THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
The priests are to maintain holiness and purity, resolutely rejecting the corruption of the dead and the distractions that do not embody virtue. God expressed this clearly, stating, “And the Lord said unto Moses, Declare unto the priests, the children of Aaron, and say unto them: Let them not defile themselves by touching a dead man of their people; only his neighbour's kinsman, his mother and his father, his son and his daughter, his brother and his sister, a maiden who lives with him and has not been married, may he touch without defiling himself; and he shall not defile himself by touching anyone of his people, lest he become unclean. They shall not shave their heads, nor trim the edges of their beards, nor make cuts on their bodies.
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They shall be holy to their God, and shall not dishonour the name of their God; for they offer sacrifices to the Lord, bread to their God, and therefore they shall be holy” (Leviticus 21:1-6).
When one examines this matter truthfully, it becomes evident that death itself does not taint an individual. However, physical death serves as a representation of spiritual and mental mortality, which may lead the one approaching it to become defiled through desire or action. Thus, it is advisable for the faithful to distance themselves completely from dead works and avoid mingling with those ensnared by such deeds, for it is written, “He who touches the pitch will be defiled” (Sir. 13:1). The one who neglects caution in this regard risks sharing in the sins of others.
Nevertheless, the law allows those set apart to handle the deceased who are related to them by blood, such as parents, children, and siblings, as an act of respect for their nature, without condemning this practice, provided that those known to God do not appear unkind or prideful. The law clearly commands, “Honour thy father and thy mother, ... That thy days may be long upon the earth” (Ex. 20:12).
Moreover, it is important to note that the consecrated are prohibited from mourning excessively: how can ministers of life, who present offerings to God as a remedy for death—since the death of Christ, symbolized by sacrificial animals, provides deliverance from death—allow themselves to be overwhelmed by sorrow? The Apostle Paul further elaborates on this truth for those baptized into Christ with the promise of life and resurrection: “But I do not want to leave you, brethren, in ignorance of the dead, lest you should grieve as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, God will also bring those who died in Jesus with Him” and raise them up with us (1 Sol 4:13-14:17).
Thus, while the law permits the consecrated to approach their deceased relatives, it carefully guides them not to misuse this allowance beyond necessity, so as to preserve the sanctity of the priesthood. For instance, it prohibits imitating others by shaving heads or disfiguring the face, as well as forbidding the pagan practice of self-mutilation. It is reasonable to share in the sorrow of loved ones, but complete disfigurement is both absurd and irrational, as it is written, “everything must be decent and respectable” (1 Cor. 14:40).
The Savior Himself instructed us to prioritize our obligations to God over even those to our parents, stating, “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37).