Received horrible news today

[Seraphim Reeves]

I just found out this morning that a friend of our family (a man my father had worked with for years named Keyes) committed suicide over the weekend. Apparently his marriage had fallen apart, and he didn't take the situation very well. Admittedly I am not shocked by much (calloused in sin as I am), but this actually left me unsettled.

I'm curious, what does the Church teach about suicides? Can we pray for them? Should we pray for them? I intuitively have a feeling about this, but I'd appreciate the opinion of people more knowledgable than myself.

Seraphim

[rebecca]

I think I heard that we can pray for them, though not in church services.

I'll pray for you and for the family of the deceased.

[Logos]

Sad news. But I can see why this person committed suicide.

[Methodius]

Sad news. But I can see why this person committed suicide.

What a horrible and rude thing to say Logos!

I am sorry for your loss Seraphim. I shall pray for this man. As for church teachings, I have always been taught that this is the sin of unltimate despair, the sin against the Holy Spirit for which there is no forgiveness. That is why there can be no Church funeral for one that commits suicide, only a graveside service.

[Liudmilla]

Such a person, one who has lost all hope, needs prayers more than anything. The church does not condone suicides, but it can rule that a person was not in his right mind when the "event" took place. If such is the case then prayer in church and everywhere else is encouraged, advised, asked for, WANTED!

[Logos]

What a horrible and rude thing to say Logos!

I did not mean to be rude Methodius. I was only saying that I can see why he committed suicide. If I was in a similar position, I would do the same thing.

[Gregory2]

I think the Church does not condone suicide because it is the ultimate expression that "there is no hope" -- and Our Lord teaches us that with Him, there is always hope. To give a "church funeral" to someone who commits suicide would be to in essence honor their life as a struggling Christian -- and suicide is not the mark of a struggling Christian who puts his faith in Christ's mercy.

I see nothing wrong with praying for the departed, however -- he probably would have benefited if people prayed for him during his lifetime! The thief on the Cross was saved by Our Lord's mercy -- so we don't know the ultimate destination of this man who committed suicide (or anyone who commits suicide for that matter).

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States -- among youth, and among elderly. Sadly, we as a callous culture turn a blind eye to it, often regarding the person as "weak," when what they probably needed more than anything was love.

I've read somewhere that non-Orthodox Christians lose so much by not praying for the departed -- it's a treasure that we Orthodox need to honor.