THE RITE OF MONASTIC BURIAL IN THE LIGHT OF ASCETIC LITERATURE. A CASE STUDY: THE PATERIKON
THE RITE OF MONASTIC BURIAL IN THE LIGHT OF ASCETIC LITERATURE. A CASE STUDY: THE PATERIKON

Summary/Abstract: This study examines the rite of monastic burial as reflected in the Paterikon, one of the most representative collections of Eastern ascetic literature. Drawing on a broad range of paterikon editions and collections, the paper identifies recurring elements that illuminate both the historical development and the liturgical character of monastic funeral tradition in the Orthodox Church. The analysis is organized around four interconnected themes: the central role of the Divine Liturgy as the theological and liturgical framework for the monastic understanding of death; the symbolic and pedagogical function of the tomb in the ascetic life; the preparatory practices and ritual gestures associated with burial; and the cult of holy relics as the highest liturgical expression of the Church's ongoing communion with the departed. The study concludes that the Paterikon, though not a liturgical source in the strict sense, preserves a coherent vision of death and burial deeply embedded in the eucharistic and ecclesial life of monastic communities. The monastic funeral rite emerges not as an isolated ceremony, but as the culmination of an entire ascetic existence oriented toward union with the risen Christ.

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