Is it possible to go to church during menstruation? A question that interests many girls who are planning or are invited to a baby’s baptism, wedding, and the days of menstruation fall on the planned date. Deeply religious women know the answer to this question, and for those who are not yet enlightened, this article was written.

Going back centuries or where did this rule come from?

The Church performs the Bloodless Sacrifice within the walls of the temple (prayer), and any bloodshed is unacceptable. This is the main argument that does not allow a woman on her period to be in the Church.

If you dig deeper, the rule of not allowing an “unclean” woman into the temple has its roots in the Old Testament. It was during those times when all kinds of leprosy reigned in the world, special attention paid attention to physical cleanliness. Even lepers, people with purulent and bleeding wounds, and women with menstrual flow were not allowed into the church.

Why are women with menstruation included in this category of patients? This is explained very simply. In those distant times, they didn’t even know about personal hygiene and the products used today for menstruation. And women did not wash during these days, since doctors claimed that washing could cause an infection. Therefore, a woman exuding a stench was not allowed into the Church and was considered “unclean.”

Another theory of an “unclean” woman

The rule forbidding church attendance during menstruation is based on a prayer over a woman in labor, which is read on the 40th day. According to the text of the prayer, there are words that indicate that before the period of days of postpartum cleansing, a woman in God's temple should not enter. Although the prayer speaks of the release of postpartum lochia, the clergy, guided by this legend of God, from the time of the baptism of Rus' forbade “unclean” girls to come to Church.

It should also be noted that in villages in Rus', according to the rules of the Old Testament, women were not allowed into the Church for 40 days after the birth of a boy, and 80 days if a girl was born.

What does the modern Church say?

Different Churches give different answers. For example:

• The Catholic Church does not see anything reprehensible in this, since the New Testament focuses on spirituality, not physical cleanliness. Even in the Bible there is a record, that everything created by the Lord God is beautiful, and the processes occurring in the body are natural. Also in the Holy Scripture there is a record of how Christ allowed a bleeding woman to touch himself, healing her.
• The Orthodox Church has its prejudices and promotes abstinence from going to Church during menstruation. Although modern views allow the presence of an “unclean” woman in the temple, but on the condition that she will not touch the shrines.

So is it still possible or not?

Based on the above, the question becomes rhetorical and each woman must decide for herself what to do:

• come to Church and stand aside and simply pray;
• fully defend the service, skipping only the communion and fitting to the icons.

One way or another, you should remember what you should not do during menstruation:

• participate in baptism;
• get married;
• take communion.

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, is 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.

There is no clear answer from the priest about whether it is possible to enter the church during menstruation. It is necessary to seek the blessing of the priest-rector of the church that the woman wants to visit.

Remember that spiritual matters are purely individual. In case of extreme need or spiritual turmoil, the priest will not refuse to confess a woman. Bodily “uncleanness” will not be a hindrance. The doors of the Lord's House are always open to those who suffer. There is no strict canon about how to behave correctly or incorrectly in matters of Faith. For God, both a woman and a man are a beloved child who will always find refuge in his loving arms.

If there is a ban on visiting the cathedral, then the question naturally arises: is it possible to baptize a child with menstruation and what to do if it is not possible to reschedule the event. Follow the link to get answers to these questions.

How does the church view menstruation according to the 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.

To answer the question of whether it is possible to go to church with menstruation, it is necessary to understand the view of the Orthodox Church on this physiological phenomenon.

You will also be interested in learning the signs about the beginning of menstruation by day of the week and date.

Sin of Eve and Adam

According to the Old Testament, menstruation is a punishment to the human race for the Fall, to which Eve pushed Adam. Having tasted the fruit of the forbidden tree on the advice of the Tempter Serpent, the first of people, seeing their corporeality, lost their angelic spirituality. The woman, showing weakness of spirit, doomed the human race to eternal suffering.

In the third chapter of Genesis of the Old Testament, after Adam and Eve saw their nakedness and confessed to God what they had done, the Creator said to the Woman: “I will make your pregnancy painful, you will give birth to children in pain.”

Later, many biblical scholars of antiquity were inclined to believe that not only the hardships of pregnancy and the pain of labor became a punishment for the female half of the human race for the sin of disobedience, but also menstruation is a monthly reminder of the loss of the former angelic nature.

Answering the question: “Is it possible to go to church while on your period?” from the point of view of Old Testament theologians, we can confidently say: “No!” Moreover, any of the daughters of Eve who neglects this prohibition defiles holy place and plunges his family into the abyss of sin.

Symbol of death

Many theologians tend to personify period blood not with the sacrament of birth, but with a systematic reminder to the human race of its mortality. The body is a temporary vessel filled with the Holy Spirit. Only by constantly remembering the imminent death of “matter” can you tirelessly improve your spirituality.

The ban on visiting the temple on menstruation days is closely related to the processes that give rise to the appearance of spotting. During menstruation, the body rejects an unfertilized egg. This process, quite physiological from a medical point of view, in religion borders on the death of a potential fetus, and therefore the soul, in the womb. According to the religious dogmas of Old Testament times, a dead body defiles the Church, recalling lost immortality.

Christianity does not prohibit praying at home, but visiting the House of God for a woman, according to orthodox theologians, is prohibited.

It is widely believed that a woman with menstrual bleeding is strictly prohibited from entering the temple, and also receiving communion. Is this really true? And what is the reason for so much controversy surrounding this issue? Nobody can give an exact answer to it. There is no mention or confirmation in any books or other sources that such a ban exists. But still, behind the scenes they try to adhere to it. Even clergy cannot provide uniform information. There are many interpretations around this issue with different opinions.

How was it before?

In the most ancient part of the Bible, the Old Testament, it was said that “unclean” people should not enter the temple. This category included:

• leprosy patients;
• everyone who suffers from purulent-inflammatory diseases;
• people who have defiled themselves by touching a decaying body (corpse);
• women with physiological bleeding.

There was an opinion that it was impossible to visit the temple under any of these conditions.

Interesting fact: while mothers who gave birth to a boy were allowed into the church 40 days after giving birth, a girl was allowed after 80.

What do they think now?

Under the New Testament, adjustments were made to the list of people who should not go to church. Although certain restrictions for women have not gone away. The ban on women visiting the temple during menstruation began to be determined by hygiene considerations.

It has always been believed that a temple is a holy place, and blood should not be shed on its territory. Previously, there were no reliable hygiene products for protection, so church visits were prohibited for women during menstruation.

There is another opinion why a woman cannot visit the temple while on her period. Who is to blame for the fact that the human race was expelled from the gardens of Eden? On a woman. This is probably why female representatives were not allowed to see God. Apparently, so as not to remind of long-standing misdeeds. For this reason, during menstruation, as well as for forty days after the birth of the baby until postpartum bleeding is completed, women are not allowed access to the temple.

Today, there is no justified ban on women visiting the temple during menstruation. There are chapters in the Testament in which the disciples spoke out that the desecration of faith brings evil that comes from the human heart, and not physiological secretions. In the New Testament, the main emphasis is on the inner spirituality of man, and not on natural processes that do not depend on him.

Is it forbidden for a woman to go to church during her period?

Human blood must not be shed in the temple. If, for example, a person cuts his finger in church and starts bleeding, he must leave until the bleeding stops. Otherwise, it will be considered that the holy place has been desecrated, and there is a need to re-illuminate it.

We can conclude that during menstruation, if you use high-quality hygiene products (pads, tampons), you can go to church, since spills human blood there won't be. At the same time, the opinions of clergy on this matter differ, some even contradict each other.

Some people believe that women who menstruate have no place in the church. You can enter, say a prayer and leave. Others, adherents of more radical views, say that it is strictly forbidden for women to attend church during their periods. However, there are those who assure that menstruation should in no way influence behavior, that nothing should be changed in church life during this period, that one should continue to read prayers, light candles, confess and receive communion.

Proponents of both views can provide evidence for their own judgments, although they can be challenged. Those who support the first opinion rely largely on information from the Old Testament, saying that in ancient times women with bleeding had to be kept away from the people and the church. But they cannot provide clear explanations why this should be so. Because in those days, women had a fear of staining a holy place with blood due to the lack of necessary hygiene products.

Adherents of the opposite opinion claim that even then women went to church. For example, the Greeks (this is their difference from the Slavs) did not illuminate the church, and accordingly, no desecration could have occurred. In these places, women, even during physiological discharge, could venerate the icons and did not change anything in their ordinary church life.

It was often noted that this physiological process is not the woman’s fault. And yet, in ancient times, women in Rus' avoided going to church on these days.

Some of the saints made statements that nature gave women a generous gift, endowing them with this unique ability cleanse the body. They argued that the phenomenon was created by the Almighty, therefore, there can be no talk of dirt and uncleanliness.

It would be wrong to deny women the right to go to the temple during menstruation, based on data from the Old Testament. If you carefully and deeply study the church, you can come to the conclusion that the ban on visiting church during menstruation is already morally outdated.

So what should we do?

Girls are allowed to visit the temple on all days. Considering the opinion more clergy, and this can be done during menstruation. But it would be better these days to refuse to carry out the sacraments of baptism and wedding. It is advisable, if possible, not to touch crosses, icons and other sacred objects. In addition, the church calls on these days not to confess or receive communion.

Video: is it possible for women to enter the temple on menstrual days?

It is so intended by nature that women have their period every month. They affect well-being and lifestyle, but, in addition, menstruation causes debate about whether it is possible to go to church during this period? The question is not as simple as it seems at first glance. There are different opinions on this matter, even among clergy.

There is still no clear consensus on this matter. Debates about female “uncleanness” have been going on for centuries. And authoritative theologians explained in different ways how the daughters of Eve should behave during menstruation.

Today at different temples There are rules for visiting and participating in rituals for women experiencing their menstrual periods. They come down to 3 main behavior options:

• Women during their periods are not even allowed to enter the temple, let alone participate in the sacraments.
• You can attend church, but you cannot light candles, drink holy water, or touch icons and other shrines. It is forbidden to receive communion and participate in the sacraments of baptism, wedding, and consecration of oil.
• There is no prohibition on visiting the temple and participating in any rituals.

Origins of the ban

It is worth noting that we are talking about Christian traditions. But questions about the permissibility of coming to church on “these days” concern only Orthodox parishioners. Western Christian women do not have such doubts; they freely visit churches, take communion, light candles, and touch icons.

In Russian Orthodoxy this is much more complicated. That’s why our priests so often hear questions from their parishioners about what they should do during their periods. The answers may vary.

Viewing menstruation as a sign of “uncleanness” female body reflected in old testament. The woman herself and anyone who touched her were considered unclean.

The flow of blood was perceived as the sinful destruction of the embryo of a new life, a reminder of the mortality of people. When, therefore, human nature, distorted by the fall of Adam and Eve, manifested itself, one should stay away from God’s temple.

But there is another interpretation of the ban on the presence of a woman on her period in church. The fact is that blood cannot be shed in a holy place. And in those distant times, women did not have reliable hygiene products, so trouble could happen at any moment.

But the Old Testament times are long gone, and there is still no clear answer to the parishioners’ questions about why they can’t go to church on critical days.

Opinions of authoritative theologians

Even Saint Clement of Rome wrote in the 3rd century that the holy spirit is always present with believers, and a woman is not deprived of it during the days of natural purification. After all, this is exactly how God himself created her, there is nothing “vile” about it.

You cannot blame the fair sex for something that does not depend on them, but is given by nature - St. Gregory Dvoeslov also wrote about this. The saint was against the ban not only on visiting, but also on receiving holy communion. If a woman herself, out of great respect and reverence, does not dare to participate in this sacrament, then it is another matter, this is worthy of praise. But if she wants to take communion, then there is no point in blaming her for committing a sin.

Everyone who took the side of women in this dispute recalled the story described in the Bible about the bleeding woman. She dared to touch the hem of Jesus' robe and was immediately healed. And the Lord not only was not angry with the sick woman, but also encouraged her with kind words.

The very concept of “ritual uncleanness” in the new covenant by Jesus Christ is separated from everything bodily that does not depend on man. Natural physiological processes cannot be polluting. You need to be afraid of dirty thoughts and actions and strive for spiritual purity.

Modern views of the church

Nowadays, many parishioners are perplexed by the ban on attending church services, and are even offended by this attitude towards themselves. But this issue has not yet been settled.

Most clergy and theologians believe that a prejudiced attitude towards the characteristics of the female body is superstition and a relic. But there is another opinion. And since in the traditions of Orthodoxy, humility and obedience are welcomed in a woman, parishioners often simply do not know who to listen to.

For example, the argument of those who are on the side of the fair sex sounds like this - the church has always been and remains a shelter for everyone who is overcome by infirmities, troubles and sorrows. And during critical days, a woman is not only weak physically, it is also difficult for her morally. So why aggravate her sorrows, albeit temporarily, by excluding her from meeting the Lord in his house?

And the very recognition of a woman as unclean on such days humiliates her dignity, turning her into a second-class creature. Archpriest Konstantin Parkhomenko, editor of the Orthodox Internet portal “ABC of Faith” and teacher at the Theological Seminary, is completely on the side of women. He is confident that a person is desecrated only by the sin he commits, and not by the natural processes of the body.

Many church ministers consider the ban on presence in the temple and participation in rituals to be an outdated canon. Today, in many churches, women work without regard to their monthly cycle - they restore order, bake prosphora, sell candles, icons, books in the church shop.

Most church ministers agree that a woman can attend church and pray during her period. But with the sacraments the situation is different. Until now, modern priests are against women receiving communion, being baptized and getting married during menstruation. An exception is made only for terminally ill patients and if the bleeding continues for a long period and is associated with a serious illness.

However, it is worth noting that in the temple no one asks the parishioner whether she has at the moment period. You can come freely and participate in church life.

In order not to be tormented by the question of whether or not to go to church on critical days, it is better to adhere to the rules of your arrival. If your priest is against visits, then it is better to wait and come to the service on another day with a clear conscience. Self-will and rebellion are not characteristic of Orthodox Christian women, so you need to get permission (or a ban) to be present in church on “these days” from your confessor.

Critical days, menstruation, or, as they call it in Orthodox circles, days of impurity, are an obstacle for women who want to participate in church life. But every representative of the fair sex of childbearing age has a glimmer of hope that there is still a chance to participate in Orthodox rites, if such days are inopportune. Let's look at what is permissible and what is strictly prohibited. The text contains answers from priests to women when asked whether they can go to church while on their period.

What is given by nature

Often women talk about injustice due to the ban on visiting the temple and participating in the sacraments, because menstruation is something given by nature. But you should still adhere to the established rules. Why? First, it is better to start with the Fall of Man in the Old Testament. Let's remember what God said to Adam and Eve when they disobeyed and ate forbidden fruit. And the Lord said something like this: “From now on you will live on earth in illness, labor, and give birth in pain.” Eve was the first to disobey the Lord and was tempted by the words of the serpent, so from then on the woman is the one who must be in obedience to her husband, the man. In addition, she is also given periods of cleansing in the form of menstruation.

Secondly, in Orthodox church There should be no blood other than the blood of Christ, which is given to people during the sacrament of the Eucharist in the form of wine (Cahors). Of course, in this case we are talking not only about women on days of uncleanness, but also about those, for example, who suddenly started bleeding from the nose.

As you can see, we are talking about both human blood in the temple in general and the purification of women. That is why modern priests often explain in their own way whether it is possible to go to church while menstruating.

Another nuance follows from this: in past centuries there were no hygiene products; women with menstrual periods could inadvertently desecrate the holy floor of the temple. That is why they refrained from visiting him during such periods. Therefore, the tradition of the complete absence of women at the holy place still exists.

If reliable hygienic protection is ensured

Thanks to modern technologies for the production of hygiene products, every woman can have peace of mind. But is it possible to go to the temple? Priests are often asked this question over and over again. In fact, it is possible, but you cannot touch shrines, and participating in any Sacraments is also prohibited. You should also not touch the priest’s hand, take his blessing, or kiss the cross at the end of the service.

But if a representative of the fairer sex is forgetful and may inadvertently touch a shrine, then it is better to refrain from visiting the temple altogether, even on a major holiday. That is why, answering the question: “Is it possible to go to church while on your period?”, let’s be honest: “It is undesirable.”

What is possible and what is not allowed in the temple?

Let's now take a closer look at what women are not forbidden to do in church:

• pray, participate in chants;
• buy and put candles;
• be in the vestibule of the temple.

As you can see, it is only allowed to be in the church spiritually. But you can’t do anything physically.

There are many more prohibitions. Here's a list of what not to do:

• participate in any sacraments (confession, communion, baptism of one’s own or of a godson/goddaughter, wedding, consecration of oil);
• touch icons, crosses, relics;
• drink holy water;
• accept consecrated objects (oil, icons, consecrated objects);
• touch the Gospel.

These rules apply not only to temple visitors, but also to those who are outside the shrine at home, on a trip, at work, and so on. So, is it possible to go to church while on your period? Yes, but you need to be careful.

When should you not go to church?

But it also happens that it is completely undesirable to go to church. Let’s say there is only one exit in a small church, but at the end of the service the priest stands in the vestibule right at the exit. It will either not be possible to leave without kissing the cross, or there is a risk of touching the shrine. In this case, the priests answer something like this: “Stay at home, you can miss a Sunday or a holiday for such a good reason. But the prayerful attitude for the future will be good. Pray at home as if you were at a liturgy.”

But is it possible to go to church while on your period if there are no obstacles? Of course you can. It is only advisable to be in the vestibule (at the entrance to the temple) so as not to accidentally forget about unclean days and not venerate the icons.

What to do if you touch a shrine?

Sometimes, out of ignorance or carelessness, a woman touches the shrine. What to do? You should definitely tell the priest in confession that you venerated the icon/cross or drank holy water during your period. Is it possible to go to church during menstruation, even if it has almost stopped? The short answer is: “Undesirable.”

If menstruation is a disease

Exists Gospel story, which talks about the healing of a bleeding woman by Jesus Christ. The Lord did not scold the woman, but said something like this: “Faith has healed you, go and sin no more.”

Is it possible to go to church with menstruation, which lasts longer than normal and is considered a disease? In this case - yes.

When else is a woman prohibited from entering a temple?

Even in the early Christian period, it was established that a woman should not visit the temple at all for 40 days after giving birth. The child can be brought by the father or relative, close friends. But the mother needs to refrain.

We figured out whether it is possible to go to church during menstruation. In conclusion, it should be noted that kissing shrines on the street, plunging into a holy spring and participating in a water prayer service is also prohibited.

Such temporary prohibitions are not a reason for despair for women believers, but they are a good reason to strengthen their faith and be more serious in prayer.

Dream Interpretation