Go to church if you're on your period. What is forbidden to do in the temple during menstruation. All the pros and cons

The question of whether it is allowed to go to church with menstruation worries not only women, but also theologians. This discussion has been going on since the time of the Old Testament, and to this day representatives of many movements have not agreed.

Why are there currents? Occasionally, the celebrant changes and prohibits - or, on the contrary, opens - free entry into the Church of the Lord for women during menstruation. Why did such different interpretations arise?

What does the Old Testament say?

The first oldest part Christian Bible– this Holy book can be called a constitution Christian religion – Old Testament. Its other names are “Tanakh”, “ Holy Bible" This part of the Holy text was compiled even before the origin of Christianity, and is a universal part of 2 - now opposing - religions - Judaism and Christianity.

In the Old Testament, visits to the temple were prohibited for “unclean” people - access to the Almighty was denied to them. During the times of Christianity, the Almighty stopped dividing into the pure and the unclean, and began to give equal attention to everyone and to heal the suffering.

lepers;
everyone suffering from purulent-inflammatory diseases;
patients with prostate dysfunction;
those who have defiled themselves by touching a decaying body - that is, a corpse;
women with bleeding from the genital tract, functional and pathological.

It was believed that it was impossible to go to church after coming into contact with a crime - all conditions fell under this definition.

It is interesting that the time of cleansing for women in labor who have given birth to a male infant is reduced by 2 times compared to the time for cleansing for mothers of girls - that is, 40 and 80 days.

It can be seen that discrimination against women began from ancient times and was reflected in the Old Testament.

Is it possible to enter the temple with menstruation: modern views

During the New Testament, the lists of the unclean were corrected. The Almighty began to treat human tasks with great understanding - however, some restrictions for women remained. Why it is impossible to go to church with menstruation was explained by hygienic considerations.

The territory of the temple is considered Holy Land - it is forbidden to shed blood on it. It didn’t take long for the right protective hygiene products to emerge. A few centuries ago, women did not always use sanitary pads and hid their natural condition from others.

Blood should not be allowed to be spilled on church grounds - therefore, women with bleeding from the genital tract were not allowed to enter the temple.

There is another theory why it is impossible for a woman to go to a religious institution while on her period.

Childbirth, menstrual blood - all this is associated with the original offense: the birth of a baby and the rejection of the egg with the endometrium. And who is to blame for the fact that the human race was expelled by the Almighty from the Gardens of Eden? Woman! Naturally, during a period of collision with circumstances that have placed society in indestructible torment and forced “sweat and blood” to obtain food for themselves, the female sex is not allowed to approach the Almighty. Probably so as not to remind of unpleasant circumstances.

Therefore, 40 days after birth - until the postpartum discharge ends and during menstruation, access to the Almighty was prohibited.

Changing concepts

According to the Old Testament, uncleanness is associated with a reminder of earthly affairs - the birth of a person, his mortality, the likelihood of getting sick. But on the pages of the New Testament, the son of the Lord, Jesus the Savior, has different convictions.

Why have the views of ministers who describe the lives of the Saints changed so much? We must remember how—now they would say, presented—Jesus Christ the Christian clergy, spreading new religion among the population.

Jesus Christ is the personification of life. If you are his follower, you have the right to an indestructible life. The Lord has the power to heal the suffering; with his touch he can return them to earthly existence. The very rule of uncleanliness when reminded of death is lost - that’s why the idea of closing for visiting the temple was corrected.

Famous theologians have substantiated the metamorphosis of the rules for women.

For example, Grigory Dvoeslov believes that a menstruating woman is allowed to go to church to pray. All the processes in her body are natural, moreover, from the fact that the Almighty made her, then everything she encounters during her life does not depend on the Almighty - nothing depends on her soul, freedom and dreams. The Almighty gave menstruation so that the body could be cleansed, which means that during this period it cannot be considered “unclean”.

Priest Nikodim Svyatogorets shared this judgment of the leading theologian; moreover, he believed that these days a woman is allowed not only to pray, but also to receive communion.

The ban on going to church on menstrual days is entirely wrong.

Priest Konstantin Parkhomenko wrote that these days a woman can even take communion, but if she, out of respect for the sacrament - knowing the Holy Scriptures - refuses this action, then her act will be worthy of the Lord's reward.

But to this day there are judgments that because the Almighty has made procreation unthinkable these days, women are considered unclean - on the contrary, men would have intercourse with them.

The opinion of the priests

As you can see, priests still hold different opinions. And it may also be like this - in one parish women are allowed to attend services, but in another - not.

If you delve deeper into the Holy Scriptures, it turns out that the most important thing for the Almighty is the internal purity of a person, and what happens to his body is the same. Consequently, if a woman kept the basic commandments, then visiting a temple at any time in her life cannot be a misdemeanor.

Everything that the Almighty has done is holy, and visiting church during skeptical days or the postpartum period is not a crime. Moreover, nowadays children are baptized not only immediately after being discharged from the maternity hospital, but also within its walls - that is, priests are not afraid to touch women in labor immediately after giving birth, not considering them “unclean” and “vile.”

So if you are a truly religious woman, then before you plan to continuously attend divine services, you should ask the clergyman what views he adheres to, and act accordingly.

If visiting a temple is a tribute to modern traditions - that is, you follow fashion - and you go to a religious institution because it is “customary” to appear there on Easter or Christmas, then you should not think about your condition.

True believers women, during skeptical days or in the postpartum period, refrain from direct participation in religious rites, which include touching shrines.

There are many different opinions on this topic. Some clergy say that you can go to church during your period. But most of them claim that this is prohibited. Many women are interested in knowing at what time during menstruation they can attend church, and whether it is possible at all. From the time of Old Testament a lot has changed, now almost no one blames a woman for the presence of such a natural process as regulation. But many churches have restrictions and rules of behavior for women who decide to attend church during menstruation.

Is it possible to go to church while on your period?

Many women are interested in the question of whether it is possible to go to church with menstruation. Nowadays, more and more clergy agree that women who have critical days, allowed. However, some rituals are recommended to be postponed until the end of menstruation. These include baptism and wedding. Also, many priests do not recommend touching icons, crosses and other church attributes during this period. This rule is only a recommendation and not a strict prohibition. The woman herself has the right to decide what exactly to do. In some churches, the clergyman may refuse to conduct confession or a wedding, but a woman has the right, if she wishes, to go to another church, where the priest will not refuse her this. This is not considered a sin, since the Bible itself does not reveal any prohibition related to the presence of menstrual periods for women.

Russian Rules Orthodox Church Girls are not prohibited from visiting the temple during the regul. There are some restrictions that priests strongly recommend adhering to. Restrictions apply to Communion; it is better to refuse it during menstruation. The only exception to the rule is the presence of any serious illness.

Many clergy argue that you should not avoid going to church on critical days. Menstruation is a natural process in the female body, which should not interfere with being in the temple. Other priests share this opinion. They also claim that menstruation is a natural process that is caused by nature. They do not consider a woman “dirty” and “unclean” during this period. The strict ban on visiting the temple remains in the distant past, during the times of the Old Testament.

What Came Before – Old Testament

Previously, there was a serious ban on visiting church while menstruating. This is because the Old Testament views menstruation in girls as a sign of “uncleanness.” IN Orthodox faith These prohibitions were not written down anywhere, but there was also no refutation of them. This is why many still doubt whether it is possible to come to church while menstruating.

The Old Testament views menstruation as a violation of human nature. Based on it, it is unacceptable to come to church during menstrual bleeding. Being in the temple with any bleeding wounds was also considered strictly prohibited.

What to do anyway

Everyone must decide for themselves whether it is possible to go to church while on their period. The Bible does not reflect a categorical prohibition; it does not discuss this issue in detail. Therefore, a woman has the right to do as she sees fit.

Before going to Holy place It’s better to decide when is the best time to go to church. Many will not be able to visit the temple in the first days after the start of menstruation, but this has nothing to do with any prohibition. This is due to the fact that for most women, the onset of menstruation is accompanied by severe pain, general malaise, nausea and weakness. Many people will find it difficult to be in such a state in the temple. A woman may become ill; it is recommended to avoid such situations. It is better to postpone going to church until the end of the critical days or until the moment when the condition returns to normal.

There is much debate about the rules for menstruating women attending church. Different opinions on this matter were expressed by authoritative spiritual fathers, from the first centuries of Christianity to the present day. Some opinions were inclined to believe that you can go to church during your period. Some priests do not perceive this permission so clearly.

Every Christian woman, wanting to comply with all the necessary rules, asks the question at what time women can attend church, when this is impossible or undesirable. If you have any doubts about this, it is better to seek advice from your spiritual father.

Is it possible to go to church while on your period?

The reason for the special treatment of menstruating women lies in the perception of menstruation as something “unclean”. IN different religions There are some restrictions associated with the concept of “uncleanness” - it can be some kind of food, some animals, body parts, etc. Starting from pagan times, women with menstruation and in the first days after childbirth were mentioned among the unclean.

To understand whether it is possible to go to church with menstruation, you need to familiarize yourself with the reflections on this issue set out in the writings of the holy fathers. Their authoritative opinion boils down to the fact that, on the one hand, the doors of the temple are not closed to anyone, everyone has the right to enter the church when they feel the need to do so. On the other hand, there is still a special attitude towards menstruating women. Although the Rules of the Russian Orthodox Church do not regulate the visiting of church by women with menstrual flow, and there is no taboo on their visiting church on critical days, it is generally accepted that it is better to postpone attending a church service in such a state.

The interpretation and interpretation of the holy scriptures, where reasoning on this issue is set out, can facilitate their understanding, but can also be misleading. The very discussion on this topic, according to Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, is an attempt to distract believers from their spiritual essence, from God, and to focus on the carnal. It is best for anyone who thinks about this question to act as his conscience tells him.

The Western and Eastern branches of Christianity sometimes approach the issue of church attendance by menstruating women differently. Therefore, in order not to go against the rules, believers will not be mistaken if they ask the priest in the temple what to do.

As it was before - Old Testament

During the Old Testament, coming to the temple with menstruation was considered a desecration of a holy place, because it was intended for communication with God, and a woman with bleeding is unclean, and her presence in this form can offend the Lord. It is possible to understand critical days as a phenomenon associated with the death of eggs during menstruation, i.e. with the death of a potential newborn, influenced this attitude of the ancients towards menstruation.

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The Old Testament prohibitions applied to many situations involving death or illness. Those who were restricted from visiting the temple were:

suffered from leprosy;
touched the dead, corpses;
encountered seminal symptoms;
suffered from diseases accompanied by pus and its discharge;
was currently bleeding or menstruating;
recently delivered from pregnancy (in labor).

The Old Testament says that if a female child is born, the woman in labor is prohibited from entering the temple for 80 days after his birth. A male child reduces this period to 40 days.

Such restrictions were considered to have theological meaning. All prohibitions related to the topic of death, i.e. punishment of a person for his original sin. Therefore, during menstruation, a woman was instructed to be tactful towards the Lord and stay away from his sanctuary, so that by showing a reminder of death she would not offend her God and not incur his wrath. That is, the ban to some extent protected the woman from God’s wrath.

In order to remove the sin of desecrating a holy place, a woman with her period who entered the temple was ordered to fast for many days and perform daily bows.

What I Think Now - New Testament

Nowadays, the church does not prescribe any specific behavior for women on critical days. It is known that modern hygiene products help maintain the physical cleanliness of a believer. No drops of blood, with appropriate hygienic protection, will fall on the floor in the temple. At the dawn of Christianity and in even earlier centuries, women were not aware of not only sanitary pads, but sometimes even underwear. Therefore, in order not to become the culprit of desecration of a holy place, the believer had to be careful not to stain the floor with blood and not attend church. Now there is no such danger. But the point is not only in physical, bodily cleanliness, but also moral.

Many adherents of modern views emphasize the words of John Chrysostom that Jesus Christ did not reject the “bleeding” woman, who, believing in him as in God, hoped to receive healing from her illness. For this purpose, she dared to touch the hem of the Savior’s robe. The Lord said that her faith saved her - and she was healed. That is, the main thing is not that a person is not worthy to touch the divine. The main thing is his faith; if it is strong, the believer will receive salvation.

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One of the saints of the New Testament, Gregory the Great, spoke in favor of allowing a woman to choose whether to come to the temple or not. He clarified that if her refusal to visit the temple during menstruation is voluntary and associated with deep reverence for the Lord, with a reluctance to offend him, then this decision will be considered commendable, and the woman who accepted it will be considered pious.

Attending a church service is a very important event. There is no point in giving it up. At the same time, we must remember that churches are always open to their parishioners. By postponing church attendance for a week, perhaps a woman will use this time to prepare more thoroughly and, having purified herself, will hope that this decision will be more pleasing to God. In any case, the choice is up to the believer.

Of course, those who are suffering from an incurable, terrible disease, as well as those who are near death, have unconditional permission to visit the temple. In such situations, one cannot deny a person his desire to be closer to God. The presence of unbaptized people in the temple is also not prohibited. Everyone can come to church, because all people are God’s creations and can ask the Lord for mercy.

Priests' opinions

The clergy of our time cannot fail to take into account the changed conditions of life. Women with menstruation and other discharge, as a rule, do not emit any odor; there are no traces of menstruation, not only on the floor, but even on their underwear. All this is known, and the argument about physical impurity for a ban on entering the temple is not convincing enough. But one should not deviate from the generally accepted opinion that on critical days a woman is “unclean” and her way to the temple is prohibited. Thus, the question of whether you can go to church during your period or not remains open.

Christian women know that previously it was forbidden to attend church on critical days. To find out the priest’s opinion about this rule, many girls and women turn to their confessors for advice. Priests' answers to this question can be either negative or positive. Perhaps they will indicate the ban on lighting candles on these days or the acceptance of certain sacraments:

Participles.
Confession.
Baptism.
Weddings.
Eating antidor and prosphora.
Drinking holy water.
Kissing icons, applications to them.
Kissing the cross.

But it is important to remember that even sinners can be cleansed if their faith remains strong. Christian teaching says that the Savior does not expect the righteous to come to him, but rather sinners who want to repent. This is stated in the following words: “He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

It is believed that the church is closed to a woman during her period.

You cannot go into church, much less receive communion.

Is it really?

And why has natural physiology caused so much controversy throughout the centuries of Christianity?

Is it possible to go to church during menstruation: reasons for impurity

There is no clear reason why a woman is prohibited from visiting the temple during her period. The thing is that the Old Testament contains a prohibition, linking the rejection of blood and tissues with the uncleanness of the female body in special days, and the New Testament does not directly cancel this prohibition.

The most direct answer to the question of parishioners whether it is possible to go to church during menstruation and what is the reason for the ban was given in the 17th century by the Athonite Venerable Nikodim Svyatorets:

People consider all bodily secretions to be physical uncleanness, no matter where they come from;

the “uncleanness” of a woman during menstruation was supposed to become a ban on copulation, which is directly related to the successful bearing of a child and the birth of healthy babies;

The impurity of menstruation symbolizes the bodily, not connected with the will of man, and therefore sinful.

A double understanding of the very possibility of coming to church in an unclean state was outlined by Patriarch Paul of Serbia. He allows visiting the temple during menstruation (subject to compliance with the necessary hygienic procedures), but only for prayer, kissing icons, and participating in chants. But you cannot receive communion or be baptized during this period.

The concept of uncleanness of the female body in a certain period is also connected with the fact that in earlier times there were no reliable means of hygiene. Desecration of a temple with blood was considered almost a crime, because it is a symbol eternal life, opposing not so much physical as spiritual death.

In addition, during menstruation, life is rejected (symbolically): the egg dies, and along with it the hope of the birth of a new person, a follower of Christ, dies. Until the cleansing from defilement is completed, a woman has nothing to do in the Temple of the Lord.

Is it possible to go to church during menstruation: who is for and who is against

The opinion of the church fathers remains an opinion. The exact answer to the question can be given either by Holy Scripture or by the Lord himself. And there is something to think about here. The fact is that, according to the Gospel parable, Christ himself allowed a woman during a period of bleeding (in the Gospel of Matthew she is called the “bleeding wife”) to touch him for the sake of healing, addressing him with the words: “Be bold, daughter.”

Skeptical clergy retort: the woman dared to touch only the hem of the robe of the Son of God, but not the body. Isn't there a ban on that?

When the laity asked whether it was possible to go to church during menstruation, they answered negatively:

Bishop of Alexandria Dionysius (III century): the Shrine can only be accepted with pure soul and body;

Bishop Timothy of Alexandria (IV century): you cannot take communion until you are completely cleansed;

St. John the Faster, who lived in the 6th century, demanded penance (punishment) for a woman who dared to accept the holy secrets of an unclean woman.

The concept of a woman's uncleanness is possibly related to the fact that dead tissue and blood are rejected. This is directly related to the idea of death, which is contrary to the teachings of Christ. The Old Testament regulates all aspects of a believer’s life, paying special attention to food and illness. The New Testament rejects the Old Testament understanding of impurity, since the past has passed and a new time has come. Anyone who has died with faith in Christ will come to life, therefore the former bodily uncleanness has no meaning or meaning. The very question of the laity “is it possible to go to church during menstruation” does not matter. In the Gospel, Christ himself touches the dead and allows the “bleeding woman” to touch him.

The saints and recognized fathers of the Church of Christ allowed women to enter the temple during monthly purifications:

St. Gregory the Dvoeslov: a woman can participate in the sacraments (including the sacrament of Communion) during bleeding, because menstruation is a natural physiological process, they are not sinful;

Saint Athanasius of Alexandria: everything created by God is pure, everything is good. The race of God does not carry anything initially unclean, but defilement comes from something else.

It is not surprising that different church fathers gave different recommendations to parishioners regarding visiting the Temple and participating in the sacraments. It is difficult for unchurched people to understand whether it is possible to go to church during menstruation. Nevertheless, the relevance of the problem is beyond doubt. It happens that a woman takes a long time to prepare for communion, but nature takes its toll. What to do?

There are more tragic situations. They may be associated, for example, with a serious illness. Is it possible to go to church during menstruation if you urgently need to take communion or venerate a shrine? Sometimes the situation develops in such a way that there are not even a few days to wait for cleansing.

Is it possible to go to church during menstruation: how to resolve the issue for parishioners

Today, the question of the possibility of coming to the temple is connected with how the abbot interprets it. In some churches, even wounded priests are prohibited from touching shrines: bleeding from a wound becomes a direct ban on participation in rituals. Parishioners are prohibited from confessing, receiving communion, and even getting married. The point is not that the woman is not pure, but that when bleeding, it is forbidden to touch sacred objects.

Orthodox priests Most people prohibit the sacrament of communion during cleansing by blood. The degree of categoricalness depends on the priest. “Don’t dare!” - this is the formula for the ban.

There are also clergy who consider the strict ban a relic of the past and do not prevent women from participating in either the service or the sacraments. The feminine nature from which man is born cannot be the source of sin.

So what should parishioners do? Is it possible to go to church during menstruation? An exact answer to this question can only be given by the priest of the church where the woman goes, or her confessor. You need to act as the clergyman orders in accordance with your understanding of Scripture.

Centuries pass, generations change, and the question of whether women can attend church during menstruation remains unanswered. Disputes and debates on this issue do not subside between clergy, people of deep faith and individuals who are not experienced in religious subtleties. Some, citing the Old Testament, believe that women with menstruation are categorically prohibited from even entering the temple of God, others impose a taboo on participation in the sacraments, and still others do not see anything sinful in girls attending church during menstruation. However, the arguments of each side are very convincing, but let’s philosophize together on the topic: is it possible to go to church while on your period?

Is it possible to attend church during menstruation: reasons for the ban

Despite the fact that disagreements about the correctness of this ban have existed for a long time, Russian Orthodox girls honored traditions and did not go to church on critical days. Meanwhile, back in 365, Saint Athanasius spoke out against such a rule. According to him, a woman cannot be considered “unclean” during the days of natural renewal of the body, since this process is not subject to her control and was provided for by the Lord, which suggests that, being “pure” in thoughts, a woman can visit the temple on any day of the menstrual cycle .

But let's touch on the root cause of this ban, and still find out why the question of whether it is possible to go to church during menstruation still does not have a clear answer.

So, many church ministers justify the refusal of menstruating women to attend the temple by the instructions of the Old Testament. According to the latter, there are a number of restrictions when a person cannot enter a church. These include some diseases and discharge from the genital organs, in particular female bleeding of various etiologies (menstruation and). For unknown reasons, such physical conditions were considered a sin, and a menstruating woman was therefore considered sinful or physically “unclean.” And what is most interesting and a little absurd is the belief that such “uncleanness” is transmitted through touch, that is, if a woman with her period enters a temple and touches the shrines, she will thereby desecrate them and the people whom she accidentally touches.

However, there is another version of the origin of the ban, according to which this problem goes back to the times of paganism. As scientists learned, pagans were afraid of bleeding because they were convinced that blood attracted demons, and therefore there was no place for a menstruating woman in the temple.

Skeptics and pragmatists even attribute this ban to the lack of hygiene products in ancient times. Naturally, staining the floors of a church with blood is unacceptable, and this is not discussed. But due to the lack of pads, tampons and underwear, our ancestors could not “remain unnoticed”, hence such forced measures.

Is it possible to go to church during menstruation: a new look at an old problem

The New Testament, in which the concept of sinfulness is identified with bad intentions and thoughts, forced many clergy to take a fresh look at the prohibition. As for physiological natural processes, such as menstruation, according to the regulations, they are not a sin and should not separate a person from the Lord.

Nowadays, almost every priest will tell you that it is okay to go to church while on your period. Of course, some of them, as a sign of respect and respect for past traditions, will advise you to refrain from participating in the sacraments of the church. In general, a modern woman can satisfy her spiritual needs by taking communion or confessing on any day of the menstrual cycle. The main condition for visiting the temple of God is pure thoughts and good intentions, while physical condition in this case does not matter.

However, after all that has been said, each woman must decide on her own whether she can go to church during her period or wait until it ends, guided by her inner feelings, taking into account the circumstances and following the advice of the priest.

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