But there is a subtle and important difference between the idioms that we have used in the past, and the increasingly normalised use of “pass” and “pass away”. I suspect that it is precisely this ambiguity that is making “pass away” so common. But I want to argue that “pass” and “pass away” should not be the default terms that Christians use. AdvertisementJesus did not pass on the cross; nor did he pass away for our sins. We need to reclaim the language of dying and death.

Source: The Times October 31, 2025 06:08 UTC