service was performed on Alexander Pushkin

[milan2003_07]

Hi,

When a person dies (e.g. in Russia) a special funeral service takes place before the person is buried. Normally this service is performed in church where the person's relatives are present and he is absolved of all the sins he has committed in his life time. Below there is a short extract about this.

"Alexander Pushkin died in St.Petersburg after a duel and the funeral service was performed on him in the small church not far from the house where he passed away".

I have two questions here. Is "funeral service" a correct expression to speak about a special service for the dead? Are the verb and the preposition (perform on) fine?

Thanks

[Barb_D]

I think that would be "last rights."

The "funeral" is when people talk about the deceased, there are usually prayers, etc. It depends on your religion, of course. A full funeral mass would be quite different than a service for an aethist.

[Gillnetter]

Or, could it be "last rites"?

[Barb_D]

How embarrassing. Yes, of course the word is "rites." I'm sorry if my silly error caused confusion.

[milan2003_07]

Thanks for your replies.

I know "last rites", but it seems to me that last rites take place when a person is still alive and is on his deathbed. However I was speaking about the ceremony performed in church when the person has already died and is lying in the open coffin. Is the ceremony still called "last rites"?

[SoothingDave]

You are correct that "last rites" (or "extreme unction" in the Catholic terminology) is when the person is still alive.

They would hold a funeral mass or funeral service for the deceased.

I would not say that a funeral service as performed "on" him. "For" him would be better.