A bier is a stand on which a corpse , coffin , or casket containing a corpse is placed to lie in state or to be carried to the grave .
111-416: In Christian burial , the bier is often placed in the centre of the nave with candles surrounding it, and remains in place during the funeral. The bier is a flat frame, traditionally wooden but sometimes of other materials. In antiquity it was often a wooden board on which the dead were placed, covered with a shroud . In modern times, the corpse is rarely carried on the bier without being first placed in
222-515: 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
333-575: 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. In the Tridentine tradition, the priest intones the antiphon " I am the Resurrection and the Life ", after which
444-419: A coffin or casket, though the coffin or casket is sometimes kept open. A bier is often draped with cloth to lend dignity to the funeral service. The modern funeral industry uses a collapsible aluminium bier on wheels, known as a "church truck" to move the coffin to and from the church or funeral home for services. Biers are generally smaller than the coffin or casket they support for reasons of appearance. As
555-475: A hearse. It may arrive the evening before, for a Vigil in the church, or it may arrive on the day of the funeral before the service. 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
666-408: A heated bronze idol. Human sacrifice was practiced by various Pre-Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica . The Aztec in particular are known for the practice of human sacrifice. Current estimates of Aztec sacrifice are between a couple of thousand and twenty thousand per year. Some of these sacrifices were to help the sun rise, some to help the rains come, and some to dedicate the expansions of
777-519: A man (v37). The king of Moab gives his firstborn son and heir as a whole burnt offering, albeit to the pagan god Chemosh. In the book of Micah , one asks, 'Shall I give my firstborn for my sin, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?' ( Micah 6:7 ), and receives a response, 'It hath been told thee, O man, what is good, and what the LORD doth require of thee: only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.' ( Micah 6:8 ) Abhorrence of
888-583: A marriage or to celebrate any of the sacraments was considered as a crime of Simony . Nevertheless, since the beginning of the Western Christianity , but especially after the 11th century, a considerable part of the doctrine, as well as the Canon Law itself, accepted a rightful compensation for the work of the minister. This compensation had to be based on local "laudable customs" or on a voluntary payment, but many parishes turned these fees into
999-517: A mortal sickness." It details the steps of ringing church bells, reciting psalms, and cleaning and dressing the body. 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 ) of antiquity. Burial was always preferred as the method of disposition inherited from Judaism and
1110-721: A number of sites in the citadel of Knossos in Crete . The north house at Knossos contained the bones of children who appeared to have been butchered. The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur (set in the labyrinth at Knossos) suggests human sacrifice. In the myth, Athens sent seven young men and seven young women to Crete as human sacrifices to the Minotaur. This ties up with the archaeological evidence that most sacrifices were of young adults or children . The Phoenicians of Carthage were reputed to practise child sacrifice, and though
1221-463: A practice known as kourbánia . The practice, while publicly condemned, is often tolerated. Human sacrifice was practiced by many ancient cultures. People would be ritually killed in a manner that was supposed to please or appease a god or spirit. Some occasions for human sacrifice found in multiple cultures on multiple continents include: There is evidence to suggest Pre-Hellenic Minoan cultures practiced human sacrifice. Corpses were found at
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#17327874603591332-460: A public profession of irreligion and materialism. 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 apostasy or sacrilege . During the Middle Ages a practice arose among the aristocracy that when a nobleman was killed in battle far from home,
1443-402: A result, they are not particularly stable, and can tip over unless well-centered and undisturbed. The Carmelite Priory at Mdina , Malta, has a colorful bier on display that was used to carry the monks or friars before they were buried without a coffin. Ancient Egyptians depicted biers used in their embalming practices and to bear royal coffins in the tomb. They were fashioned to resemble
1554-959: 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. Sacrifice#Sacrifice in Christianity Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship . Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly existed before that. Evidence of ritual human sacrifice can also be found back to at least pre-Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica as well as in European civilizations. Varieties of ritual non-human sacrifices are practiced by numerous religions today. The Latin term sacrificium (a sacrifice) derived from Latin sacrificus (performing priestly functions or sacrifices), which combined
1665-467: A standard scale of charges. This attitude resulted above all from the desire to strengthen parish incomes, often very small especially in rural areas. Although many critics attacked these exactions, in all Christian countries burial fees were regularly perceived by the clergy. Moreover, in contexts where parishes hosted a vestry (such as in England and France), the parishioners had to pay a certain amount to
1776-404: Is a baptised child under the age of reason the priest wears white vestments as a symbol of the innocence of the deceased and the attendant belief that the child will immediately be received into heaven without the need to endure purgatory. The liturgical books for the extraordinary form have never prescribed a particular Mass for the funeral of such children, but the custom is that the votive Mass of
1887-593: Is a material offering to God in union with Christ using such words, as "with these thy holy gifts which we now offer unto Thee" (1789 BCP) or "presenting to you from the gifts you have given us we offer you these gifts" (Prayer D BCP 1976) as clearly evidenced in the revised Books of Common Prayer from 1789 in which the theology of Eucharist was moved closer to the Catholic position. Likewise, the United Methodist Church in its Eucharistic liturgy contains
1998-618: Is always used for Islamic animal sacrifice. In the Islamic context, an animal sacrifice referred to as ḏabiḥa (ذَبِيْحَة) meaning "sacrifice as a ritual" is offered only in Eid ul-Adha . The sacrificial animal may be a sheep, a goat, a camel, or a cow. The animal must be healthy and conscious. "...Therefore to the Lord turn in Prayer and Sacrifice." ( Quran 108:2 ) Qurban is an Islamic prescription for
2109-463: 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 Eucharist was an essential feature in the last solemn rites. These writings include: St. Gregory of Nyssa ’s detailed description of the funeral of St. Macrina , St. Augustine ’s references to his mother St. Monica ,
2220-544: Is celebrated. After this, the body is washed and clothed for burial. Traditionally, this act of love is performed by the family and friends of the deceased ( Acts 9:37 ). 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 ,
2331-402: Is distributed to the poor. The Quran states that the sacrifice has nothing to do with the blood and gore (Quran 22:37: "It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches God. It is your piety that reaches Him..."). Rather, it is done to help the poor and in remembrance of Abraham 's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismael at God's command. The Urdu and Persian word "Qurbani" comes from
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#17327874603592442-416: Is enjoined in the monastic constitutions of Archbishop Lanfranc . 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. The medieval ritual also included an offertory in the funeral of well known and distinguished people. Generous offerings were made in money, and in kind , in the hope of benefiting
2553-518: Is found in Christ's words at the last supper over the bread and wine: "This is my body, which is given up for you," and "This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed...unto the forgiveness of sins." The bread and wine, offered by Melchizedek in sacrifice in the old covenant (Genesis 14:18; Psalm 110:4), are transformed through the Mass into the body and blood of Christ (see transubstantiation ; note:
2664-418: Is in the midst of the congregation as the crucified, risen, and returning Lord. Thus His once-brought sacrifice is also present in that its effect grants the individual access to salvation. In this way, the celebration of Holy Communion causes the partakers to repeatedly envision the sacrificial death of the Lord, which enables them to proclaim it with conviction (1 Corinthians 11: 26). —¶8.2.13, The Catechism of
2775-652: Is known as "accepting Christ as one's personal Lord and Savior". The Eastern Orthodox Churches see the celebration of the Eucharist as a continuation, rather than a reenactment, of the Last Supper , as Fr. John Matusiak (of the OCA ) says: "The Liturgy is not so much a reenactment of the Mystical Supper or these events as it is a continuation of these events, which are beyond time and space. The Orthodox also see
2886-551: Is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church" (Col 1:24). Pope John Paul II explained in his Apostolic Letter Salvifici Doloris (11 February 1984): In the Cross of Christ not only is the Redemption accomplished through suffering, but also human suffering itself has been redeemed. ...Every man has his own share in the Redemption. Each one is also called to share in that suffering through which
2997-548: Is mostly associated with Shaktism , and in currents of folk Hinduism strongly rooted in local popular or tribal traditions. Animal sacrifices were part of the ancient Vedic religion in India, and are mentioned in scriptures such as the Yajurveda . For instance, these scriptures mention the use of mantras for goat sacrifices as a means of abolishing human sacrifice and replacing it with animal sacrifice. Even if animal sacrifice
3108-623: Is not a part of Orthodox last rites ). The priest then reads the Office at the Parting of the Soul from the Body , which consists of prayers and a 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 "
3219-595: Is rapidly becoming more common, although Eastern Orthodox Churches still mostly forbid cremation. The Greeks and Romans practiced both burial and cremation , with Roman funerary practices distinctly favoring cremation by the time Christianity arose during the Principate . However, the Jews only ever buried their dead. Even God himself is depicted in the Torah as performing burial: "And [God] buried him ( Moses ) in
3330-454: Is said by the priest, and then the In paradisum is sung while the body is carried from the church. 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
3441-567: Is still practiced today by the followers of Santería and other lineages of Orisa as a means of curing the sick and giving thanks to the Orisa (gods). However, in Santeria, such animal offerings constitute an extremely small portion of what are termed ebos —ritual activities that include offerings, prayer and deeds. Christians from some villages in Greece also sacrifice animals to Orthodox saints in
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3552-432: 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
3663-509: The Aeneid by Virgil , the character Sinon claims (falsely) that he was going to be a human sacrifice to Poseidon to calm the seas. Human sacrifice is no longer officially condoned in any country, and any cases which may take place are regarded as murder . During the Shang and Zhou dynasty , the ruling class had a complicated and hierarchical sacrificial system. Sacrificing to ancestors
3774-735: The Apostolic Constitutions (Book VII), and the Celestial Hierarchy of 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
3885-586: The Samaritans . Maimonides , a medieval Jewish rationalist, argued that God always held sacrifice inferior to prayer and philosophical meditation. However, God understood that the Israelites were used to the animal sacrifices that the surrounding pagan tribes used as the primary way to commune with their gods. As such, in Maimonides' view, it was only natural that Israelites would believe that sacrifice
3996-523: The Theotokos or the deceased's patron saint is placed in the 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 or she may be dressed in his or her uniform. If a man had been tonsured as a Reader , he will be vested in a sticharion . If he had been ordained a Subdeacon he will be vested in his sticharion and orarion . A deceased deacon
4107-449: The Torah and Tanakh reveal the Israelites's familiarity with human sacrifices, as exemplified by the near-sacrifice of Isaac by his father Abraham (Genesis 22:1–24) and some believe, the actual sacrifice of Jephthah's daughter (Judges 11:31–40), while many believe that Jephthah's daughter was committed for life in service equivalent to a nunnery of the day, as indicated by her lament over her "weep for my virginity" and never having known
4218-527: The churching of women . The promulgation of tables of fees continues today in most of the Christian countries where there is an organized church. Protestant burial services and rituals vary enormously between denominations. The Lutheran Church - International stipulates that pastors preside over funerals. In the Church of England , "Where possible the minister prepares the dying person in private, using
4329-415: The dogma of the resurrection of the body as well as of Jewish tradition, 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. Little is known with regard to the burial of the dead in the early Christian centuries. Early Christians did practice the use of an ossuary to store
4440-622: The ecumenical creeds , prayers of the faithful , offertory , and celebration of the Eucharist, as well as the Commendation. The Commendation contains prayer for the dead , including a variation of the Eternal Rest prayer. Following this, "A Service of Committal" takes place in the graveyard or cemetery. The full burial service of the Eastern Orthodox Church is lengthy, and there are several features unique to
4551-623: The sanctuary . The casket should be placed before the altar ". The casket or coffin is traditionally covered with a white pall symbolizing the resurrection of Christ . The official name for the liturgy in the United Methodist Church is "A Service of Death and Resurrection"; it includes the elements found in a standard liturgy celebrated on the Lord's Day , such as the Entrance, Opening Prayer, Old Testament Reading , Psalm, New Testament Reading, Alleluia, Gospel Reading , Sermon, Recitation of one of
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4662-474: The "real presence of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion": In Holy Communion, it is not only the body and blood of Christ, but also His sacrifice itself, that are truly present. However, this sacrifice has only been brought once and is not repeated in Holy Communion. Neither is Holy Communion merely a reminder of the sacrifice. Rather, during the celebration of Holy Communion, Jesus Christ
4773-759: The Alleluia, especially in the East, was regarded as especially appropriate to funerals, as Christians rejoiced that the deceased was now closer to God than they were themselves. During the Mass it used to be customary to distribute candles to the congregation. These were lit during the Gospel, during the latter part of the Holy Sacrifice from the Elevation to the Communion, and during the absolution which follows
4884-672: The Angels is said. The funeral Mass is sometimes called the "Mass of Christian Burial", "Mass of the Resurrection", or "Memorial Mass", but these terms are not found in the Order of Christian Funerals, which is the official book in the ordinary form of the Church, and should be discouraged. The absolution of the dead was removed from the ordinary form of the Roman Rite , and replaced with the Final Commendation and Farewell, when
4995-452: The Arabic word 'Qurban'. It suggests that associate act performed to hunt distance to Almighty God and to hunt His sensible pleasure. Originally, the word 'Qurban' enclosed all acts of charity as a result of the aim of charity is nothing however to hunt Allah 's pleasure. But, in precise non-secular nomenclature, the word was later confined to the sacrifice of associate animal slaughtered for
5106-463: 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). When an Orthodox Christian is preparing for death, the priest comes to hear the final confession and give Holy Communion , if the dying one is conscious ( Holy Unction
5217-698: The Eucharistic Liturgy as a bloodless sacrifice, during which the bread and wine we offer to God become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ through the descent and operation of the Holy Spirit, Who effects the change." This view is witnessed to by the prayers of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom , when the priest says: "Accept, O God, our supplications, make us to be worthy to offer unto thee supplications and prayers and bloodless sacrifices for all thy people," and "Remembering this saving commandment and all those things which came to pass for us:
5328-517: The Funeral (Requiem) Mass, which, since it is a Mass, must be celebrated by a priest. If a Catholic deacon celebrates, the Funeral Mass does not occur, however, a Memorial Mass may be said later for the deceased. The deacon leads the prayer services at the home and the funeral home, blesses the remains at the church during another prayer service, and then leads the prayers of final commendation at
5439-626: The Great Thanksgiving, the church prays: "We offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving as a holy and living sacrifice, in union with Christ's offering for us . . ." ( UMH ; page 10). A formal statement by the USCCB affirms that "Methodists and Catholics agree that the sacrificial language of the Eucharistic celebration refers to 'the sacrifice of Christ once-for-all,' to 'our pleading of that sacrifice here and now,' to 'our offering of
5550-443: The Mass in the former capacity he works through a solely human priest who is joined to him through the sacrament of Holy Orders and thus shares in Christ's priesthood as do all who are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. Through the Mass, the effects of the one sacrifice of the cross can be understood as working toward the redemption of those present, for their specific intentions and prayers, and to assisting
5661-484: 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 . Today, giving candles to the congregation is hardly ever done. In the ordinary form of the Roman Rite (the Mass of Paul VI )
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#17327874603595772-978: The Mosaic law. In the Roman Catholic Church , the Eastern Orthodox Churches , the Lutheran Churches , the Methodist Churches , and the Irvingian Churches , the Eucharist or Mass, as well as the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Catholic Churches and Eastern Orthodox Church , is seen as a sacrifice. Among the Anglicans the words of the liturgy make explicit that the Eucharist is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and
5883-785: The New Apostolic Church The concept of self-sacrifice and martyrs are central to Christianity. Often found in Roman Catholicism is the idea of joining one's own life and sufferings to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Thus one can offer up involuntary suffering, such as illness, or purposefully embrace suffering in acts of penance . Some Protestants criticize this as a denial of the all-sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice, but according to Roman Catholic interpretation it finds support in St. Paul: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what
5994-465: The Orthodox Church and Methodist Church do not hold as dogma, as do Catholics, the doctrine of transubstantiation, preferring rather to not make an assertion regarding the "how" of the sacraments ), and the offering becomes one with that of Christ on the cross. In the Mass as on the cross, Christ is both priest (offering the sacrifice) and victim (the sacrifice he offers is himself), though in
6105-724: The Preparation and Reconciliation" (cf. last rites ). The Anglican Church in North America provides a liturgy, with various parts, titled "The Burial of the Dead". Methodist denominations, such as the Methodist Protestant Church , United Methodist Church and the Methodist Church of Great Britain , have funeral liturgies that emphasize "the paschal character of Christian death and connected
6216-416: The Redemption was accomplished. ...In bringing about the Redemption through suffering, Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the Redemption. Thus each man, in his suffering, can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ. ...The sufferings of Christ created the good of the world's redemption. This good in itself is inexhaustible and infinite. No man can add anything to it. But at
6327-479: The West his feet are turned to the East…" For clergy, however, 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. In practice, facing the east is scarcely ever observed today, but appears to have been a common custom in the early middle ages. Post-conversion cemeteries can be distinguished in England from their pre-conversion counterparts from
6438-419: The affluent to share their good fortune with the needy in the community. On the occasion of Eid ul Adha (Festival of Sacrifice), affluent Muslims all over the world perform the Sunnah of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) by sacrificing a cow or sheep. The meat is then divided into three equal parts. One part is retained by the person who performs the sacrifice. The second is given to his relatives. The third part
6549-497: The authority of ancient China's ruling class and promoted production, e.g. through casting ritual bronzes . Confucius supported the restoration of the Zhou sacrificial system, which excluded human sacrifice, with the goal of maintaining social order and enlightening people. Mohism considered any kind of sacrifice to be too extravagant for society. Members of Chinese folk religions often use pork, chicken, duck, fish, squid, or shrimp in sacrificial offerings. For those who believe
6660-413: 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 in a sitting position. This custom
6771-515: 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. The custom of watching by
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#17327874603596882-407: 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. His klobuk will be placed backwards over his head so that the veil covers his face. Nuns are similarly arrayed. The body of a deceased priest or bishop is prepared by
6993-411: The burial is complete. In the post-Vatican II rite, the prayers are different. In principle, there was no fee for Christian burial. According to Canon Law , any faithful could be buried by the priest for free; and this has been confirmed by several Ecumenical council during the Middle Ages, such as the Third (1179) and the Fourth (1215) Council of the Lateran. Charging money to conduct burials, bless
7104-413: 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. 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
7215-399: The clergy carrying lighted candles. The priest walks immediately before the coffin, and the friends of the deceased and others walk behind it. Note that in the vast majority of cases none of the above will happen. The priest or deacon will go to the house without procession, or lay people will lead the prayers in the presence of the body if clergy are not available. As they leave the house,
7326-411: 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 clothed 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 and paten ) are covered during the Divine Liturgy . Also
7437-404: The coffin is lowered into the grave and the 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: Grant this mercy, O Lord, we beseech Thee, to Thy servant departed, that he may not receive in punishment
7548-473: The coffin, and they are allowed to burn throughout this stage. In the post-Vatican II rite there are no candles. The prayers offered are the Office of the Dead . Throughout the prayers, certain omissions are made. For example, each psalm ends with Requiem aeternam instead of the Gloria Patri . As in the case of the Office, the Mass for the Dead ( Missa de Requiem ) is chiefly distinguished from ordinary Masses by certain omissions. Some of these may be due to
7659-558: The concepts sacra (sacred things) and facere (to make, to do). The Latin word sacrificium came to apply to the Christian eucharist in particular, sometimes named a "bloodless sacrifice" to distinguish it from blood sacrifices. In individual non-Christian ethnic religions , terms translated as "sacrifice" include the Indic yajna , the Greek thusia , the Germanic blōtan , the Semitic qorban / qurban , Slavic żertwa , etc. The term usually implies "doing without something" or "giving something up" (see also self-sacrifice ). But
7770-434: The cross, the grave, the resurrection on the third day, the ascension into heaven, the sitting down at the right hand, the second and glorious coming again, Thine own of Thine own we offer unto Thee on behalf of all and for all," and "… Thou didst become man and didst take the name of our High Priest, and deliver unto us the priestly rite of this liturgical and bloodless sacrifice…" The modern practice of Hindu animal sacrifice
7881-452: The dead (the wake) is an ancient practice probably derived from the similar Jewish custom of a pious vigil over the remains. Its origins are not entirely known. This was a Christian observance, attended with the chanting of psalms. In the Middle Ages , among the 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
7992-470: The depression in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor. No man knows the place that he was buried, even to this day." ( Deuteronomy 34:6). Similarly, early Christians used only burial, as can be demonstrated from the direct testimony of Tertullian and from the stress laid upon the analogy between the resurrection of the body and the Resurrection of Christ ( 1 Corinthians 15:42 ). In the light of
8103-701: The edible portions of the animal were distributed among those attending the sacrifice for consumption. Animal sacrifice has turned up in almost all cultures, from the Hebrews to the Greeks and Romans (particularly the purifying ceremony Lustratio ), Egyptians (for example in the cult of Apis ) and from the Aztecs to the Yoruba . The religion of the ancient Egyptians forbade the sacrifice of animals other than sheep, bulls, calves, male calves and geese. Animal sacrifice
8214-405: The example of Jesus' burial in the tomb . During times of persecution , pagan authorities erroneously thought they could destroy the martyrs ' 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, many Christians risked their lives to prevent this desecration of the relics of
8325-470: 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. In the early Christian ages, however, it would seem that
8436-550: The goddess Sekhmet , the fierce lioness who was the protector of the kings, displaying her head, feet, and often, her distinctive tail that in graphics is shown arching over the bier. Christian burial A Christian burial is the burial of a deceased person with specifically Christian rites; typically, in consecrated ground . Until recent times Christians generally objected to cremation and practiced inhumation almost exclusively. Today this opposition has all but vanished among Protestants and Catholics alike, and this
8547-413: The grace of a share in his priesthood. As priest carries connotations of "one who offers sacrifice", some Protestants, with the exception of Lutherans and Anglicans, usually do not use it for their clergy . Evangelical Protestantism emphasizes the importance of a decision to accept Christ's sacrifice on the Cross consciously and personally as atonement for one's individual sins if one is to be saved—this
8658-599: The graveside. In an increasing number of cases where there are not enough priests and deacons, lay people will lead prayers in the home of the deceased, the Vigil for the Deceased at the church, and also prayers at the graveside (the only funeral service which requires an ordained priest is the Requiem Mass itself). If the traditional three-part funeral rites are celebrated, they proceed as follows: The first stage involves
8769-575: The great Templo Mayor , located in the heart of Tenochtitlán (the capital of the Aztec Empire ). There are also accounts of captured conquistadores being sacrificed during the wars of the Spanish invasion of Mexico . In Scandinavia , the old Scandinavian religion contained human sacrifice, as both the Norse sagas and German historians relate. See, e.g. Temple at Uppsala and Blót . In
8880-400: 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. In the earliest Ambrosian ritual (eighth or ninth century), which Magistretti pronounces to be derived from Rome, the funeral is broken up into stages: at the house of the deceased, on the way to
8991-576: The high deities to be vegetarian, some altars are two-tiered: The high one offers vegetarian food, and the low one holds animal sacrifices for the high deities' soldiers. Some ceremonies of supernatural spirits and ghosts, like the Ghost Festival , use whole goats or pigs. There are competitions of raising the heaviest pig for sacrifice in Taiwan and Teochew. In Nicene Christianity , God became incarnate as Jesus , sacrificing his son to accomplish
9102-602: The last rite with baptism". To this end, the Methodist Protestant Church , in its Book of Discipline, specifies "Standing before the coffin, if the service is held in the residence, or preceding it from the entrance if the service is held in the Church", the minister recites John 11:25 and Revelation 14:13 . The Order for the Burial of the Dead in the Methodist Book of Worship for Church and Home (1965) specifies that "Funeral Services of church members should be held in
9213-518: The most important were animal sacrifices. Blood sacrifices were divided into burnt offerings (Hebrew: עלה קרבנות) in which the whole unmaimed animal was burnt, guilt offerings (in which part was burnt and part left for the priest) and peace offerings (in which similarly only part of the undamaged animal was burnt and the rest eaten in ritually pure conditions). After the destruction of the Second Temple , ritual sacrifice ceased except among
9324-547: The new Order of Christian Funerals was promulgated following the Second Vatican Council . However, the absolution of the dead remains part of the funeral service of the Tridentine Mass . The absolution of the dead is a series of prayers for pardon that are said over the body of a deceased Catholic following a Requiem Mass and before burial. The absolution of the dead does not forgive sins or confer
9435-461: The only distinction being that it is offered in an unbloody manner. The sacrifice is made present without Christ dying or being crucified again; it is a re-presentation of the "once and for all" sacrifice of Calvary by the now risen Christ, who continues to offer himself and what he has done on the cross as an oblation to the Father. The complete identification of the Mass with the sacrifice of the cross
9546-531: The order of choice for liturgical colors is white, or violet, or black. It is recommended that the coffin be covered by a white pall . In the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the funeral Mass is a Requiem . In a Requiem Mass the priest always wears black vestments, and the pall is black. There are also slightly different ceremonies of the Mass and slightly different texts. When the deceased
9657-553: The orientation and direction of inhumation burials. Such an example can be seen in the Chamberlain's Barn cemetery near Leighton Buzzard - around 650 CE, graves were increasingly organised into rows, facing west, and grave furnishings (commonly associated with pagan burial practices) decreased. The second stage is a cycle of prayers , the funeral Mass , and absolution . In the Tridentine Rite, candles are lit around
9768-475: The origin of a particular tradition, the less emphasis is placed on the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist. The Roman Catholic response is that the sacrifice of the Mass in the New Covenant is that one sacrifice for sins on the cross which transcends time offered in an unbloody manner, as discussed above, and that Christ is the real priest at every Mass working through mere human beings to whom he has granted
9879-424: 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
9990-403: 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. Once again, this seldom happens. The coffin is brought to the church by the undertaker in
10101-539: The reconciliation of God and humanity, which had separated itself from God through sin (see the concept of original sin ). According to a view that has featured prominently in Western theology since early in the 2nd millennium, God's justice required an atonement for sin from humanity if human beings were to be restored to their place in creation and saved from damnation. However, God knew limited human beings could not make sufficient atonement, for humanity's offense to God
10212-407: 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. 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
10323-510: The sacramental absolution of the Sacrament of Penance . Rather, it is a series of prayers to God that the person's soul will not have to suffer the temporal punishment in purgatory due for sins which were forgiven during the person's life. During the absolution, the Libera me, Domine is sung while the priest incenses the coffin and sprinkles it with holy water . The prayer for absolution
10434-479: The sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,' and to 'our sacrifice of ourselves in union with Christ who offered himself to the Father.'" Roman Catholic theology speaks of the Eucharist not being a separate or additional sacrifice to that of Christ on the cross; it is rather exactly the same sacrifice, which transcends time and space ("the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" – Rev. 13:8), renewed and made present,
10545-463: The saints. Furthermore, the bodies of Christians were considered to have been sanctified by baptism and the reception of the sacraments , and thus were to be treated with dignity and respect, as befits a " Temple of the Holy Spirit " ( 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 , 6:19 ). In reaction against the Christian opposition to cremation some have deliberately instructed that their remains be cremated as
10656-558: The sake of Allah. A similar symbology, which is a reflection of Abraham and Ismael 's dilemma, is the stoning of the Jamaraat which takes place during the pilgrimage . Ritual sacrifice was practiced in Ancient Israel, with the opening chapters of the book Leviticus detailing parts of an overview referring to the exact methods of bringing sacrifices . Although sacrifices could include bloodless offerings (grain and wine),
10767-412: The same time, in the mystery of the Church as his Body, Christ has in a sense opened his own redemptive suffering to all human suffering" ( Salvifici Doloris 19; 24). Some Christians reject the idea of the Eucharist as a sacrifice, inclining to see it as merely a holy meal (even if they believe in a form of the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine, as Reformed Christians do). The more recent
10878-410: The scale of sacrifices may have been exaggerated by ancient authors for political or religious reasons, there is archaeological evidence of large numbers of children's skeletons buried in association with sacrificial animals. Plutarch (ca. 46–120 AD) mentions the practice, as do Tertullian , Orosius , Diodorus Siculus and Philo . They describe children being roasted to death while still conscious on
10989-459: The skeletal remains of those saints at rest in Christ. This practice likely came from the use of the same among Second Temple Jews . Other early Christians likely followed the national customs of the people among whom they lived, as long as they were not directly idolatrous . St. Jerome , in his account of the death of St. Paul the Hermit , speaks of the singing of hymns and psalms while the body
11100-415: 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. The various Roman Catholic Church religious observances surrounding mortal remains can be divided into three stages. The following three stages assume, however, that the full funeral rites are celebrated, including
11211-409: The souls in purgatory . For Catholics, the theology of sacrifice has seen considerable change as the result of historical and scriptural studies. For Lutherans, the Eucharist is a "sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise…in that by giving thanks a person acknowledges that he or she is in need of the gift and that his or her situation will change only by receiving the gift". The Irvingian Churches , teach
11322-540: The wardens for the use of the churchyard or the church itself, when the burial took place inside it. This contribution was often called the right "for breaking the ground". After the Reformation, in both Catholic and reformed areas, burial payments were standardized in tables of fees that had to be displayed at the entrance of the church or inside the sacristy. These tables registered also payments due for marriages, christenings, and, in some countries such as England, for
11433-452: The word sacrifice also occurs in metaphorical use to describe doing good for others or taking a short-term loss in return for a greater power gain, such as in a game of chess . Animal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal as part of a religion. It is practiced by adherents of many religions as a means of appeasing a god or gods or changing the course of nature. It also served a social or economic function in those cultures where
11544-453: The words "Let us offer ourselves and our gifts to God" (A Service of Word and Table I). The United Methodist Church officially teaches that "Holy Communion is a type of sacrifice" that re-presents, rather than repeats the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross ; She further proclaims that: We also present ourselves as sacrifice in union with Christ (Romans 12:1; 1 Peter 2:5) to be used by God in the work of redemption, reconciliation, and justice. In
11655-703: Was a necessary part of the relationship between God and man. Maimonides concludes that God's decision to allow sacrifices was a concession to human psychological limitations. It would have been too much to have expected the Israelites to leap from pagan worship to prayer and meditation in one step. In the Guide for the Perplexed , he writes: In contrast, many others such as Nachmanides (in his Torah commentary on Leviticus 1:9) disagreed, contending that sacrifices are an ideal in Judaism, completely central. The teachings of
11766-542: Was an important duty of nobles, and an emperor could hold hunts, start wars, and convene royal family members in order to get the resources to hold sacrifices, serving to unify states in a common goal and demonstrate the strength of the emperor's rule. Archaeologist Kwang-chih Chang states in his book Art, Myth and Ritual: the Path to Political Authority in Ancient China (1983) that the sacrificial system strengthened
11877-629: Was common historically in Hinduism, contemporary Hindus believe that both animals and humans have souls and may not be offered as sacrifices. This concept is called ahimsa , the Hindu law of non-injury and no harm. Some Puranas forbid animal sacrifice. An animal sacrifice in Arabic is called ḏabiḥa (ذَبِيْحَة) or Qurban (قُرْبَان) . The term may have roots from the Jewish term Korban ; in some places like Bangladesh , India or Pakistan , qurbani
11988-581: Was infinite, so God created a covenant with Abraham , which he fulfilled when he sent his only Son to become the sacrifice for the broken covenant. According to this theology, Christ's sacrifice replaced the insufficient animal sacrifice of the Old Covenant ; Christ the " Lamb of God " replaced the lambs' sacrifice of the ancient Korban Todah (the Rite of Thanksgiving), chief of which is the Passover in
12099-500: 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: 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
12210-472: 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 removable. The lid, with a large cross on it, is often placed outside the front door of the house as
12321-430: Was the master of ceremonies to Pope Innocent VIII and Pope Alexander VI . A little-known custom 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 Bishop Hildebert at the beginning of the twelfth century, and its symbolism is discussed by Guillaume Durand . "A man ought so to be buried", he says, "that while his head lies to
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