When we are baptized our bodies are marked by the seal of the Holy Trinity. In accordance with this belief, we respect and honor the bodies of the dead and the places where they rest.
The preparation of the body of the deceased is always marked with dignity and reverence and never with the despair of those who have no hope. Therefore, in the presence of the deceased we turn to prayer. In our time of sorrow it is through prayer that we receive the necessary grace and consoling assurances of our faith.