rest in peace

Rest in peace (R.I.P.), a phrase from the Latin, is sometimes used in traditional Christian services and prayers, such as in the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, and Methodist denominations, to wish the soul of a decedent eternal rest and peace. It became ubiquitous on headstones in the 18th century, and is widely used today when mentioning someone's death. Description The phrase dormit in pace (English: "[he] sleeps in peace") was found in the catacombs of the early Christians and indicated that "they died in the peace of the Church, that is, united in Christ." The abbreviation R.I.P., meaning Requiescat in pace, "Rest in peace", continues to be engraved on the gravestones of Christians, especially in the Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican denominations. In the Tridentine Requiem Mass of the Catholic Church the phrase appears several times.