The Orthodox Funeral Rite Flashcards
What else is the Orthodox church called?
Greek Orthodox
Russian Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox
Orthodox Catholic Church
In reality, the orthodox church is a family of _______________________ churches
Independent, flexible, autocephalus
Each orthodox church is governed by an independent
Council of Bishops
The independent council of Bishops is called a
Synod
Meaning the right belief and right worship
Orthodoxy
There are approximately __ Orthodox groups
15
There are a total of _________ members in the US today
4-5 million
Of the 4-5 million members in the US today, how many are part of the Greek Orthodox?
1.5 million
None of these are administered to members of the Orthodox Church when death is imminent
Last Rites
It is not necessary to do this unless requested to do so by the family
Contact the priest
There are no restrictions concerning
Removal, preparation
This will usually be the method of preparation chosen
Embalming
The European custom is to
Shroud the body
In the US, the deceased is usually dressed in what?
Their own clothing or the clothing purchased by the family specifically for the funeral service
In most cases the rites of a member of an Orthodox Church begin with the
Trisagion
Who is in attendance at the Trisagion?
Family, pallbearers
After the Trisagion, those attending will move in procession to where?
Church
Before leading the procession down the aisle of the church, what will the priest do?
Bless the casket with holy water
The casket is led feet first down the aisle and placed in the _____ with the foot end of the casket nearest the altar
Solea
The casket is usually left ____ during the service
Open
The service will follow a liturgical order with readings prayers, and hymns from a special booklet titled the
Parastas or Great Panachida
The final portion of the service may include this
Eulogy
After the eulogy, the casket is turned so that it is parallel to the
Iconostasis
The Priest annoints the body with
earth or sand and olive oil
This is placed at the foot end
An Icon
While the Icon is at the foot end, those seated on the right side may pass the casket, stopping to kiss the Icon on their way. This is called
Ceremony of the Last Kissing
The Icon is moved to the head end of the casket, and those seated on the left side may stop and
kiss the Icon
After the final viewing and kissing the icon, the friends exit the church and return to their automobiles, and their family has an opportunity for
A final viewing
Funeral services may not be held on
Sundays and certain Holy Days
Cremation is considered ___________
Objectionable
Most methods of disposition will involve
Earth burial or entombment
Who leads the casket in procession to the burial site?
Priest
The committal service will include
A litany of readings and prayers
This signals the end of the committal service
A closing prayer
