What to Wear When Mourning (Teachings of the Orthodox Church)

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And if thy hand cause thee to stumble, cut it off: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed, rather than having thy two hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire. where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot cause thee to stumble, cut it off: it is good for thee to enter into life halt, rather than having thy two feet to be cast into hell, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye cause thee to stumble, cast it out: it is good for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

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	What to Wear When Mourning (Teachings of the Orthodox Church)

QUESTION:

Are orthodox Christians required to wear black when mourning a family member and, if so, for how long is the wearing of black required?

ANSWER:

There is no requirement in the Orthodox Church that those in mourning must wear black. While there are some Orthodox who do this, and while the custom is especially ingrained in many foreign countries and cultures, it is not a teaching or requirement of the Church. In fact, one generally finds that at funerals, the clergy wear white rather than black, as our mourning is observed in the hope we hold in the resurrection and the eternal life God promises those who place their faith and hope in His love -- hope that is best signified by white, rather than black, garb.

Published in January 2011.

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