What happens after someone departs in the Coptic Orthodox Church?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, death is understood not as an end, but as a transition—a departure from this temporary earthly pilgrimage to eternal life. As the priest prays in the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil: "For there is no death for Your servants, but a departure."

When a faithful member of the Church departs, specific liturgical rites, prayers, and theological understandings guide what takes place.

1. The Immediate Departure and the State of the Soul

When a person departs, their soul separates from the corruptible body.

• The Intermediate State: The Coptic Orthodox Church teaches that souls await the General Resurrection and Final Judgment in an intermediate state:
• The righteous go to Paradise (the bosom of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), a place of comfort, joy, and anticipation of the heavenly kingdom.
• The unrighteous go to Hades, a place of waiting and sorrow.
• Refutation of Purgatory: The Church strictly rejects the Roman Catholic innovation of Purgatory (a place of punitive cleansing fires). Salvation and forgiveness are through the blood of Christ alone; the departed in Paradise experience rest, not torment.
• Refutation of Protestant Denial: Unlike Protestant groups that reject prayers for the departed entirely, the Orthodox Church maintains the apostolic tradition of unceasing prayer, almsgiving, and offering the Divine Liturgy for the repose and mercy of the souls who have fallen asleep.

2. Preparation of the Body and the Funeral Service (Tajniz)

The physical body is treated with great dignity and reverence, as it was a temple of the Holy Spirit and received the Holy Mystery of the Eucharist.

• Preparation: The body is washed, anointed, and dressed in clean, dignified clothing, then placed in a casket.
• The Funeral Rite: The casket is brought into the nave of the church facing east. The Funeral Service is rich in Scripture, psalmody, and deep supplication. It includes:
• Thanksgiving Prayer and Psalm 50.
• Selected Psalms and Pauline Epistles that speak of the resurrection of the dead (especially 1 Corinthians 15).
• Passages from the Catholic Epistles, the Book of Acts (Praxis), and the Holy Gospel.
• The Litanies for the Departed, praying that God grant the soul rest, forgive their voluntary and involuntary sins, and receive them into the heavenly Jerusalem.
• The Absolution of the Departed, where the priest asks God to absolve the soul of any earthly bond or transgressions committed in weakness.
• Specific Rites: The Church has specific funeral prayers tailored for:
• Men, women, male children, and female children.
• Deacons, priests, hegumens, and bishops/patriarchs.
• Monks and nuns.

Holy Week: If a believer departs during Holy Pascha, no funeral service is chanted because the Church focuses solely on the sufferings and passion of Christ. Instead, a General Funeral prayer is prayed over all the congregation on Palm Sunday to cover anyone who might depart during that holy week.

3. The Burial

After the funeral prayers, the clergy and congregation accompany the body to the cemetery. At the gravesite:

• Prayers and hymns are chanted as the casket is lowered into the ground facing east, awaiting the Second Coming of Christ.
• The priest casts dust over the body three times, saying: "From the earth you were taken, and to earth you shall return," affirming both man's humility and the promise of the resurrection of the body.

4. Commemorations and Post-Departure Prayers

The Church does not abandon her children after burial. Prayers and liturgical offerings continue at set intervals:

A. The Third-Day Prayer (Salat al-Thalith)

On the third day following departure, the priest visits the home of the deceased's family to conduct the "Lifting of the Mats" or Third-Day Prayer.

• This commemorates the third-day Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• The priest sprinkles water throughout the house, reading the Holy Gospel and litanies to comfort the grieving family, casting away the spirit of grief and mourning, and filling the home with the joy of Christ's resurrection.

B. The Divine Liturgy

The most vital act of love for the departed is having the Divine Liturgy offered for their soul. During the Liturgy:

• The priest mentions their name during the Litany of the Departed.
• Their name is commemorated silently at the altar during the Diptych alongside the departed fathers, bishops, and saints.
• The Church believes the Eucharistic sacrifice brings profound grace, comfort, and mercy to the departed soul.

C. The Fortieth-Day Memorial (Salat al-Arba'een)

On or around the 40th day after departure, a memorial service and Divine Liturgy are celebrated.

• This commemorates the forty days our Lord spent with His disciples before His Ascension into the heavens.
• The Church prays that, just as Christ ascended into glory, this departed soul may ascend to the heavenly dwelling place.

D. The One-Year Memorial and Annual Commemorations

A memorial Divine Liturgy is offered at the one-year mark (El-Sana) and annually thereafter. The living continue to offer alms in the name of the departed, give offerings of prosphora (altar bread) and wine for the Liturgy, and ask the Lord to remember them in His heavenly kingdom until the general day of judgment.