For cell reading.

(Printed according to the publication of the Holy Dormition Pskov-Pechersk Monastery, 1993)

In 1925, at the Sergius Metochion in Paris - Rue de Crime, 93 - one soldier committed suicide with a shot. He was undoubtedly unhealthy in mind...

We had a funeral service for him...

But, embarrassed by his death in our land, I turned through one person to the Monk Fr. Nektarios of Optina with the question: what should we do? He replied that I should find two more people who would agree to read the funeral canon for him for 40 days, and then hand him over to the will of God.

Of course, the canon had to be read at home, and not during divine services in church. So the three of us did it then...

Later, others approached me on this issue; And recently they even asked to bury a suicidal woman. I refused, according to the canons, the rule of Timothy of Alexandria, and because of the inner resistance of my soul; but remembering the instruction of Fr. Nektarios, as well as the instruction of Metropolitan Gregory of Novgorod and Petrograd, that it is permissible to pray for suicides in prayer at home, but even then, with a preliminary prayer for the mercy of us who pray, that we may not anger the Lord, I turned to the canon: "It is possible to find the canons for the departed in the Oktoechos on every Saturday"; But the canon written there was completely unsuitable for prayer for suicides, for it spoke of those who died "piously," "in faith," "in repose," and so on — all this did not fit voluntary, "not mad," suicides. Therefore, it was necessary to redo almost all the troparia.

Maybe it will be useful to someone...

And may the Lord have mercy on me for such boldness...

The Many-Sinful Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov)

CANON, TONE 2

(read privately and with the blessing of the spiritual father)

Ode 1