Why Do We Say "Rest in Peace"?

People say “rest in peace” so often that it has become a general expression of sympathy. It started as a prayer. This article traces how it got from the early Church to a text message.

What does R.I.P. stand for?

The Latin phrase requiescat in pace. The Online Etymology Dictionary explains that it literally means “may he (or she) begin to rest in peace,” using a verb form that can express a wish. The Century Dictionary, it notes, called the phrase “frequent in sepulchral inscriptions.”

Where did it come from?

From the early Church. Wikipedia says that in the catacombs of the early Christians a related phrase, dormit in pace, “he sleeps in peace,” was found, indicating that the person died at peace with the Church. Dictionary.com says the phrase requiescat in pace began appearing on Christian gravestones in the 8th century and was widespread on Christian grave markers by the 1700s. The Catholic Dictionary, based on Fr. John Hardon’s work, says it is found in some of the earliest catacomb inscriptions. Sources differ on exactly how early it appears.

What did it mean at first?

A prayer. Dictionary.com says that in this early use it was a prayer or wish that the soul of the dead would find eternal peace in heaven. The Catholic Dictionary describes it as an invocation of God’s mercy on the soul, and a familiar prayer in the Church’s liturgy, to which the response is “Amen.” Catholic burial services still use the Latin.

When did the abbreviation appear?

In the early 1600s. Dictionary.com reports that R.I.P. first appeared in 1613 as an abbreviation of the Latin requiescat in pace, and in 1681 for the English “rest in peace.” The English words happen to share the same initials as the Latin ones, which made the shift easy.

Is it only a Christian phrase?

It began that way, but it has spread. Wikipedia says it is used in Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist services and prayers, became ubiquitous on headstones in the 18th century, and is widely used today when mentioning someone’s death. Dictionary.com notes that rest in peace or R.I.P. is now more common on gravestones and in funeral services than the Latin.

Where can I read more?

For how gravestone words and symbols changed, see What Gravestones Say. The requiem Mass is named for a related prayer; see The Requiem. For Catholic funeral customs, see Catholic Funeral Traditions.