Church’s Burial Tradition Hits Bureaucratic Snag

The archbishop of the Syrian Orthodox Church knows exactly where he wants his body to be laid to rest when he dies: in a vault nestled discreetly behind the altar of a church in Burbank. For 2,000 years, esteemed leaders have been honored with this type of entombment, say church leaders, and members of the Burbank church want to continue the practice.

But their plans suffered a setback this week, when the Burbank City Council rejected a zone text amendment that would have allowed burials inside or underneath church property through a conditional use permit. In a 4-1 vote, the council let stand the code restricting burials to one cemetery zone in the city.

Members of the council and some Burbank residents expressed concern that allowing the entombment at St. Ephraim Syrian Orthodox Church would make it difficult for the council to reject similar requests from individuals who might misuse the law.

Started in 1963 by immigrants from the Middle East, St. Ephraim is now the largest Syrian Orthodox congregation in the United States and Canada, according to Pastor Joseph Tarzi. The church’s Archbishop Athanasius Samuel is 86.