on the forehead of the newly reposed, and the cloth with the images stamped on it spread over the body(see the photo of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's funeral), and all the other elements of the Orthodox funeral, and their meaning and history.

i read some were that it's the thrice holy cherubic hymn that's written their and placed on the forehead.......Holy God Holy And  Mighty Holy Imortal Have Mercy On us...that was chanted by the priest going in to church and out of church at my mother's funeral plus the incensing ,chanting the hymn all the way to the grave site....

the cloth could be the shroud and napkin that covers the face and body combined just more fancier..the priest put  a napkin on my mother's face at the end for the blessing......

[Fr. George]

^ None of the above things are placed on the deceased at GOA funeral services

They seem to be Slavic-influenced practices, which is why I've never heard of them being done in Greek/Antiochian funerals.

unless of course the deceased was a Priest or Hierarch who is buried with full clerical garb.

This one's universally practiced in Orthodoxy, AFAIK.

[Rosehip]

I had no idea this was merely a slavic custom! I wonder how it all came about? I know many of my evangelical friends who have observed Russian Orthodox funerals have been  basically freaked out by all this "parapharnelia"...all sorts of wild rumors circulated about the meaning of these items...apparently there is some paper which the newly reposed holds in his hand, and my evangelical friends found out from someone that this was a "passport" into heaven or something of that nature. Needless to say, this was final and all-conclusive evidence that Orthodoxy was pagan, or at very least, suffering from serious delusions...

[stashko]

Oh that's the absolution scroll that's placed there...they didn't do that for mom ..the priest just signed her with the hand blessing cross while saying the prayer to absolved the body of it's sin's in life.... He also placed the napkin on her face and blessed the body with wine ,,starting from the napkin [face]to the waist ,right shoulder to the left shoulder...serbs use wine for blessing the body and at the memorial services ...

[Thomas]

I have served at both Antiochian and Russian Funerals, the priests usually have the scroll in the hand already if they are trying to make the services quicker for the non-orthodox attending, but read the prayer. the from placed on the head may be there already or placed during the service and often is simply a paper crown with the world printed on it.  I have also seem cloth crowns with the words silk screened. A simple white sheet is covering the body as a shroud  and is pulled forward over the head just before the priest closes the coffin.  If one is luck enough to have a printed shroud it is used, but in most cases people have not prepared for their own death and a sheet is more common in useage.  Several Greek funerals I have been to did these practices also.

I believe most people don't see them being done because of Grief , as well as, the adeptness and smoothness of action as the priest completes the rubrics of these practices. They become more apparent in parishes that do not do funerals often or with priests who are new and less use to  completing the rubrics.  One young priest I knew actually spend several hours trying to do everything smoothly so he would not distract from the service due to  clumsiness , his practice  worked, he served a beautiful and smooth funeral---a great comfort to the family and honor to the one being buried.

Thomas

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