Death of a priest and funeral

[jay29]

Today, I attended the funeral of Father Stephen Dutko, a very loved Orthodox priest of 67 years of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church. I was Orthodox before my conversion to Catholicism. Many Sundays I kneeled before the altar as an altar boy with Father celebrating Divine Liturgy and not knowing until now how much of a great gift that was. :sad_yes: :imsorry: Of course, he baptized me and gave me the rest of the sacraments. He was a great priest with a bellowing voice. God bless him and may the Angels welcome him into heaven…

Can someone explain the significance of the bishop pouring Chrism Oil on the face of the priest and body?? Also, afterward, putting the aer (spell?) on the face and cloth on the hands??? I find these funeral rites very interesting and would like to know more about them.

 

[Cluny]

Today, I attended the funeral of Father Stephen Dutko, a very loved Orthodox priest of 67 years of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church. I was Orthodox before my conversion to Catholicism. Many Sundays I kneeled before the altar as an altar boy with Father celebrating Divine Liturgy and not knowing until now how much of a great gift that was. :sad_yes: :imsorry: Of course, he baptized me and gave me the rest of the sacraments. He was a great priest with a bellowing voice. God bless him and may the Angels welcome him into heaven…

Can someone explain the significance of the bishop pouring Chrism Oil on the face of the priest and body?? Also, afterward, putting the aer (spell?) on the face and cloth on the hands??? I find these funeral rites very interesting and would like to know more about them.

The oil poured on the face of a deceased person (priest or no) is usually the remains of the blessed oil from the Last Anointing, which is traditionally blessed on the spot. It generally is mixed with the ashes from the censer: “Ashes to ashes,” as it were.

I’ve never heard of Chrism being used for this purpose.

The aer (which typifies the angels hovering over the Holy Gifts) covers the priest’s face to show that he sees nothing else but the face of God henceforth (or so we hope).

I’m not familiar with the cloth covering the hands–it could be a Carpatho-Rusyn custom–but I’m sure the significance is similar.

In the same way, the klobuk is reversed with the veil drawn over the face and hands of a deceased monk or nun;.