Sacred Covenant: Orthodox Views on Funeral Rites

Orthodoxy builds its morality and customs on the solid foundation of Holy Scripture, where every action carries deep meaning and symbolism. Here, the approach to funeral rites is not merely a collection of rituals but an entire system of beliefs, in which the body—as the temple of the Spirit of God—must be returned to the earth with reverence, excluding the influences of pagan traditions. At the core of this stance lies the conviction that breaking the covenants given by God is not simply a deviation from spiritual rules, but a complete sinful violation that rejects the sanctity of human existence. This strictness in rituals forms an undeniable identity for believers, for whom every action holds eternal significance, and where ancient traditions serve as a guide on the path to salvation. In conclusion, cultural heritage and religious doctrine, in a unified impulse, oppose pagan practices by affirming their belief in a sacred order, where every being is subject to a higher purpose.

But how can cultural and religious traditions influence Christians’ fear of symbols, such as the funeral pyre?

Cultural and religious traditions shape Christians' attitudes toward certain symbols by establishing long-standing norms and moral values that often contradict ancient pagan customs. Thus, Orthodox teaching regards the cremation of bodies not merely as a change in burial method, but as a clear sign of abandoning the covenants established by Holy Scripture. In particular, one document states:

"It is absolutely unacceptable for an Orthodox Christian to indulge the development of the sinful pagan tradition of cremating the bodies of the deceased. Let us recall the words of Holy Scripture: To Adam He said: ...by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground from which you were taken (Gen. 3:17, 19). It is the foremost duty of the deceased's relatives, to properly return the body of the deceased to the earth with the corresponding memorial services conducted in the temple of God, for which everyone must answer on God’s Last Judgment. Therefore, the cremation of the deceased's body is a grave sin—a desecration of the temple of God: Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells within you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will punish him; for the temple of God is holy, and that temple is you" (source: 9_44.txt).

This passage demonstrates that in the Christian tradition, symbols associated with pagan funeral rites are perceived as a departure from divine ordinances. Cremation, carried out on a funeral pyre, symbolizes an act of violence against the body, which, in the Christian worldview, is considered the temple of the Spirit of God. This perspective is reinforced by the belief that the untouched skin and flesh, following the natural process of returning to the earth, retain their sacredness and remain under God’s order.

Thus, cultural heritage and religious teaching mutually reinforce a negative perception of symbols connected to pagan practices. For Christians, this forms an essential aspect of their spiritual identity, where the strictness of rituals and beliefs about the true path to salvation impose certain prohibitions on practices that evoke associations with ancient rites, including the funeral pyre.

Supporting citation(s):
"It is absolutely unacceptable for an Orthodox Christian to indulge the development of the sinful pagan tradition of cremating the bodies of the deceased. Let us recall the words of Holy Scripture: To Adam He said: ...by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground from which you were taken (Gen. 3:17, 19)..." (source: 9_44.txt).