Main Guide Menu | Jehovah's Witnesses Section Menu
Death-related religious rituals
Essential Practice Point 5
- The local Patient Visitation Group representative should be contacted if death is imminent. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that suffering is over for the person who has died but concentrate on giving support to the family.
(Return to Summary of Essential Practice Points)
- There are no special rituals or practices to perform for those who are dying and there are no special requirements to be observed by medical or nursing attendants at the time of death.
- Witnesses will appreciate a quiet space to say their farewells to family and friends.
Cleaning and touching the body
Postmortem requirements
There are unlikely to be any objections to a postmortem ordered on medical or legal grounds.
Interment ritual
Jehovah's Witnesses may either be buried or cremated, depending on personal or family preferences and local circumstances.
Bereavement
The booklet When Someone You Love Dies, produced by the Jehovah's Witnesses, provides practical suggestions for those who have lost a loved one or for those comforting surviving relatives.
