Why can't you go to church during your period?
Visiting a temple is a spiritual need for every person, so few people think about any prohibitions on this matter. The time to attend church is the choice of every believer.
Many people believe that when a woman has her period, as well as in the first month after giving birth, she should not attend church. But why? Where do such speculations come from?
During menstruation, women are considered “unclean.” Such beliefs also exist among the Indians. Women left the tribe until they became pure. And men were forbidden to show even the slightest sexual signs of attention to her.
The church prohibition does not have any supernatural properties for female representatives, but it is generally accepted that they can desecrate God’s temple.
What does the Old Testament say?
The first oldest part of the Christian Bible - this Holy book can be called the constitution of the Christian religion - the Old Testament. Its other names are “Tanakh”, “Holy Scripture”. This part of the Holy text was compiled even before the advent of Christianity, and is a common part of two - now opposing - religions - Judaism and Christianity.
In the Old Testament, visiting the temple was prohibited for “unclean” people - access to God was denied to them. Already in the times of Christianity, the Lord stopped dividing into clean and unclean, began to give equal attention to everyone, to heal the suffering.
Then the following fell into the category of “unclean”:
- 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 one should not go to church after coming into contact with sin - all conditions fell under this definition.
Interestingly, the cleansing time for women in labor who have given birth to a male infant is reduced by 2 times compared to the cleansing time for mothers of girls - that is, 40 and 80 days.
It can be seen that discrimination against women began in ancient times and was reflected in the Old Testament.
Old Testament: why shouldn’t women on their period go to temple?
It explains that shed blood is a symbol of death. And menstrual blood is doubly a sign of death, since it contains particles of the uterus.
For this reason, it is believed that in this way the woman is reminded of the great human sin that Adam and Eve committed. Also in the Old Testament there is a ban on visiting the temple:
- for various diseases;
- unusual discharge from the male genital organs;
- purulent discharge;
- during the cleansing period of women in labor (up to 40 days for the birth of a boy, up to 80 days for the birth of a girl).
As well as any other pathological discharge. At the same time, it is strictly forbidden to touch the patient if he is festering or decomposing.
Such phenomena refer to sin and unpleasant consequences, but today doctors have proven that discharge is not considered something sinful.
A little bit of history
Such a prohibition may be due to the traditions of the first century, they were observed by a certain number of people, the presence of theological beliefs in the Old Testament served as the basis for this. It was also some precautionary measures for some sections of society. The completely opposite behavior of people was also envisaged: every week they went to the Orthodox chapel during menstruation, they administered communion and attended services. There was no excommunication, at least no one mentions it in the most ancient sources related to religious teaching.
What the New Testament says about “unclean women”
The New Testament no longer contains the definitions that were in the Old Testament. An episode was described when a woman who was bleeding from her vagina touched Christ’s robe and was miraculously healed. The Son of God did not reject it, but, on the contrary, accepted it and preached: “Everything created by nature was given by God, and therefore natural.”
It is noted that neither Christ nor any of the Apostles gave any definition of the “uncleanness” of a woman during bleeding.
When the prohibitions of the New Testament were compiled, the church established the following prohibitions for the female sex:
- it is forbidden to attend church while menstruating;
- After labor, you cannot go to church for 40 days.
Changes in the concept of “ritual purity” in the New Testament
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ transfers the concept of “ritual purity” to a spiritual, moral level, completely separating this concept from uncontrolled bodily and physiological manifestations, which include female menstruation. Christ makes believers understand that only evil intentions coming from the heart can defile a person, and the very concept of “purity” implies only “spiritual purity.”
The Gospel mentions facts of how, without fear of condemnation from the Jews, the Savior talks with a Samaritan woman and heals a menstruating woman who allowed herself to touch the hem of his robe, and praises her for her faith. Both of these acts would previously have been considered desecrating in Judea. John Chrysostom, one of the three ecumenical teachers and saints, interprets these actions in such a way that the Lord similarly reveals the faith of this woman to everyone, so that others would not be afraid to imitate her.
Based on Christ’s healing of a bleeding woman, and supporting the new concept of “ritual purity,” St. Gregory the Great, in 604, when asked about whether one can or cannot go to church while menstruating, and whether one can receive communion at this time, writes that menstruation is not a sin.
Therefore, in his opinion, there is no need to prohibit a woman from attending church during her period, since she cannot be blamed for what is given to her by nature, and from which she suffers not of her own free will. And he continues that it is impossible to forbid a woman to receive communion during such a period, but if she does not dare to receive Communion out of great respect, then she is worthy of praise; and if she accepts it, then she should not be condemned.
Why you can’t go to church during your period: reasons
How did the church motivate its prohibitions? Let's look at the reasons.
Hygiene during this period is the most important and significant reason. Long ago, women had no way these days to hold back the flow of blood, so it was believed that it was spilled on the floor. And the church cannot be the place where blood is shed.
Moreover, the cleaners in the temples did not want to clean up someone’s blood, since any touching it was also considered a sin, and at that time there were not even disposable gloves.
That is why today tampons and pads will help a woman solve this problem and she can safely attend church. The cleaners do not need to clean anything and other people will not come into contact with the “evil spirits”.
Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ
You can call this a general rule, a certain ideal, but according to these principles, it is impossible to prohibit a girl from visiting sacred places on these days. When a woman honors such refusals, it is considered commendable. But still, in rare cases, when a girl decides to take communion, it is not a sin. You should not exclude her from these events. So says priest Konstantin Parkhomenko. The 18th century was marked by the interpretation of the Monk Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain of the causes of impurity of menstruation. Men are prohibited from copulating with girls due to concern for offspring.
Are there any bans today?
Why you can’t go to church during your period worries believers who care about spiritual purity rather than physical purity. In the modern world, there are no restrictions on visiting church during menstrual periods.
Women can go to church, but some sacraments cannot be performed:
- confession;
- baptism.
Baptism is associated especially with hygienic requirements.
Confession is a moral concept of innocence, which includes spiritual and physical purity. During the process of confession, a person is cleansed, so his body must also be clean.
Despite all these arguments, many priests are confident that women with menstruation can light candles, pray and visit church if they think it is necessary.
We can summarize that there are no strict prohibitions regarding the physiological and physical needs of a person in order to go to church. The main thing is to have pure and good thoughts.
But many women independently decide not to go to church after childbirth or on “these” days. Most likely, this is due to the fact that the woman must physically be near the child. After 40 days, you can go to church even with a child and have a baptism ceremony.
What can you do in the temple during menstruation?
Let’s say you are a woman and “those” days have come to you. You came to church and... And then the question arises - what are you allowed to do? And this is where the opinions of the clergy differ significantly. So, one half assures that in this case a woman cannot do anything at all. Roughly speaking, I went into the room, stood, prayed and left. The other half claims that there are no prohibitions on this matter and women can “live” a full church life, that is, light candles, confess, take communion, and so on. Who to believe? This issue is very complex and controversial, so it is necessary to listen to the arguments of both sides. And they have them, although they are very controversial.
Those Orthodox Christians who support the first position, which does not allow doing practically anything in the temple, say that, first of all, the tradition of the Old Testament plays a role, according to which a woman during her period was kept away from the general gathering of people, and never visited the temple . True, the defenders of this theory for some reason forget that she did this not at all because she was afraid of harming the church, but in order to comply with the usual standards of hygiene. They also cite other factors, which, however, are unlikely to be relevant. For example, they talk about the healing of a woman who touched the clothes (namely the clothes, not the body) of Jesus and was completely healed. Or about a dead egg that leaves the body of the weaker half of humanity during menstruation (miscarriage). But, let us repeat once again, all this is not directly related to the ban.
Now let’s return to people who support the second position, who believe that a woman can not only attend church, but also live a full church life. They claim that this has always been the case even in ancient times, with the only difference that in those distant times, unfortunately, they had not yet invented products for feminine hygiene. But their argument is that, unlike their Slavic brothers, the Greeks do not sanctify the church, so, at first glance, there is nothing for a woman to desecrate there. The latter boldly entered the church, prayed, confessed, venerated the icons, and so on. It was this tradition that later came to us. Honestly, the argument is unconvincing, and even if the temple is not consecrated, this does not mean that the grace of the Lord is absent in it.
And yet, in the past, Russian girls honored the rule that they never visited the temple during their periods. However, among them there were those who ignored the order and went to church at any time they pleased. But no one separated them from this anyway. Saint Gregory Dvoeslov, who lived in the sixth century, wrote that women should not be prohibited from visiting temples during menstruation, because it is not their fault that nature has endowed them with such a feature. Based on this, we can conclude that the natural cleansing of the body of a living person, whom the Lord created, is not something dirty.
Conclusion: is it still “for” or “against”
There are no strict prohibitions, so women can attend church on menstrual days. Physiological processes should not in any way affect spiritual values. Pregnant women can also visit the temple and take part in the sacraments.
Each person has his own ideas, so if some people think that you should not visit a holy place on these days, then there is no need, but you cannot impose your opinion on others.
Therefore, it is up to each person to decide whether to go to church or not, why it is impossible or possible.
The main thing is that he goes to the temple with spiritual purity and pure thoughts. DID YOU LIKE THE ARTICLE? SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!
Opinions on this topic
It is difficult to categorically state an exact rule on this topic; there is no strict regulation here, there is no law in the state, and priests have diverse opinions. On religious forums you can find all kinds of information that will help you form your own idea about this problem and decide whether it is worth going to church on such days. Basically, the primary source for this rule is the covenant.
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.
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 currently prohibit such rites as Baptism and Wedding. 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 believe that menstruation is a natural biological process that should not interfere with a girl if she wants to attend church.
If in the times of the Old Testament it was strictly forbidden to come to church, perform rituals, pray, and also 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.
APPLICATION
Can a woman come to church for prayer, kiss icons and receive communion when she is “unclean” (during her period)?
(Patriarch of Serbia Pavel (Stojcevic)) “Even in the 3rd century, a similar question was asked of Saint Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria (†265), and he replied that he did not think that women were in such a state, “even if they are faithful and pious, dared either to begin the Holy meal, or to touch the body and blood of Christ,” for when accepting the Holy One, one must be pure in soul and body.
At the same time, he gives the example of the bleeding woman who did not dare to touch the body of Christ, but only the hem of His garment (Matthew 9:20-22). In further explanation, Saint Dionysius says that praying, in whatever condition, is always permitted. A hundred years later, to the question: can a woman who has “happened to the usual wives” receive communion, Timothy, also Bishop of Alexandria (†385), answers and says that he cannot until this period passes and she is cleansed .
All these three answers show essentially the same thing, i.e. that women in this condition cannot receive communion. The words of Saint Dionysius that they then cannot “start the Holy Meal” actually mean to take communion, because they started the Holy Meal only for this purpose...”
Related links:On the abolition of Confession before Communion of the Holy Mysteries
Is it possible to go to a monastery while on your period?
Many girls are concerned not only about the possibility of praying at home and visiting the House of God during regular periods. Women attending religious forums are keenly interested in the question of whether it is possible to come to the monastery during menstruation. Sister Vassa answers this question in detail and vividly in her materials.
Restrictions may be imposed on attendance at services, the keel way of life, or restrictions on obedience. The nuns continue to carry out their obedience in accordance with the rules of the particular monastery. You can find out about the restrictions imposed on a novice or sister during menstruation from the Mother Superior of the monastery where the fair sex arrived.
Many of the women visit the monastery in order to touch the remains of the Saint, buried on the territory of a particular monastery. Connected with this desire is the desire to receive an answer from the priest to the question of whether it is possible to venerate relics during menstruation. There is no clear answer to this question. It is unlikely that there will be those for whom this action is of an idle nature.
Before the trip, regardless of whether it coincides with the regulations or not, it is necessary to ask for the blessing of the Priest of the parish in which the woman leads church life. In this conversation, it is advisable for the girl to state her motives and warn her about the possibility of menstruation. Having weighed all the pros and cons, the priest will be able to give a definite answer.
Unclean women or lack of education?
In Christianity, the inability to attend church on menstruation is quite serious. The priests are convinced that the girls were given this test as a reminder of the sin of the first people, so at this time she should not go to the holy monastery. Many priests interpret the ban as a reminder to people of their mortality and sinfulness.
Such beliefs were instilled in the church from the Old Testament, but in the New Testament the attitude towards menstruation has changed. Here comes the conviction that everything given by nature is natural and not ugly, there is no sin in menstruation, and a woman is not unclean. After this, the priests began to make adjustments to the ban on visiting church:
- You cannot come during the first 3 days of your period;
- Church attendance is not possible for 40 days after giving birth.
This is the priest’s answer to whether it’s possible to go to church while on your period.
