Teologia e fim da vida : Uma abordagem da ação pastoral em contexto de morte e sofrimento.

Abstract

This study reflects on the Christian meaning of death and on the pastoral and liturgical role of funeral rites in the experience of mourning. From a theological and anthropological perspective, it seeks to understand death not as an end, but as a passage and a paschal mystery in which human life is assumed and transfigured in Christ. It examines the evolution of the understanding of death from ancient civilizations to Christian faith, emphasizing burial as an expression of hope in the resurrection. The Ordo Exsequiarum and the Roman Missal are analyzed, highlighting the centrality of the Word, the Eucharist, and paschal symbols in funeral liturgy. The study also addresses contemporary pastoral challenges such as suicide, perinatal death, and closed-casket funerals, which demand listening, compassion, and ritual adaptation. It concludes that the Christian funeral is a meeting place between human grief and divine mercy, a sign of communion between the living and the dead, and a testimony of faith in the victory of life over death. In it, the Church proclaims that, in Christ, love is stronger than death, and that mourning can become a path of hope and redemption.