An unbaptized person is not a member of the Church, but if he wants to go to church in order to understand and understand issues of faith or wants to receive Baptism, then, of course, he not only can, but also needs to go to an Orthodox church.
From the history of Rus' it is known that the ambassadors of Prince Vladimir, who arrived in Constantinople, were amazed by the beauty of the service and felt that “God was there with the people, and the service was better than in all other countries.” Therefore, in order to consciously choose a religion, it is important for an unbaptized person to attend church.
Everyone can come to church
Before understanding who can enter an Orthodox church and who cannot, it is necessary to study the history of the emergence of the Church of Jesus Christ and its purpose. Translated from Greek, the word “church” means a gathering of the called. This name appeared after Christ called the apostles to follow him and bring the Good News of salvation to all corners of the earth. Therefore, the church is a collection of those who believe in the Lord and do His will, and its head is Jesus Christ.
An Orthodox church is also called a church, since Christians gather there to worship the Lord together, pray and participate in the Sacrament of Communion. According to the clergy, every person who is baptized in an Orthodox church becomes part of the Church of Jesus Christ. However, if a believer avoids participating in church life, does not accept Holy Communion, or misses divine services, he inevitably moves away from the Lord and can no longer be called a true Christian.
If everything is quite simple with believers and baptized people, then what do the clergy say about those who have not accepted Holy Water Baptism or belong to another religion? According to ministers of the Orthodox Church, any person has the right to enter the church, even those who do not profess the Orthodox faith, however, certain requirements are imposed on the behavior of such people during worship.
People who have not been baptized and do not belong to the Orthodox Church have the right to enter the church premises and attend the service, because in this way they have the opportunity to hear the sermons of the priests, in which they talk about the feat of Christ and His death for the sins of all mankind. Gradually, the heart of such a person softens, and he comes to realize the need to repent of his sins.
There are also cases when an unbaptized person has trouble, and he comes to the temple as the only place where he hopes to find help and understanding. Therefore, when entering an Orthodox church, no one is asked whether he has been baptized or not, and certainly not forbidden to attend services.
However, this does not mean that such a person should not observe certain rules of behavior in the temple, which apply to both believers and non-believers. Otherwise, he may be reprimanded, or even asked to leave the service altogether.
Funeral ritual: concept, meaning, features
The funeral service is held only once. This ritual means helping the soul, facilitating the forgiveness of sins through saying prayers. Funeral service is the popular name of the rite, the official definition is the Rite of Burial or Mortal Follow-up.
When performing a divine service, an association with chants arises. This contributed to the appearance of the name – “funeral service”.
The service in the temple
The rite of burial is a type of worship. Its goal is to help the deceased overcome the ordeal, to reduce the burden of sins that those living on earth often take upon themselves. This helps cleanse the imperishable shell. She can appear before the Lord more pure. But forgiveness is possible if the deceased himself had time to repent before death.
The divine service is conducted in a special way; it cannot be repeated, as is done in the case of a memorial service or liturgy. The funeral service is carried out provided that the deceased is a baptized person. Features of the service:
- It is customary to read prayers in church, but sometimes the church makes an exception: the dead are buried at home, in a cemetery, in special mourning halls (for example, in a morgue);
- The coffin is brought into the temple to the sound of bells;
- they begin the service by reading the Initial Prayers, then move on to Psalm 90, say kathismas, troparia, Psalm 50, etc. - the service is long - about 90 minutes, but provides significant help to the soul of the deceased;
- when the stichera are read, a kiss should be performed - the relatives approach the coffin, touch the aureole on the forehead of the deceased with their lips;
- At the end of the service, they continue the procession - they go to the cemetery, where the burial takes place.
Reading a prayer in church
The deceased must necessarily confess before death, since forgiveness of sins is possible through repentance. The funeral service of the baptized person is performed subject to prior agreement with the clergyman.
The service is held for the deceased, provided that the relatives have presented a medical certificate of death, which indicates the cause of death (funeral services are performed for those who passed away due to natural causes, or the death was violent).
What can an unbaptized person do in church?
Some people who have not been baptized are afraid to enter an Orthodox church because they are worried that they might break some rule and hurt the feelings of believers. In fact, there are not so many strict rules when attending worship services, but they still exist. You should familiarize yourself with them before coming to the temple:
- Anyone is allowed to enter the church, regardless of their religion, even an atheist. The only exception is the morning Liturgy, or more precisely, that part of it that in Orthodoxy is called the “Liturgy of the Faithful.” It is believed that this part, until the end of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, can only be understood by churchgoers and has a sacred meaning. It is not understandable to anyone who has not been baptized and is not part of the Church of Jesus Christ, therefore, as a sign of respect for church canons, unbaptized people are not recommended to attend it.
- Another requirement concerns the clothing required to visit the temple. Women are not recommended to enter the church in short skirts, tight-fitting dresses with a large neckline. Men are not allowed to attend services in shorts and open T-shirts, as such items of clothing look defiant within the walls of the temple and can cause disapproving glances from believers.
- As for headdresses, a man must take it off before entering the church, and a woman, on the contrary, must cover her head with a scarf or handkerchief.
- You must behave quietly within the walls of an Orthodox church, do not shout, or pester those listening to the priest’s sermons with questions. If a person enters church with a child, it is necessary to constantly hold his hand and not allow him to run around the room so that he does not distract people from the service.
- An unbaptized person must remember that he has no right to take part in any church sacraments intended exclusively for Christians, drink consecrated water or eat prosphora.
- A person who does not belong to the Orthodox Church can pray together with everyone for himself and loved ones, sign himself with the sign of the cross, and also venerate icons and light candles for the health and repose of relatives.
In the event that an unbaptized person did something wrong in the church, parishioners can tell him about it; you shouldn’t be afraid or embarrassed, but just politely thank him.
Is it possible for unbaptized people to give notes, pray and light candles?
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“I don’t see a sin in an unbaptized person lighting a candle, making the sign of the cross with reverence, or venerating an icon or holy relics,” says priest Sergei Vasin. If a person is going to be baptized, then he goes through a catechumen - a period of preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism.
In the first centuries of our era, the catechumen could last a year or longer, so the catechumen can be anointed with consecrated oil, submit notes about the baptized living and deceased, drink holy water, and venerate shrines. In the Russian Orthodox Church there is a special prayer for people preparing for Baptism - the litany of the catechumens.
Priest Alexander Savin warns that a person who wants to be baptized must be “consistent and purposeful, try to realize his intention without delay.” Since demons do not sleep, some obstacles (temptations) may arise on the path to Baptism. Superstitious people may consider such circumstances to be “signs” and, attaching significance to them, postpone Baptism.
In one of the ancient patericons there is a legend about a non-Christian who decided to “test” Orthodox Christians through participation in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The man, along with other communicants, approached the Chalice with the Holy Gifts, but when the priest handed him a spoon with the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the gentile saw real blood and a piece of meat on it.
FAQ
Those who do not belong to the Orthodox denomination often ask priests questions regarding the rules of visiting the temple:
- What happens if a person enters an Orthodox church during the reading of the Liturgy of the Faithful? Despite the fact that the presence of the unbaptized at this part of the service is undesirable, if a person unknowingly enters the church at this time, no one will kick him out. This also happens when tourists visit historically significant temples. The main thing at this moment is to behave decently and not to distract parishioners from participating in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.
- What time is it better for an unbaptized person to come to church? The most optimal time to visit church is considered to be the afternoon, when the evening service begins, usually at 16:00.
- Who should I contact with questions that arise while attending a service? During the service, you should not contact the clergy; this can be done after the service; as a rule, the priest remains in the church for a while specifically in order to answer questions from interested people. There are also churchwomen at the temples - these women sit at the entrance and can explain some details, such as where to put candles, how to find the icon of interest and how to correctly pray for health or repose of the soul.
- Is it possible to take photos during a service? This question usually arises among those unbaptized people who came to church for some special event, invited by close friends and relatives, for example, to the baptism of a child or to a wedding. Each Orthodox church has its own rules in this regard, so you should first ask the priest who will conduct the ceremony whether photography or video filming is allowed.
- Is it possible to enter the temple wearing makeup? This question worries women who are used to being in public places with makeup. If it is not provocative and not too bright, then there is nothing wrong with it.
- Are girls prohibited from wearing trousers to church? There is no direct ban on this from the Orthodox Church, and if a woman spontaneously decides to visit the temple, then she can do so in trousers, the main thing is that they do not hug her figure too tightly. If you have a scarf or handkerchief with you, you can tie it around your waist to cover your hips.
Any person who wants to visit an Orthodox church can do so without any restrictions, the main thing is to behave decently during the service.
Features of secular funerals of unbaptized people
When burying baptized and unbaptized people, one ritual is performed, but there are some differences:
- there is no funeral service;
- You cannot light candles for the repose of the soul of an unbaptized deceased;
- it is permissible to read prayers, but without performing ritual ceremonies, one cannot ask the Lord to accept the soul, to forgive sins, since the person himself has renounced the Kingdom of Heaven;
- The use of icons and crosses is prohibited.
Civil funeral service
A civil funeral service is taking place: relatives and friends say goodbye to the unbaptized deceased in the funeral hall, they make speeches, saying only good things.
Why you can’t perform funeral services for unbaptized people
After death, an Orthodox Christian is given a funeral service by a clergyman. During the ritual, a special prayer is said, during which a request is made to the Lord for the forgiveness of sins of a person who has passed into another world.
People who have not been baptized before their death are outside the Russian Orthodox Church. Relatives do not have the right to decide for the deceased what concession his soul should belong to after death. Everyone must decide on their religious views during their lifetime. Human souls are in the hands of the Lord.
The will is given to man so that he can make his own choice. To make it clear, you need to understand the concepts:
- Funeral service - a church official prayerfully asks God to accept a member of the Russian Orthodox Church. The priest intercedes with the Lord for the forgiveness of the sins of the deceased and his repose. A funeral service is not a ticket to heaven.
- Baptism is a kind of oath, an oath. Therefore, if the deceased during his lifetime did not consider it necessary to believe, what is the point of asking God for him. That is, this man considered the Orthodox religion a meaningless activity, and those around him, waiting for his death, want to forcefully bring him to the church.
Orthodox believers do not know whether there are differences between the burial rite and how to bury an unbaptized adult. Posthumous conversion is impossible. Only those ceremonies that do not relate to the funeral service are performed. This is the difference.
Who else can't have a funeral service?
The Orthodox funeral rite of burial is not performed for suicides. Voluntary renunciation of God's gift of life is one of the most terrible sins. Previously, such people were buried in a lighted cemetery, and a place was assigned to them behind a fence.
The Russian Orthodox Church allows funeral services for people who committed suicide due to mental insanity. A mentally ill person does not know what he is doing and cannot be responsible for his actions. The following are not considered suicides:
- heroically fallen warriors;
- people who sacrificed their own lives to save other people;
- Orthodox Christians who died as a result of an accident.
To conduct a funeral with a funeral service, relatives present the clergyman with a medical certificate and a forensic report from the morgue. After this, it is allowed to accompany the deceased loved one on his final journey in compliance with the correct traditions.
In exceptional cases, when the true cause of death has been established, a funeral service can be held after the funeral. Such cases occur when a person was killed, but the attackers faked suicide.
Who to contact
You can also ask simple questions to the churchwomen - the women who run the church shop, sell candles and accept notes. However, it should be remembered that they do not know everything, but can only suggest whether it is possible or not to remember a person, where this or that icon is located, which priest you can approach to talk in more detail about faith.
If you are interested in more serious questions of faith, you should wait until the end of the service and approach the released priest. It is better to do this after the evening service. As a rule, in large churches, priests often deliberately linger to answer questions from parishioners and those who would like to be baptized, but do not know how to do so.
Father's comment
Father Vladimir
Clergyman
The believer must appear before the throne of the Lord, he will steadfastly endure trials, but will accept help from his relatives, and if it is not provided, the incorruptible shell of the deceased will still go through the ordeal, albeit more difficult. An unbaptized person is deprived of the support of loved ones (they should not pray for such a relative), angels, because during his lifetime he turned away from the Lord. He is even deprived of the opportunity to overcome the ordeal in order to later go to heaven. The path of such a person after death is hell. And this is a voluntary decision, no one denied him the love of the Lord, but a baptized unbeliever, like an unbaptized one, is doomed to eternal suffering.
What not to do
You can't be afraid. Christ himself in the Gospel most often says “Do not be afraid!”, and in the Apocalypse of John the Theologian the following words are written: “The fearful will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven!” Hieromonk Job (Gumerov) believes that Orthodox people should rejoice and rejoice over everyone who has crossed the threshold of the temple, and thank God for this.
You cannot do everything that a baptized person cannot do - run, talk loudly, rush away, shout, push, behave disrespectfully. If possible, men should not enter the temple in shorts, and women should not wear miniskirts or other revealing outfits. Women should cover their heads with a headscarf, scarf, Panama hat, hat or cap, while men, on the contrary, should take off their headdress upon entering.
What to do
You can: pray to God, reverently venerate the images, light candles and submit notes for baptized relatives. It should be remembered that you should pray for unbaptized relatives (living or deceased) only at home, in your own words. It is not customary to put a cross on yourself (to be baptized) before receiving baptism.
But if you did something wrong - crossed yourself, turned the wrong way, or came in clothes that made you look askance, remember that they are afraid - don’t. God is merciful and forgives many things.
“Question-answer” section
Is it necessary to perform a funeral service for a person who has been baptized, but is not a believer and has not gone to church?
Expert opinion
Father Pavel
Clergyman
According to the canons of Orthodoxy, the answer to the question of whether it is necessary to perform a funeral service for an unbeliever who has been baptized is negative. The clergy are quite categorical about such people; they believe that they are even lower than the pagans who did not know the true God. This is due to initiation into religion, the initial aspiration to the Lord, as indicated by consent to undergo the rite of baptism. But such people later leave the Heavenly Father for various reasons: disappointment, loss of a loved one, resentment, etc. - none of them can be called sufficient to distance themselves from God, which is condemned, which means that the unbeliever will miss the funeral rite, even if he baptized
Are funeral services held for children who were not baptized? They are sinless
Expert opinion
Father Pavel
Clergyman
Opinions on this issue are different, but today the hierarchs agree that a child, being unbaptized, is still sinless (original sin is not taken into account). For this reason, a funeral service can be performed. For this purpose, the Synod not long ago adopted the “Rite of the dead unbaptized infants,” but the rules for the ceremony are still somewhat different from the Rite of burial. First of all, they note the need to read a prayer for the child and his parents.
What happens to the soul of a deceased unbaptized person?
Expert opinion
Father Pavel
Clergyman
According to the Gospel, it was previously believed that the unbaptized would not be able to go to heaven. Today, this issue is being reconsidered; the clergy are less categorical about it. For example, it is generally accepted that babies do not go to hell or heaven. They are in a special place where there is no torment, but there is no bliss either. Saint Augustine mentions original sin when considering the question of whether the soul of an unbaptized person goes to heaven.
Will children with mothers of different faiths meet in the afterlife?
Expert opinion
Father Pavel
Clergyman
The Holy Apostle Paul said that a holy wife sanctifies her husband and vice versa. Children are also holy, in his opinion. This means that during life, not only faith is important, but also a person’s behavior and way of thinking. This means that those who go to heaven will be able to meet loved ones there.
Afterlife
What happens if you bury an unbaptized person according to Orthodox customs?
Expert opinion
Father Pavel
Clergyman
Relatives try to hide the manner of death of a loved one, which, in their opinion, will help them achieve heaven and avoid suffering. But this is a delusion, because the Lord sees the slightest insincerity. An unbaptized person will still go to hell, because he avoided the church, perhaps was an agnostic or an atheist. Relatives will take the sin upon themselves if they assist in this deception. They can also avoid the fate of going to heaven, especially when many serious wrongdoings have been committed during their lifetime.
Is it possible to perform a funeral service for a baptized non-believer?
Even if a person was baptized, but over time made a choice in favor of the human, abandoned the divine, and stopped believing, then the clergy refuse to perform the funeral service. The essence of the ritual is to help the soul of the believer overcome the ordeal and get to heaven. A non-believer is unlikely to be on the same level with them, since hellish abodes await him.
Funeral service for the deceased
