Praying “for the Dead” and “to the Dead” at Vespers – the obvious biblical basis
Memory Eternal The Commemoration of the Saints at Orthodox Vespers, Its Roots in the Biblical Lament, and Why It Is Not Necromancy Fr. Laurent Cleenewerck Introduction For many Protestant Christians, a first experience of Orthodox Vespers on the eve of a saint’s feast is puzzling, and at times troubling. The hymns praise a person who […]
Prayers for the Dead – The Scriptural Case
*** Notes from Fr Laurent’s class on 11/13/2025 in Sandpoint (for those who missed it!) *** An Orthodox Christian Defense of Prayers for the Dead Prayers for the deceased are a cornerstone of Orthodox Christian practice, shared with Catholics and rooted in ancient Jewish (Old Testament) tradition. This practice, far from being a later innovation, […]