“Our faith in the Resurrection of the Dead is not based on the preservation of material relics, but on the omnipotence of God,” states Archimandrite Neophytos in his article.
An Archimandrite takes a stand in
favor of cremation, following a personal experience of his, emphasizing that
there exists no issue that renders it inconceivable for the Church.
The reference is to Archimandrite
Neophytos Mandalos, the priest of the Holy Chapel of Saint Kyriake at Attiko
Alsos, who in an article of his on arxon.gr states that “the Church does not
erect walls, but builds bridges and opens doors. At the core of our faith lies
love and respect for human freedom.”
And he adds: “It has been
established on a pan-Christian and pan-Orthodox level that there exists no
theological, dogmatic, or anthropological issue that renders cremation
inconceivable for the Church. Our faith in the Resurrection of the Dead is not
based on the preservation of material relics, but on the omnipotence of God,
who ‘from the earth’ raises man in his entirety, regardless of the condition of
the body. Orthodox Theology has never taught that the Grace of God is limited
by natural conditions or by the chemical composition of the body.”
It is also mentioned that many
Orthodox Churches, such as those of Bulgaria, Romania, or Serbia, as well as
the Archdioceses and Metropolises of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, have not
issued prohibitive decisions regarding cremation similar to those of the Church
of Greece or of Cyprus.
The article of Archimandrite
Neophytos Mandalos, priest of the Holy Chapel of Saint Kyriake at Attiko Alsos:
Recently, I
found myself at the Crematorium of Ritsona, the only one so far in Greece, to
bid farewell to a beloved friend who had clearly expressed his wish to be
cremated. This experience was for me deeply moving, and at the same time
revealing: a space clean, dignified, with respect for the human being and his
wishes. The farewell took place in an atmosphere of calm, prayer, culture, and
humanity, far from the harsh images we unfortunately encounter in many
cemeteries of large cities—overcrowded grounds, rushed exhumations, and scenes
that often degrade the human person. All this, of course, under the shadow of
the reservations officially expressed—possibly under pressure from conservative
and reactionary circles—by the Church of Greece.
The Church, it
is true, has always been a bearer of culture. From the arts and letters to
medicine and education, the Christian tradition never closed its doors to man
and his needs. On the contrary, it has been a “forerunner,” a pioneer in
development, progress, and respect for freedom and personal identity. That is
why the refusal to fulfill the final wish of the departed, as the president of
the Hellenic Cremation Society Antonis Alakiotis has aptly observed, can only
be understood as a “denial of culture.” The Church does not erect walls, but
builds bridges and opens doors. At the core of our faith lies love and respect
for human freedom.
It is worth
emphasizing here that, as has been established on a pan-Christian and
pan-Orthodox level, there exists no theological, dogmatic, or anthropological
issue that renders cremation inconceivable for the Church. Our faith in the
Resurrection of the Dead is not based on the preservation of material relics,
but on the omnipotence of God, who “from the earth” raises man in his entirety,
regardless of the condition of the body. Orthodox Theology has never taught
that the Grace of God is limited by natural conditions or by the chemical
composition of the body.
That is why many
Orthodox Churches, such as those of Bulgaria, Romania, or Serbia, as well as
the Archdioceses and Metropolises of our Ecumenical Patriarchate, have not
issued prohibitive decisions similar to those of the Church of Greece or of
Cyprus. They do not refuse the performance of the funeral service for those who
choose cremation. Ecclesiastical tradition is not static; it breathes, engages
in dialogue with the needs of the faithful, and remains alive and pastorally
sensitive.
Today, however,
in the large cities, we are faced with a reality that we cannot ignore: burials
in overcrowded cemeteries, exhumations that shock the families, procedures
which, instead of contributing to the management of grief, create additional
psychological burden and impasse—images of shame that are in keeping neither
with respect for man, the “image of God,” nor with the sanctity of life.
Cremation, on the contrary, offers a dignified, hygienic, and civilized manner
of disposing of the body, honoring both the will of the person and society’s
need for respect, cleanliness, and order.
We are not
speaking of a rejection of tradition, but of pastoral discernment. Of a Church
that listens to man, that understands his time, that does not lag behind
developments, that walks alongside and does not condemn. After all, the Gospel
of Love does not call the Church to isolate itself, but to build culture, to
bridge distances, to stand as mother and guide to every person, even at the
hour of his death.
Perhaps, then,
the time has come to reconsider our stance. Not in order to overlook our faith,
but to stand beside man with an open heart and a spirit of respect. For the
Church that erects walls loses the opportunity to embrace, while the Church
that builds bridges becomes a beacon of love and hope in the world. It does not
pretend to live in yesterday, but lives in today and is ready to welcome
tomorrow with dignity.
Greek source:
See also "The Church and the Cremation Problem," by
Archbishop John (Shahovskoy) of San Francisco and Western America: https://orthodoxmiscellany.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-church-and-cremation-problem.html
and
http://orthodoxinfo.com/death/cremation.aspx
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