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

Taking communion during menstruation is a question that causes controversy among priests and worries every Christian woman.

Without knowing a clear answer, during menstruation the parishioners remain to listen to the service in the vestibule.

Where do the roots of the ban come from? We look for the answer in the Old Testament

The church vestibule is located in the western part of the temple; it is a corridor between the temple entrance and the courtyard. The narthex has long served as a hearing place for unbaptized people, catechumens, and those who were prohibited from entering the temple for a certain time.

Is there something Is it offensive for a Christian to be outside of church service, participation in confession, and communion for some time?

Menstrual days are not a disease or a sin, but a natural state of a healthy woman, emphasizing her ability to give children to the world.

Why then does the question arise - is it possible to confess during menstruation?

The Old Testament places a lot of emphasis on the concept of purity in coming before God.

Impurities included:

diseases in the form of leprosy, scabies, ulcers;
all sorts of discharges in both women and men;
touching a dead body.

The Jews were not a single people before leaving Egypt. In addition to worshiping the One God, they borrowed a lot from pagan cultures.

Judaism believed that uncleanness, a dead body, are one concept. Death is the punishment for Adam and Eve for disobedience.

The first Christian women also faced the problem of whether it was possible to receive communion during menstruation; they had to make the decision themselves. Someone, following traditions and canons, did not touch anything sacred. Others believed that nothing could separate them from God's love except for sin.

Many believing virgins confessed and received communion during menstruation, finding no prohibition in the words and sermons of Jesus.

Attitude Orthodox Church To:

The attitude of the early church and the holy fathers of that time to the issue of menstruation

With the advent of the new belief, there were no clear concepts either in Christianity or in Judaism. The apostles separated themselves from the teachings of Moses, without denying divine inspiration Old Testament. At the same time, ritual impurity was practically not an object of discussion.

The holy fathers of the early church, such as Methodius of Olympus, Origen, and the Martyr Justin, treated the issue of purity as a concept of sin. Unclean, according to their concepts, means sinful, this applied to women during menstruation.

Origen considered not only menstruation, but also sexual intercourse to be unclean. He ignored Jesus' words that when two people copulate they become one body. (Matthew 19:5). His stoicism and asceticism were not confirmed in the New Testament.

The Antiochian doctrine of the third century put the teachings of the Levites under prohibition. The Didascalia, on the contrary, denounces Christian women who abandoned the Holy Spirit during menstruation, separating the body from church services. The church fathers of that time considered the same bleeding patient to be the basis for their exhortation.

Clementius of Rome gave an answer to the problem - is it possible to go to church during menstruation, arguing that if a person who stops attending the Liturgy or receiving communion has left the Holy Spirit.

Christian, never crossed the threshold temple during menstruation, not relating to the Bible, can die without the Holy Spirit, and what to do then? Saint Clement in the “Apostolic Constitutions” argued that neither the birth of a child, nor critical days, nor wet dreams defile a person and cannot separate him from the Holy Spirit.

Important! Clementius of Rome condemned Christian women for empty speech, but considered childbirth, bleeding, and bodily defects to be natural things. He called prohibitions the invention of stupid people.

Saint Gregory Dvoeslov also stood on the side of women, arguing that natural, God-created processes in human body, cannot cause a ban on visiting church services, confess, take communion.

Next question about female impurity during menstruation he rose at the Gangra Cathedral. The priests meeting in 341 condemned Eustathian, who considered not only menstruation unclean, but also sexual intercourse, forbidding priests to marry. In their false teaching, the difference between the sexes was destroyed, or rather, a woman was equal to a man in clothing and behavior. The fathers of the Gangra Council condemned the Eustathian movement, defending the femininity of Christian women, recognizing all the processes in their body natural, created by God.

In the sixth century, Gregory the Great, the Pope of Rome, took the side of the faithful parishioners.

The Pope wrote to St. Augustine of Canterbury, who raised the issue of menstrual days and impurity, that Christian women are not to blame for these days; she should not be prohibited from confessing or receiving communion.

Important! According to Gregory the Great, women who abstain from Communion out of reverence are worthy of praise, but those who took it during menstruation because of great love to Christ are not condemned.

The teachings of Gregory the Great lasted until the seventeenth century, when Christian women were again forbidden to enter the church while menstruating.

Russian Church of the early period

The Russian Orthodox Church has always been characterized by strict laws regarding women's critical days, all types of outflows. The question is not even raised here: is it possible to go to church while menstruating? The answer is clear and not subject to discussion - no!

Moreover, according to Niphon of Novgorod, if childbirth begins right in the temple and a child is born there, then the entire church is considered desecrated. It is sealed for 3 days and reconsecrated by reading a special prayer, which can be found by reading the “Question of Kirik”.

All those present in the temple were considered unclean and could leave it only after the cleansing prayer of the Trebnik.

If a Christian came to church “clean” and then had bleeding, she urgently had to leave the church, otherwise she would face six months of penance.

The cleansing prayers of the Trebnik are still read in churches immediately after the birth of a baby.

This issue causes a lot of controversy. The problem of touching an “unclean” woman in pre-Christian times is clear. Why today, when a child is born in a sacred marriage and is a gift from God, his birth makes the mother and everyone who touches her defiled?

Contemporary clashes in the Russian Church

Only after 40 days is a Christian woman allowed into the temple, subject to complete “purity”. A ritual of churching or introduction is performed over her.

The modern explanation for this phenomenon is the fatigue of the woman in labor; she supposedly needs to come to her senses. How then can we explain that seriously ill people are recommended to visit church more often, take communion, and be cleansed by the blood of Jesus?

Ministers of the present time understand that the laws of the Trebnik do not always find their confirmation in the Bible and the Holy Scriptures of the Church Fathers.

Marriage, procreation and impurity somehow difficult to tie together.

1997 made adjustments on this issue. The Holy Synod of Antioch, His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius IV, made a decision to change the texts of the Breviary regarding the sanctity of marriage and the purity of Christian women who gave birth to a child in a union sanctified by the church.

Important! When introducing a mother, the church blesses the child’s birthday if the mother is physically strong.

After Crete, Orthodox churches received urgent recommendations to convey to all parishioners that their desire to attend church, confess and take communion is welcomed, regardless of their critical days.

Saint John Chrysostom was critical of the adherents of the canons who claim that visiting the temple on critical days is unacceptable.

Dionysius of Alexandria advocated observance of the canons, however, life has shown that not all laws are observed by modern churches.

The canons should not govern the Church, for they were written for temple services.

Questions about critical days wear the mask of piety based on pre-Christian teachings.

Modern Patriarch Paul of Serbia also does not consider a woman during her period to be spiritually unclean or sinful. He claims that during menstruation a Christian woman can confess and receive communion.

His Holiness the Patriarch writes: “The monthly cleansing of a woman does not make her ritually, prayerfully unclean. This uncleanness is only physical, bodily, as well as discharge from other organs. In addition, since modern hygienic means can effectively prevent the accidental flow of blood from making the temple unclean... we believe that from this side there is no doubt that a woman during her monthly cleansing, with the necessary caution and taking hygienic measures, can come to church , kiss icons, take antidor and blessed water, as well as participate in singing.”

Important! Jesus Himself cleansed women and men with His blood. Christ became the Flesh of all Orthodox Christians. He trampled upon bodily death, giving people spiritual life, independent of the state of the body.

Watch a video about going to church while on your period.

Every generation has own opinion about different things and events. For example, in ancient times menstruation and the church were considered incompatible concepts.

With the advent of critical days, women were protected from the outside world, since they were unclean in the opinion of the clergy. Today the situation has changed, and modern people are engaged in a variety of activities.

But the question remains controversial whether or not it is possible to visit the temple when you are menstruating. Let's look at this topic from different angles.

Information from the Old Testament

The Old Testament is the first part of the Bible, compiled before the birth of Christianity. Over time, it became the source for opposing religions that are familiar modern people. These are Judaism and Christianity. Holy Scripture denied access to the temple to unclean citizens.

Lepers.
Women with menstruation and abnormal bleeding.
Men with a sore prostate.
People who touched corpses or had signs of purulent-inflammatory diseases.

Also, it was not customary to go to church after sinful deeds, and many conditions fell under this definition. Women in labor who gave birth to boys could visit the temple no earlier than the fortieth day. For mothers of newborn girls, this period increased to 80 days.

When asked why a woman cannot go to church while on her period, the answer is related to hygiene. Ancient women did not have pads or tampons and did not wear panties. It turns out that at any moment blood could spill on the floor. Bleeding is unacceptable in the church. The cleaners of sacred premises also did not want to wash away the blood of others, since contact with this liquid was equated with a sinful act. There were no disposable gloves then.

Thanks to progress, women now have comfortable underwear, pads, tampons and menstrual cups. Now cleaners don’t have to disinfect the floors after such visitors, and no one except the ladies themselves comes into contact with sewage. Thus, the church and women's periods are compatible in the modern world.

During the Old Testament period, many phenomena were viewed from a physical point of view. A dirty human body was considered unclean. Women were forbidden to go to church while menstruating and public places. She had to be alone for several days.

Menstruation and the church: what prohibitions exist today

With the advent of Jesus Christ and the New Testament in church canons changes have occurred. The son of the Virgin Mary focused the attention of the people on the spiritual, and relegated the physical to the background. If a person was pure outwardly, but his soul remained black, Jesus did everything to ensure that he got rid of sin.

Temples continued to exist, but holiness was already transferred from earth to human souls. Christ made men and women equal and commanded their souls to become temples of God.

Considering the topic of whether it is possible to go to church while menstruating, here is one interesting fact, who changed the minds of the Old Believers. One day a sick woman, bleeding heavily, made her way through the crowd and touched Jesus’ robe with her hand. He felt an outflow of energy, but did not get angry and said: “Your faith saved you, woman!” And from that day on, the consciousness of the population began to change.

Old Testamentists continued to insist that menstruating women should not go to church. The followers of Jesus abandoned this rule and began to live according to the New Testament. Thus, female blood shed in public gave rise to a new life.

IN catholic church Menstruation has long been no longer perceived as a bad thing. The natural process today can be hidden from prying eyes thanks to high-quality hygiene products. If the need arises to visit the temple, a woman can do this any day.

However, priests prohibit being in church while menstruating while performing three rituals:

Confession.
Baptism.
Wedding.

The taboo has a physical explanation. During baptism, a girl cannot be immersed in water for hygienic reasons, because the liquid will become dirty and pathogenic microbes will penetrate into the genital tract. The wedding process takes a long time and cannot be interrupted. If the bleeding is heavy, the bride will not have the opportunity to change the pad or tampon. The ritual can be ruined by the newlywed's fainting, since some girls' periods are accompanied by weakness, nausea and dizziness.

The sacrament of confession affects the psycho-emotional part of women's nature. During menstruation, a girl is vulnerable and vulnerable. During the conversation, she may say too much to the priest and regret it later. As one priest said, “a woman is insane when she menstruates.”

Why women with menstruation were considered “unclean” in the old days, explains the Monk Nicodemus the Svyatogorets. God gave this definition to the fair sex so that men would avoid intercourse during menstrual periods.

What the priests say

Ask different priests if you can go to church while on your period, and you will hear conflicting answers. In some churches women come to services on critical days, in others they do not. Rereading Scripture, we find that the spirituality of a person is important to God, the body and its processes are secondary. If a girl keeps the commandments of the Almighty, she will not sin by coming to church with her period.

You can also visit the temple during pregnancy and after childbirth.

Some mothers want to baptize their children immediately after discharge from the maternity hospital or invite priests directly to the maternity hospital. If the baby is very weak, baptism will help him get stronger. The priest touches the mother in labor without fear and does not consider himself defiled due to contact with the “unclean” one.

Before visiting church on menstruation days, it is advisable for devout women to find out in advance what views the local priest adheres to and comply established rules. True believers during their critical days and the first months after childbirth can participate in religious rituals if allowed by the priest. But they should not touch sacred objects.

If a woman visits a temple only because it is customary on certain holidays, she should not think about her period. The religious institution is open to everyone, but the task of parishioners is to strive for unity with God, and not just stand in the crowd with candles.

Grigory Dvoeslov spoke about menstruation like this: if menstruation came to church, this is not a reason to feel sinful. The natural process is designed to cleanse the body. Woman was created by God, and she cannot influence His will. If menstruation began on a certain day, becoming an obstacle to completing planned tasks, then this is the will of God.

Priest Konstantin Parkhomenko allows a woman with menstruation to participate in the rite of Communion. But if she respects the Holy Scriptures and refuses the ritual, by her act she deserves the reward of the Almighty.

P.S. Whether it’s worth going to church while on your period, decide for yourself. If your soul reaches out to God or you want to light a candle for the health of loved ones or the deceased, why not do this on critical days. A person with pure thoughts is pleasing to God. Bodily secretions should not interfere with the unity of a mere mortal with the Higher Powers.

The question of whether it is possible to go to church while menstruating worries many people. Orthodox women. After all, their arrival cannot be planned in any way.

What if it's planned solemn event, for example, Easter, on such a holiday it is necessary to visit church, but what to do if critical days have arrived? Should you really miss going to church?

Is it possible to go to church with menstruation - Old Testament times

In Old Testament times, not only women were considered unclean in these days, but also people who suffered from the plague. Moreover, it was forbidden to touch women these days; it was believed that whoever touched them would also become unclean. Therefore, in those days, visiting church was strictly prohibited.

It was believed that a woman who gave birth to a son should not attend church until one month had passed after giving birth. If you have given birth to a daughter, then in this case you cannot cross the threshold of the temple for more than three months.

Is it possible to attend church during menstruation - New Testament times

One can recall the words of the great Gregory Dvoeslov and the Apostle Paul, who argued that everything that the Lord created was beautiful and bright. Woman was created by the Creator God, which means she is beautiful. Menstrual cycle- This natural phenomenon, in which the woman is not at all to blame and she should not be banned from attending church.

There is a parable about a bleeding woman who for a long time she was sick and no one could help her. Having learned that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was coming, she touched His clothes with faith. The Lord did not push her away, but on the contrary healed her and approved of her action: “Your faith has saved you,” Christ told her.

The Savior himself did not oppose the bleeding woman, and therefore she has the right to visit the temple.

Is it possible to confess and receive communion during menstruation?

In the 21st century, asking a question on this topic, you can get different answers from priests.

Some say that women on critical days can go to church, light candles and pray, take a blessing, but they cannot touch shrines - the Cross, icons, relics of the Holy Saints of God. You cannot take part in the Sacraments of the Orthodox Church - baptism, wedding, confirmation, communion, confession, consecration of oil (unction), priesthood.

Others say that you can do all of the above. You need to be guided in this matter by your conscience, and also follow the rules that are accepted in your church where you go to worship.

If a woman is planning to go to a monastery, to holy places, and plans to take part in the Sacraments, she needs to consult with her confessor or parish priest and take a blessing for the trip. The issue of critical days should also be resolved during the conversation.

When should women not go to church?

How many days after the birth of a child can one be in the presence of God at a Divine service?

In the times of the Old Testament, it was believed that a woman after giving birth for 40 days, while she was being cleansed, did not have the right to attend divine services. Currently, this tradition has also been abolished.

Patriarch of Serbia Paul on female impurity

Patriarch Paul, reflecting on female impurity, talked about Dionysius of Alexandria, who argued that a woman does not have the right to receive communion or touch the holy relics of the Savior, but is always obliged to pray and be baptized.

According to Dionysius, a woman does not have the right to confession until she is completely cleansed. There is also an opinion that you cannot enter the temple for exactly 40 days from the moment of childbirth or miscarriage.

But Father Pavel’s personal answer was different. It draws on the parable of the bleeding woman. If the Savior himself did not consider women with blood unclean, then why should there be prohibitions in our time,” the father reasoned.

Conclusion

Menstruation is a natural course of events given to a woman by nature, which was created by God. In the 21st century, there are many ways to hide the smell and protect against leaks so as not to desecrate the church.

A woman must be in church, try to live a full spiritual life, fulfill the commandments of Christ, repent of her sins in confession and take part in the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Communion). All this is much more important than calculating the dates of critical days.

Centuries pass, generations change, and the question of whether women can attend church during menstruation remains unanswered. Disputes and debates on this matter 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 motivate the refusal of menstruating women to visit 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

“Forced” many clergy to take a fresh look at the ban New Testament, in which the concept of sinfulness is identified with bad intentions and thoughts. 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 modern woman can satisfy his spiritual need, take communion or confess 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.

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. Much has changed since the times of the Old Testament; now almost no one blames a woman for the presence of such a natural process as regula. 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 are on their menstrual periods are allowed to enter church. 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.

The rules of the Russian Orthodox Church do not prohibit girls from visiting the temple during 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 critical days 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.

How they think now - New Testament

At the moment, there is no strict ban on visiting the temple on critical days. The shedding of human blood is prohibited in churches, but menstruation no longer applies to this. An example can be given: if a person is injured while in the temple, then it is necessary to immediately leave, as this is considered desecration of shrines. Women are allowed to be in the temple, but be sure to remember to use reliable personal hygiene products. With their use, it can be assumed that bleeding does not occur.

Temples are considered a holy place, so some behavior of girls during the regul is unacceptable. On this issue, the clergy do not agree on a single opinion. Some of them believe that during this period all rituals are prohibited for women, as well as touching icons and all church paraphernalia. Others argue that the restrictions are minimal. Almost all priests at the moment ceremonies such as Baptism and Wedding are prohibited. It is recommended to wait until the end of menstruation and only then go to church. They do not prohibit praying or lighting candles. Some allow Communion during menstrual periods, especially when a woman especially needs it. For example, if there is a serious illness.

Many clergy adhere to modern views and they believe that menstruation is a natural biological process that should not interfere with a girl if she wants to attend church.

If during the Old Testament it was strictly forbidden to come to church, perform rituals, pray, and touch icons, now these rules have changed enormously. It has become more often mentioned that the girl is not to blame for such a process as the menstrual cycle, because it is explained by physiology. This allows her not to feel guilty. Modern church does not blame the woman for the failure of the pregnancy. Most clergy do not consider girls “unclean” on critical days, which means that their appearance in the temple does not desecrate the shrines in any way.

The opinion of the priests

As mentioned above, the opinion of priests on the question of whether it is possible to go to church during menstruation has not come to a single denominator. The Bible does not give a precise answer and does not prohibit visiting holy places during menstruation. Therefore, every woman is recommended to ask this question to a priest. But it is worth considering that the answers may vary. If in one temple a girl is prohibited from coming, then in another, perhaps, there will be absolutely no restrictions. A woman will be allowed to pray, light candles, receive communion, and also touch icons.

Most clergy do not allow girls to touch shrines during menstrual periods. In this case, you should not refuse to visit the temple, because a woman is allowed to pray.

Many girls are concerned about the question of whether it is possible to come to the temple during menstruation if they currently have a serious illness. In this case, almost every priest will allow you to visit the church without any restrictions. If a woman wants to take communion and confess, then she should not be stopped by the presence of regulations. In this case, most clergy are understanding. Although the opinion of priests on the issue of visiting church during menstruation is ambiguous, most of them agree on one thing - during illness, any person has the right to prayer, confession and any ritual. If there is an illness, then the woman is not limited, she can touch the icons.

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 strong painful sensations, 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.