Priest Kolotvin explained where the expression “May the earth rest in peace” came fromtranslated

The common expression “May the earth rest in peace,” which is usually pronounced in memory of the dead, is of pagan origin and does not fully correspond to the Christian understanding of the posthumous fate of a person. The cleric of the Church of the Deposition of the Robe in Leonovo, Priest Stakhy Kolotvin, spoke about this in a conversation with aif.ru. According to him, instead of the usual phrase, it is better for Orthodox believers to turn to prayer for the deceased.

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The priest explained that such a wish is connected primarily with the burial place, and not with the fate of the human soul. Although the speaker of these words seeks to express sympathy and wish peace to the deceased, their literal meaning is directed towards the earth. In the Christian tradition, on the contrary, the main importance is prayer for God's mercy towards the deceased.

“At first glance, there is nothing wrong with the words ‘May the earth rest in peace’, because a person wishes the deceased peace,” explained Kolotvin. However, in his opinion, it is much more important to ask God for the well-being of the soul of the deceased than to wish him peace in the grave.

Historians attribute the origin of the expression to the ancient Roman tradition of funerary inscriptions. Its supposed source is...