Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. (Eph.6:23,24)
Orthodoxy News
Tomb of St. Joseph the Hesychast repaired on Mt. Athos 22.07.2024 05:33
Over the decades, the buildings at New Skete on Mt. Athos, where the saint spent the last years of his life and where he was buried, have deteriorated, and the cover of his tomb had cracked into several pieces. >>>
Greek police preparing to storm schismatic Esphigmenou Monastery on Mt. Athos—Greek media 22.07.2024 05:21
Greek police are reportedly preparing to storm Esphigmenou Monastery on Mt. Athos to evict its 118 resident monks. >>>
Metropolitan of Berat (Albania) reposes in the Lord 22.07.2024 03:51
Met. Ignat was 89 years old. He served the Church in the episcopal dignity for 28 years. >>>
Are You Free? 21.07.2024 23:34
Fr. James Guirguis
St. Apostle Paul takes an earthly reality and he uses it to bring to light an even greater spiritual reality. He uses this language of freedom and slavery with a completely different purpose. >>>
Holy Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna Romanova (1895–1918) 21.07.2024 23:26
Maria Tobolova
All those whose destinies crossed the paths in life of the Royal Family unanimously testified to the moral purity of the eldest Princess, her kindness, modesty, sensitivity, and sense of justice. >>>
The Faith of the Centurion 20.07.2024 20:51
St. John Chrysostom
So, what does Jesus do? He does something He never did before. In all the other cases He complied with the petitioners’ requests. But here He Himself forestalls the centurion’s wish and promises not only to heal the servant, but also to come to his house. >>>
Why Do We Need to Turn in Prayer Mainly to the Mother of God? 20.07.2024 20:25
The Day of the Appearance of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. From the Full Cycle of Yearly teachings for every day of the year Archpriest Gregory Dyachenko
The Most Holy Virgin Theotokos is the special protectress of pious Christians. >>>
Do You See This Woman? 19.07.2024 21:33
Fr. Lawrence Farley
Christ had compassion on the sinful woman, as He has compassion on all. We must at least try to see others as they are so that we might share with them Christ’s compassion. >>>
We maintain Church unity by “standing on the canonical order”—Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria 19.07.2024 06:45
In his first full-length interview since his election as primate of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Daniil spoke about, among other things, the importance of unity in all areas of our lives—both personally and in the Church. >>>
Relics of St. Raphael (Hawaweeny) of Brooklyn exhumed for veneration 19.07.2024 04:35
St. Raphael was the first Orthodox bishop consecrated in America, where he faithfully served the mission of the Russian Orthodox Church under St. Tikhon, the future Patriarch of Moscow, together with a number of other saints. >>>
Randomly selected question to the priest (all questions)
Question №2
I've heard that there is a day when Church prays for people who committed suicide. When is it?
Andrei
Answer >>>
It is not true. Church never prays for the people who committed suicide. Death is the conclusion of the life of the person." Our Lord Jesus Christ said:" In what I find you, in that I will judge you" (Mr. Iustin Philosopher). What is the end of a suicide? It is a desperate, voluntary rejection of Christ. Why Christ? Because, Lord said:" whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me"(Mar. 8:34) And gave us an example," He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil.2:8). Suicide is refusing to carry his cross. That is why sin of suicide also called sin of Judas. Judas betrayed Jesus became desperate "went and hanged himself" (Matt.27:5). Apostol Peter also betrayed Jesus, had denied Him. After that for some time had lost the title to be called Apostol, but didn't fell into desperation and was forgiven by repentance.
Here is St. Philaret answer to this question :"WHY SUICIDE IS A GRAVE SIN? Suicide is the most unlawful out of all homicides. If it is against the nature to kill the one like us, a human, it is even more against the nature to kill thyself. Our life doesn’t belong to us like our own property, but to God, Who gave it to us"( St. Philaret, Mitropolit of Moscow. Lengthy Catechism).
The only reason when the Church allows us to pray for a person who committed suicide is when there is proven insanity of the person who committed this sin.
Question 14. If someone being insane commits suicide or through himself from the height should it be given the offering or not?
Answer. The priest should thoroughly consider it, was he truly insane when he did it? The relatives of the sufferer often want to bring offering and prayer for him, not saying the truth that he committed suicide while not “out of his mind.” It could be he suicided because of human insult or in case another reason of cowardice, - and about him shouldn't be any offering so he committed suicide. That is why the priest should surely investigate thoroughly, so he won't get under judgement.
Suicide is equal to homicide considered by the Holy fathers. That is why a person who tried to commit suicide but survived it was imposed the penance as for a murderer. Under the existing rules the last rites of the one who committed suicide during a fit of insanity, after all can't be performed by the priest without special permission of a Bishop, for whom it is necessary to present evidence of the reason to admit this suicide as committed during insanity (medical report, testimony of the trusted people)"( Canons of Orthodox Church. Part 3. Canon Messages of the Holy Fathers. Canon Answers of the Most Holy Timothy of Alexandria).
Regarding to the modern "humane" worldly ideas Russian Orthodox Church gave next explanation, which can be helpful during the discussion about suicide:" Therefore euthanasia is a form of homicide or suicide depending on the participation of the patient. In the last case the certain canon rules are applied according to which the intended suicide as well as assisting to commit one is considered as a grave sin. The person who is willfully committing suicide "did that from the man’s insult or any other reason of cowardice", is not worthy of Christian funeral and liturgical remembrance (Timothy of Alexandria rule #14). If the suicide was committed unconsciously "out the mind", that in the fit of mental illness the prayer of the Church is allowed upon the research of the case by the Bishop. Nevertheless it is necessary to remember that the guilt of the suicide sometimes share the people who were near him were unable to show active empathy and mercy. Together with Apostol Paul Church is calling: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ”. (Gal.6.2.) (Foundation of social concept of Russian Orthodox Church). From this above mentioned quotation it is obvious the necessity of repentance of the relatives of the person who committed suicide on the reason of the possible lack of empathy, love which were some of the reason of a suicide.
Generally Fathers call suicide consciously unrepentant sin which leads to the loss of soul. From this point of view Adam already committed suicide because he knew: ”But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die”.(Gen.2.17.) “But this part of the human race to which God has promised pardon and a share in His eternal kingdom, can they be restored through the merit of their own works? God forbid. For what good work can a lost man perform except so far as he has been delivered from perdition? Can they do anything by the free determination of their own will? Again I say, God forbid. For it was by the evil use of his free-will that man destroyed both it and himself, but after he has killed himself ceases to live, and cannot restore himself to life; so, when man by his own free-will sinned, then sin being victorious over him, the freedom of his will was lost. “For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.” This is the judgment of the Apostle Peter (2 Pet.2.19) (Blessed Augustine, bishop of Hippo. ”The Enchiridion on Faith, Hope and Charity).
08/05/2022: Our website has a section "Sunday and holiday sermons", which is dedicated to Sunday and holiday apostolic and gospel readings. The section contains relevant texts from the Apostle and the Gospel, as well as interpretations on them. The section is constantly updated. Keep for updates.