Questions

Question first appeared on October 16, 2005
If I choose to keep my casket closed during my funeral service and the visitation, except when you bless me at the very end, can I do that?

Yes, you can. Part of what you ask is our normal archdiocese’s practice of closing the casket before starting the funeral service and not opening it again.

You may also choose to have a closed casket throughout the visitation and the Trisagion Prayers leading up to the funeral service. The anointing of the body and the placing of earth and ashes into the casket would be done by the priest at the funeral home before the visitation. With that accomplished there would be no need to reopen the casket for any reason.

©Very Rev. Fr. Olof Scott, Sunday Bulletin, October 16, 2005

Question first appeared on May 29, 2005
Does the Church allow us to keep the casket closed during a funeral service?

Yes. The practice of our Self-Ruled Antiochian Archdiocese is as follows: “It is strictly forbidden to have the casket of the departed open in the church. The casket may be open at the home, funeral chapel or parlor, where the last viewing may be held.” (The Priest’s Guide)

However, since it is our practice to have a visitation one hour before the funeral service in our sanctuary, we have the last viewing following a Trisagion service. Then, the casket is closed for the final time before the start of the funeral service.