Prayer for the unbaptized dead of the Uaru. Prayer to the martyr Uaru for the dead babies who did not have time to receive holy baptism

About prayer for the unbaptized.

1) Questions are answered by the clergy and teachers of the Kazan Theological Seminary.

About prayer for the unbaptized.

The commemoration of unbaptized people is not performed at the Proskomedia and at public worship.

Unfortunately, very often people come to church and with tears in their eyes ask if it is possible to remember the dead unbaptized relatives. The Church does not pray for the unbaptized, since these people during their lives did not enter the saving fence of the Church. Unbaptized people are dead members cut off from the whole body of the Church. One can only regret them, but it is already impossible to cure them.

One often hears reproaches that the Church acts cruelly towards the dead unbaptized, and among them there are very good and kind people. So what got in the way good people become members of the Church? Probably, everyone had reasons, but the basis of everything is disbelief in God. And this disbelief, the soul took with it to the afterlife, where it no longer acquires new qualities.

At the same time, the Church does not forbid personal, home prayer for loved ones who died unbaptized, but only at home! Naturally, the one who prays needs to be baptized Orthodox himself and take a blessing from the priest to pray for an unbaptized relative.

The prayer for the unbaptized is based on an incident that happened in Optina Hermitage. One day, a student approached the Opinsky Elder Leonid (+1841) with a question whether it was possible to pray for a dead suicidal father, and how. To which the elder replied: “Surrender both yourself and the fate of the parent to the will of the Lord, all-wise and all-powerful. Pray to the Blessed Creator, thereby fulfilling the duty of love and the duties of sons, in the spirit of the virtuous and wise, as follows: “Seek, Lord, the lost soul of my father: if it is possible to eat, have mercy! Your destinies are unsearchable. Do not put me in the sin of this prayer of mine. But Thy holy will be done. Following the example of this prayer, one can pray for the unbaptized, as well as for non-Orthodox or baptized, but apostates from the faith.

The fact that the unbaptized can receive some relief through prayer is known from the life of St. Macarius of Egypt. One day, Saint Macarius, meeting in the desert the skull of a deceased pagan priest, entered into a conversation with him. The monk prayed very much for the departed, and therefore desired to know the effect of prayers. "When you pray for the dead," answered the skull, "we feel some consolation." This incident gives us hope that our prayers for the unfortunate, who died unbaptized, will bring them some consolation.

We should not forget about such an effective means to alleviate the fate of the dead as alms, which in these cases takes on special significance.

The merciful Lord allowed one of His saints to intercede before Him for the souls of the departed non-Orthodox. This holy martyr Uar, who died for Christ in 307. Once, in a vision to blessed Cleopatra, the saint told her that for her good deeds, he begged God to forgive the sins of all her dead pagan relatives. Since then, Orthodox Christians have been praying to the martyr Uar for intercession before the Lord for their relatives and friends who died unbaptized into the Orthodox faith.

Prayer to the Holy Martyr Uar

Oh, holy martyr Uare, venerable, with zeal for the Mistress of Christ we kindle, you confessed the Heavenly King before the tormentor, and you zealously suffered for Him, and now the Church honors you, as if glorified from the Lord Christ with the glory of Heaven, Who has given you the grace of great boldness to Him, and now stand before Him with the Angels, and rejoice in the Highest, and see clearly the Holy Trinity, and enjoy the light of the Beginning Radiance, remember our relatives and languor, who died in ungodliness, accept our petition, and like Cleopatra, the unfaithful race of Your prayers from eternal torment freed you , so remember the fir-trees buried contrary to God, who died unbaptized, trying to ask them for deliverance from eternal darkness, so that with one mouth and one heart we will praise the Most Merciful Creator forever and ever. Amen.

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2) Priest Valentin Ulyakhin, Doctor of Economics, has been serving in the Church of the Holy Trinity on Pyatnitskaya for many years. This temple is also notable for the fact that every week a prayer service for St. mch. Uaru - prayers are raised to the Lord for the dearest who died unbaptized. It is hard to imagine how heavy the burden of human grief rests on the shoulders of a priest. But Father Valentin has an affectionate, encouraging word for everyone.

In the Holy Trinity Church on Pyatnitskaya Street in Moscow there is an icon of the martyr Uara, where every Saturday they pray for relief from the fate of the dead unbaptized, people come from afar, from the outskirts of vast Russia, because this is the only church in Moscow where the blessing is performed His Holiness Patriarch prayer service to the martyr Huar. There is a canon to the martyr Uaru, there are prayers that have their own history. There are people who doubt the possibility of praying for the unbaptized. Moreover, sometimes one can come across in the press the opinion that it is impossible in any case to pray for the unbaptized. From a formal point of view, we cannot and should not pray for the unbaptized, we can neither sing a funeral service, nor commemorate them at requiems, and in no case commemorate them at a proskomedia. But surprisingly, in the Sacred Tradition, the life of the martyr Uar nevertheless gives such an opportunity to pray to Uar for the unbaptized.

The relics of Uar were found by a certain lady Cleopatra, who built a temple over his relics and prayed for her unbaptized dead son, and the Lord Himself came to her along with Uar, thus on a mystical level it was certified that her prayer reached the Lord, and the Lord eased the fate her unbaptized son.

They often come to the Trinity Church to pray for the unbaptized, and they pray with tears. Sometimes you ask, “Do you pray with such zeal, do you have any consolation after this prayer?” And many tell me that in the subtle light sleep the souls of the unbaptized come, communicate with their relatives, ask them to pray and say that the prayer is heard by God, that it becomes easier for them. And this is exactly what the canon to the martyr Uar is about, that there is an opportunity to alleviate the lot of the unbaptized, and this is confirmed by practice. There were times when they did not know whether a person was baptized or not, and then the soul came and reported that the baptism was and it was possible to sing it according to the charter. This applied in particular to many soldiers who died and were thought to be unbaptized. But they were baptized before the war by monks who secretly lived in those years in Soviet Russia. And when they asked distant distant relatives, it really turned out that the person was baptized. Such cases also happen repeatedly.

When people of different classes, different ranks gather, they are all, as it were, equal in one thing - in their love for those who gave them life. And turning to Christ, accepting the sacrament of the Church, preparing for this sacrament, and some for the first time cross the threshold of the temple to pray for their unbaptized relatives, they may never have come if the Lord had not called them through his martyr Uara. And so they go to the temple and in the prayer of Uaru open their souls, they come to know the love of God, it becomes easier for them. And they are already making their difficult path to God, they are becoming churched. And now the parish of the Trinity Church on Pyatnitskaya Street is ¾ of those people who began their churching with a prayer to the martyr Uar for the unbaptized. This confirms that the Lord Himself blesses. Indeed, canonically we cannot pray, but Holy Tradition has allowed it. And Sacred Tradition has no less, and even greater value than Holy Scripture. Orthodox accept Holy Tradition as a source Holy Scripture. And the practice of prayers to the martyr Uar confirms that this prayer is saving, saving, first of all, for the living and those who cross the threshold of the temple. And they are led by love, love for their relatives. But God is love, which means that God leads them, which means that the Lord Himself blesses them.
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Today there is a lot of controversy about whether it is possible to pray for the unbaptized living. According to some, it is impossible to ask God for those, because, without being baptized, a person independently sets his own person against church canons, rejecting the Temple of God as a shrine. Others, on the contrary, say that it is possible to ask the Lord about the lost sheep.

Fortunately, in church sources there is a real prayer for the unbaptized living, which asks for the forgiveness of sinners, as well as the opportunity to turn them into the bosom of the church.

Judging by the abundance of discussions of the clergy on this topic, as well as the disputes that are still ongoing, we conclude that the question of whether it is possible to pray for the unbaptized can be answered as follows: of course it is possible, why not?

Popular prayers for the unbaptized

Prayers to the Holy Martyr Uar

You can read prayers for the unbaptized to saints who are trying to patronize them, trying to turn to the church. One of these saints to whom one can pray is the holy martyr Uar. During his lifetime (it is known that he died in 307 AD), Uar lived in Alexandria, being a military leader.

Then there was a ban on Christianity, which was trampled in every possible way by the pagans. When unfortunate Christians were caught and tortured, Ware tried in every possible way to provide assistance to fellow believers, bandaging their wounds, and also bringing food.

He also prayed for the unbaptized, asking them for the same protection from the Lord as for the rest of the creatures created by the Lord.

Saint Ouar voluntarily gave himself up to torture, praying for his executioners even at the moment when they tormented his body. Until now, they pray to him for the dead people, small children, as well as babies who died at birth.

The following widespread prayer for unbaptized people is known, addressed specifically to the martyr Huar.

Prayer to the Holy Martyr Uar

“Oh, holy martyr Uare, venerable, with zeal for the Lord Christ, we kindle, you confessed the Heavenly King before the tormentor, and now the Church honors you, as if glorified from the Lord Christ with the glory of Heaven, Who has given you the grace of great boldness to Him, and now stand before Him with the Angels , and in the highest you rejoice, and see the Holy Trinity clearly, and enjoy the light of the Beginning Radiance: remember our relatives and languor, who died in ungodliness, accept our petition, and as Cleopatra, the unfaithful generation freed you from eternal torment with your prayers, so remember the figurines buried contrary to God, who died unbaptized (names), try to ask them for deliverance from eternal darkness, so that with one mouth and one heart we will praise the Most Merciful Creator forever and ever. Amen."

Pray for bright souls

As mentioned above, the church is still arguing about whether it is worth praying for the unbaptized at all. Opinions differ, but most tend to believe that it is possible and even necessary to read prayers:

• For newborn babies who have not yet had time to receive the Sacrament;
• Children without baptism;
• unborn babies;
• Those who died unbaptized;
• Living unbaptized.

Prayers will help to grant peace for the souls of all of the above. Besides, who said that it is impossible to instill sincere faith in the hearts of unbaptized people?

Everyone can pray!

Despite the many existing disputes, contradicting one another, any person should pray and can do it. It is more reasonable to assume that sincere faith should be only in the human soul. It doesn't matter what religion he belongs to by virtue of his own birth or beliefs - when he feels the need to ascend holy words, he must pray!

He said that the church is a living great body of Christ, all baptized people are living cells of this large organism. The unbaptized are dead cells, cut off from the church body, since they did not receive holy Baptism, they were not born spiritually. Many families have deceased unbaptized relatives. Christian prayer to Uaru, the intercessor of the unbaptized, is able to save their sinful souls. If your prayer is heard by the saint, he will ask God to forgive all the sins of the dead. Prayers are offered to Saint Uar, asking to save the souls of babies killed in the womb.

Saving Prayer to Saint Ouar for Those Who Died in Non-Christianity

There were many paradoxes in the life of St. Ouar - before becoming a saint, he was a coward and a sinner. He considered himself a Christian, but was afraid to openly show his faith. He came to dungeons to support the martyrs suffering for the faith, saying that he would like to accept suffering for Christ, just like they did, but he could not, because he did not have firmness of spirit and was very afraid of bodily pain. But when the moment came, he resolutely joined the ranks of the martyrs and accepted all the suffering prepared for him. This suggests that the line between cowardice and courage, between a saint and a sinner is very shaky, and anyone can overcome it. A person strengthened gains additional strength and can pass any test. Saint Ouar died from severe beatings, his body was thrown out to be eaten by dogs. The pious widow Cleopatra secretly buried the remains of the martyr and began to pray every day at his tomb. Other people soon followed her example, they began to offer independent prayers to Uaru and receive healing from the holy relics. Wanting to thank Cleopatra, the holy martyr begged God to ask for the sins of all her dead pagan relatives. Since then, all those who have relatives of those who died in a different faith have been turning to Uaru with prayers.

Orthodox prayer to the martyr Uar for the unbaptized dead

Relatives of people who died without baptism cannot apply for prayer help to the church. For the unbaptized, it is impossible to perform divine services, memorial services, prayer services, they are not buried in the church, but with the blessing of the priest, you can pray for them yourself. The Orthodox prayer of Uaru for the unbaptized dead will help their souls find the Kingdom of Heaven. Huarus also pray for suicides.

The text of the Orthodox prayer to Saint Ouar

Oh, holy martyr Uare, venerable, with zeal for the Mistress of Christ we kindle, you confessed the Heavenly King before the tormentor, and now the Church honors you, as if glorified from the Lord Christ with the glory of Heaven, Who has given you the grace of great boldness towards Him, and now stand before Him with the Angels, and in the highest you rejoice, and see the Holy Trinity clearly, and enjoy the light of the Beginning Radiance: remember our relatives and languor, who died in ungodliness, accept our petition, and as Cleopatra, the unfaithful generation freed you from eternal torment with your prayers, so remember the figurines buried contrary to God, who died unbaptized (names), try to ask them for deliverance from eternal darkness, so that with one mouth and one heart we praise the Most Merciful Creator forever and ever. Amen.

The tradition of the Church brings to us many testimonies of the efficacy of prayer for unbaptized people who do not belong to the Church.

Once Rev. Macarius of Egypt was walking through the desert and saw a human skull lying on the ground. When the reverend touched it with a palm stick, the skull gave a voice. The old man asked:

"Who are you?" The skull replied, "I was a pagan priest of the idolaters who lived in this place." He also said that when St. Macarius, having mercy on those who are in eternal torment, prays for them, then they receive some consolation. “How far the sky is from the earth, how much fire is under our feet and over our heads,” the skull said again, “We are standing in the middle of the fire, and none of us is placed so as to see our neighbor. But when you pray for us, each sees the face of the other somewhat. That is our joy."

After the conversation, the elder buried the skull in the ground.

For people who died without holy baptism or belonged to another denomination or faith, we cannot pray for Divine Liturgy and perform funeral services for them in the Church, but no one forbids us to pray for them in our personal home prayers.

Those. during the Liturgy, one cannot generally pray for the unbaptized, neither out loud, nor even to oneself, because at this time the bloodless Eucharistic Sacrifice is offered, and it is offered only for members of the Church. Such commemoration is allowed only during a memorial service, to oneself, and never at the Liturgy.

The Monk Lev of Optina, consoling his spiritual son Pavel Tambovtsev, whose father tragically died outside the Church, said:

“You shouldn't be overly sad. God without comparison more than you loved and loves him. So, it remains for you to leave the eternal fate of your parent to the goodness and mercy of God, who, if he deigns to have mercy, then who can resist Him.

The great elder gave Pavel Tambovtsev a prayer, which, with a few changes, can also be said for the unbaptized:

« Have mercy, O Lord, on the soul of your servant(name), who departed into eternal life without Holy Baptism. Your destinies are unsearchable. Do not put me in the sin of this prayer of mine. But Thy holy will be done"

This prayer may well be used when reading the Psalter for the departed, reading it at each "Glory".

Another holy Optina elder, the Monk Joseph, later said that there is evidence of the fruits of this prayer. It can be read at any time (during the day repeatedly). Mentally, you can create it in the temple. Helps feasible alms given for the deceased to those in need. It is good to pray to the Mother of God, reading the rosary " Virgin Mary, rejoice... "(how much strength allows: from 30 to 150 times a day). At the beginning and at the end of this rule, one must ask the Mother of God to help the soul of the deceased.

The Orthodox Church testifies that there is a Christian saint who has a special grace to pray for those who have died unbaptized. This is a victim in the III century. St. martyr War. There is a canon to this saint, in which the main content is a request to St. the martyr to pray for the unbaptized. This canon and the prayer of St. martyr Uar are read instead of those prayers for the dead which the Church exalts about the baptized.

Relatives of the deceased (especially children and grandchildren - direct descendants) have a great opportunity to influence the afterlife of the deceased. Namely: to show the fruits of spiritual life (to live in the prayerful experience of the Church, to participate in the Holy Sacraments, to live according to the commandments of Christ). Although the one who departed unbaptized did not manifest these fruits himself, but his children and grandchildren, he also participates in them as a root or a stem.

And I also want to say: loved ones should not lose heart, but do everything possible to help, remembering the mercy of the Lord and knowing that everything will be finally determined at the Judgment of God.