What days does the church commemorate suicides?
What days does the church commemorate suicides?
From the perspective of the Church, suicide is consideredthe most serious sin. Suicides do not burial, do not serve for them, requiem for their souls do not pray during worship, and in pre-revolutionary Russia they were even buried outside the cemeteries.
In the people there is a belief that the Church after allremembers people who voluntarily passed away, only once a year - on the Sabbath, preceding the holiday of the Holy Trinity (this day of commemoration of the dead is called the Trinity Parent Saturday). This presentation comes from one of the hymns that are sung on that day in the temple, there really are words about people who committed suicide, but they are not mentioned by name. The church does not pray for suicides ever - on any day, under any circumstances - and it is useless to beg the priests about it. The exception is those who committed suicide in a state of mental disorder, being unable to answer for their actions, and this is confirmed by a certificate from the doctor. Such people are remembered just like everyone else, but only with the written permission of the bishop.
Why not commemorate suicides
The Church refuses to commemorate suicidesbecause they do not mourn their fate or sympathize with the grief of their loved ones. She does not do this for the same reason that she does not pray for those who are not baptized. Life is given to the person by God, only He has the right to decide when it will end - and no matter how much life is pleasing to man. From the point of view of the Christian, earthly life is the path of trials that must be accepted with humility, understanding their significance for spiritual growth. By selflessly renouncing life and the trials that it bears, a person puts his will above the will of God, thereby demonstrating a world outlook that is absolutely inconsistent with Christian doctrine. Such a person is outside the Church - like an unbaptized one, therefore, she can not do anything for him anymore . Of course, other sins are put in such a situation, but they even suggest a principled possibility of repentance, but the suicide consciously cuts off this path. Priests do not undertake to assert that for such people there is absolutely no hope - only God can know about someone's posthumous fate, but the suicide has to be completely entrusted to His will.Prayer of prayer
The impossibility of church commemoration makesclose suicide people seek at least some consolation in the cell - individual, home prayer. There is no direct prohibition on prayer for suicide in the Church, but it can be done only with the blessing of the confessor. However, the priests are reluctant to give such blessings, and there are serious reasons for this. The suicide morale becomes to some extent a manifestation of pride: to the person who does this, it may seem that he is merciful to the Church or even God himself. In addition, by praying for someone, a Christian becomes involved in the state of that person's soul. The soul of a suicide leaves the world in a state of despair, despondency or even bitterness, hostility to God. This state can "catch" the one who prays for him, so the priests do not advise praying for suicide. If the priest's blessing is still received, you need to read the prayer of the Monk Leo of Optina. A good way to help the soul of a suicide is giving alms to the needy.
