On Care for the Dead · §22 · Augustine of Hippo

What actually reaches the dead, and why we bury at martyrs' memorials

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Augustine is concluding his answer to Paulinus about burial and the dead, stating what benefits the dead and what burial itself does.

Since this is so, we should not think that anything reaches the dead for whom we are caring except what we solemnly pray for them through the sacrifices of the altar, of prayers, and of alms. Yet these do not benefit all for whom they are offered, but only those for whom, while they lived, provision was made that they might benefit. But because we cannot discern who these are, we ought to offer them for all the baptized, so that none of those to whom these benefits can and should reach may be passed over. For it is better that these things be in excess for those whom they neither harm nor help than that they be lacking for those whom they help. Still, each person does these things more diligently for his own dear ones, so that the same may be done for him by his own. Whatever is spent on burying a body, however, is not a safeguard of salvation but a service of human kindness, according to the affection by which no one ever hates his own flesh. So a person ought to care as much as he can for the flesh of his neighbor when the one who bore it has departed from it. And if those who do not believe in the resurrection of the flesh do these things, how much more ought those who do believe to do them, so that this kind of service paid to a body that is dead but will rise again and remain for eternity is also in some way a testimony of that same faith! But as for being buried near the memorial shrines of martyrs, this seems to me to benefit the deceased only in this way: that by commending him also to the intercession of the martyrs, the affection of prayer for him may be increased.

Latin

Quae cum ita sint, non existimemus ad mortuos, pro quibus curam gerimus, peruenire, nisi quod pro eis siue altaris siue orationum siue elemosynarum sacrificiis sollemniter supplicamus, quamuis non pro quibus fiunt omnibus prosint, sed eis tantum quibus dum uiuunt conparatur, ut prosint. sed quia non discernimus, qui sint, oportet ea pro regeneratis omnibus facere, ut nullus eorum praetermittatur, ad quos haec beneficia possint et debeant peruenire. melius enim supererunt ista eis, quibus nec obsunt nec prosunt, quam eis deerunt, quibus prosunt. diligentius tamen facit haec quisque pro necessariis suis, quo pro illo fiat similiter a suis. corpori autem humando quidquid inpenditur, non est praesidium salutis, sed humanitatis officium secundum affectum, quo nemo umquam carnem suam odio habet unde oportet ut quam potest pro carne proximi curam gerat. cum ille inde recesserit qui gerebat. et si haec faciunt, qui carnis resurrectionem non credunt, quanto magis debent facere qui credunt, ut corpori mortuo, sed tamen resurrecturo et in aeternitate mansuro inpensum eius modi officium sit etiam quodam modo eiusdem fidei testimonium! quod uero quisque apud memorias martyrum sepelitur, hoc tantum mihi uidetur prodesse defuncto, ut commendans eum etiam martyrum patrocinio affectus pro illo supplicationis augeatur.

About this text

Paulinus wrote to ask whether it benefits a person after death to be buried near the memorial shrine of a saint.

Augustine of Hippo (354–430) wrote this letter to Paulinus, bishop of Nola. Paulinus had asked whether it benefits a person after death to be buried near the memorial shrine of a saint. The question was prompted by the request of Flora, a religious widow, for her deceased son to be buried in the basilica of the confessor Felix, while the body of Cynegius, a faithful young man and a different person, had already been placed there.

Augustine argues that burial location does not directly help or harm the dead, because the dead cannot sense what happens to their bodies. What helps the dead is the prayerful remembrance of the living, which can be increased when burial is at a holy memorial, so Christians should care for the dead from affection and faith in the resurrection and place hope in prayer and the church commemoration rather than in place. The reader will meet Paulinus, Flora, Cynegius, Felix, Curma who had a vision near death, Eulogius who dreamed of Augustine, John the monk consulted about a civil war, Ambrose at the shrines of Protasius and Gervasius, and Candidianus who carried the letter. Augustine quotes Paulinus to answer him, quotes Scripture from Paul, the Psalms, the prophets and the Gospel, gives the speech of the rich man to Abraham and the reported words of John, and gives Virgil in prose paraphrase rather than verse quotation.

Here memorial shrine means a shrine at the burial place of a martyr or saint meant to keep the dead in remembrance, and burial means the act of burying. Prayer, prayerful commending, sacrifice offered at the altar, alms and the intercession of martyrs are the means by which the living help the dead, while spirit means the soul apart from the body, vision means a dream seeing of the dead, and likeness means only the image seen and not the person himself. Old names keep Augustine Old Latin and Septuagint use, with the books of the Kingdoms meaning 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings, Ecclesiasticus meaning Sirach, Jesus son of Sirach meaning Ben Sira, the Acts of the Apostles meaning Acts, the books of the Machabees meaning Maccabees, and the Psalms numbered as in the Septuagint.

New English from the Latin base text; no published English used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from CSEL 41 (1900) (Latin)

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.