Christian funerals in England can take place for any resident of England through the Church of England regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof. A Christian funeral service involves prayers, hymns, readings from the Bible, and other spiritual rituals led by a minister. Elements of the service can be personalized to include eulogies, songs, and stories chosen by loved ones of the deceased. If the deceased was a practicing Christian, burial usually involves keeping the ashes together and a committal ceremony with prayers focusing on the afterlife. Mourning traditions in Orthodox Christianity include memorial services over 40 days and 7 years to commemorate the soul undergoing judgement.

1. Christian Funeral Rites
Any resident of England will technically live in a parish and can, therefore, be entitled to a
Church of England funeral. Regardless of whether they have attended any services in their
life or if they were a member of the church. In fact, even an atheist is entitled to be buried
by a member of the church as long as they reside in England.
A Christian funeral can take place in a chapel or a church but this is not absolutely
compulsory, Christian ministers may preside over funerals held at crematoriums, woodland
burial sites or at the gravesite in secular cemeteries – as long as there is a minister in
attendance the burial or cremation site is considered a holy site.
Whether the funeral takes place at a church, crematorium or other places, the minister will
meet the coffin and pallbearers at the door and greet them welcome. The minister will then
lead the procession into the building or area, whilst reciting from the bible.

2. Unlike the other Abrahamic faiths, whose funeral services tend to be generally impersonal,
Christian funerals have the ability to be highly personalised. There will be an opening
statement led by the priest, this could be a prayer, a statement to show support to the
bereaved or a mixture of both. Loved ones and even the minister can be invited to read
eulogies, personal stories, poetry and prose, sing or play secular songs alongside the
traditional hymns, prayers, sermons and readings from the bible that the faith requires, with
guests being encouraged to read or sing along at appropriate times. If you aren’t
comfortable in doing this, it is acceptable for you to be standing and silent in respect for the
service, the departed and the faith itself.
The individual elements of a funeral service are very important to Anglicans and therefore if
a funeral is being arranged through the Church of England faith, then someone from the
church will go to the loved ones beforehand and discuss the deceased, who they were, what
they were like and how they would like them to be commemorated.
If the deceased was not a Christian the funeral would still be able to go ahead if they are
residents of the United Kingdom, however, as a tradition the minister may recite a prayer
for the unlearned:
‘ God of infinite mercy and justice, who has made man in thine own image, and hatest
nothing thou hast made, we rejoice in thy love and commend all mankind to thee, that in
them thy will be done’
Practising Christians may also request to have the ritual of Holy Communion included in the
service of their loved ones, or in their own if they are pre-planning their funeral. However,
this is not usual practice or commanded by doctrine.
Church of England funeral services do not demand participation by Non-Christians. They
need not participate during prayers, hymns or Holy Communion and it is perfectly
acceptable for them to sit quietly and respectfully while these spiritual rituals take place.

3. However, the Church of England and a lot of other Anglican churches do not prohibit non-
Christians from joining in and may even encourage this as a mark of respect to the departed.
What does a Christian burial involve?
Although a burial is the most traditional practice in Christianity, most Anglicans support
cremation. If the deceased is cremated and is a practising Christian, then it is normal and
actually crucial for the ashes of the deceased to be kept together rather than scattered,
interred at home or if buried then in a columbarium. This is due to the Christian belief in the
bodily resurrection at Judgement Day.
If a burial or burial of the ashes of a Christian is taking place, the minister will perform a
committal ceremony as the remains of the deceased are lowered into the burial site. At this
time prayers, that centre on the immortal soul and the afterlife will be read. The minister
will then conclude the committal by praying for the deceased’s soul and reciting the
omnipresent ‘ashes to ashes, dust to dust’
After the ceremony is completed, mourners can light candles as a sign of respect for and
remembrance of the dead. There is normally no official mourning period for the Christian
faith, however, the family, friends and loved ones of the deceased may return to the church
periodically to pray for their loved one, light more candles and remember them.

4. In the terms of Orthodox Christians, they do not consider death as an ending rather that it is
the beginning of going to be with God, however, the feeling of bereftness and sorrow at
being separated from a loved one is a human emotion that everyone feels.
The first traditional mourning period of Orthodox Christianity lasts for 40 days, in which
certain days have significant meaning. With the third day being the day the funeral is
usually held on, the ninth day and the fortieth day. Of these, the fortieth day is the most
significant as this is the day that is the day that it is believed that the soul undergoes
Judgement determining where the soul remains. After this for 7 years in a row, memorials
are taking place at three months, six months, nine months and a year.
Christian funeral ceremonies are normally followed by a wake/reception. These are
extremely personal and depend on the personalities and passions of the deceased and their
loved ones. It is a general tradition to bring gifts of flowers and food to these.