last rites

Deathbed religious ceremony

Last rites are religious ceremonies performed for someone who is dying or has just died, especially in the Catholic tradition where a priest administers final sacraments including confession, anointing, and communion.

The phrase extends figuratively to any final acts before an ending: The company's board performed last rites on the failed merger.

sacrament

anointing

Ceremonial oil application

absolutionFormal clearing of guilt
confessionAdmission of wrongdoing
communionProfound shared closeness

penance · blessing · unction · priest · clergy · deathbed · salvation · grace · holy oils · final blessing

funeral

eulogy

Tribute for the dead

requiemMass for the deceased
vigilPurposeful nighttime wakefulness
wakePath left in water

procession · mourning · pallbearers · graveyard · burial · memorial · obituary · condolences · bereavement · grief

Categories

Catholic Ritesfuneral rite, marriage rite, holy orders, matrimony, adult baptism
Medieval Ritesknighting, dubbing, homage, fealty, investiture
CatholicismVatican, cardinals, pope, Holy Communion, popes
funeral customsburial, funeral, cremation, funeral procession, casket
funeralsfuneral, burial, cremation, casket, coffin
mortalitydeath, death knell, deceased, death rate, death acceptance

Opposites

life stage rituals

last ritesbaptism

Ritual water purification ceremony

christening · infant baptism · naming ceremony · baptismal rites · welcome ceremony

spiritual journey

last ritesbaptism

Ritual water purification ceremony

confirmation · initiation rites · catechism · bar mitzvah · bat mitzvah

relationship to death

last ritesbirth ceremony

Rite marking new life

baby blessing · welcome ceremony · coming-of-age ceremony · bar mitzvah · bat mitzvah

Family

last, lasting, latest, ritual, ultimate, lastly, latter, lasted, penultimate

Familiarity: Top 100,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Negative · Rated PG