The priest explained why suicide is considered an unforgivable sin

Orthodox priest Alexander Ilyashenko told why in church teaching suicide is considered a special sin. According to him, a person can receive forgiveness even for serious misconduct if he has time to sincerely repent during life. However, in the case of suicide, the possibility of repentance is lost.

The priest explained that for forgiveness it is not enough just to admit the mistake made. A person must realize his guilt and have a firm intention to change his way of life, abandoning previous actions.

According to Ilyashenko, this principle applies even in the case of renunciation of faith. If a person subsequently reconsiders his or her beliefs, returns to Christian precepts, and sincerely repents, the church admits the possibility of forgiveness.

The priest explained the special situation of suicide by the fact that after death a person can no longer change his decision and bring repentance. It is with this in the Orthodox tradition that restrictions on the church funeral of people who voluntarily died are associated.

There are exceptions that take into account the circumstances of the incident. If a person committed suicide due to a serious mental disorder and could not fully understand his actions, the question of the church funeral rite can be considered separately.

In such cases, the ruling bishop makes the decision. If there are appropriate grounds, he has the right to allow the funeral and subsequent church commemoration of the deceased.

Ilyashenko also recalled that Christian teaching is based on charity, and the assessment of human actions requires attention to specific circumstances. At the same time, the most important condition for repentance, he called the sincere desire of a person to correct the mistakes committed during life.