Why women shouldn't go to church during their periods. Is it possible to go to church during menstruation? Visiting church on menstruation days for women

In most cases, the time to visit church is a voluntary choice of every Orthodox believer, regardless of his well-being and state of health. People attend church without thinking that there may be any prohibitions for this. Going to temple is often a spiritual need.

However, there is a common belief that there are a number of restrictions on going to a holy place. This is especially true for women. It is a common belief that women should not attend Orthodox churches when they are menstruating. Why you can’t go to church during your period, what this circumstance is connected with, why this restriction should be taken into account, whether you can go to church or not - questions that concern many religious women. Let's try to figure it out together!

The ban on women visiting church during their periods first appeared in the Old Testament, when there were several restrictions on visiting a holy place:

leprosy;
ejaculation;
touching a corpse;
purulent discharge;
female bleeding (menstruation, uterine bleeding);
time after childbirth (40 days for women who gave birth to a boy; 80 days for women who gave birth to a girl).

Why were such prohibitions imposed on visiting the temple? Basically, these restrictions were due to physical “uncleanness”. Such physiological processes were indirectly considered a sin. In essence, they are sinless, since they testify only to the physical condition of the believer.

However, the time when such prohibitions took place passed with the establishment of the canons of the New Testament, in which, however, there were still 2 restrictions on visiting church:

women within 40 days after childbirth (regardless of the gender of the child born);
women during menstruation.

Thus, the ban on going to church during menstruation is not entirely far-fetched and unfounded. This is due not only to a kind of physical “uncleanness,” but also to the fact that any shedding of blood is prohibited in the church. If such a situation occurs, the church will need to be sanctified.

Is there a ban on visiting a holy place today?

The question of why one cannot go to church on critical days worries those believers who believe that spiritual purity is much more important than physical purity. Moreover, in modern times There are a variety of hygiene products for women.

Nowadays, the restriction on visiting the temple during menstruation practically does not apply. Women can go to church even while they are on their period. However, on critical days the following sacraments cannot be performed:

baptism;
confession.

Why can’t you participate in these particular procedures? The first is related exclusively to hygienic requirements. The second is with moral ideas about purity. This applies to both physical purity and spiritual purity. During confession, a person is cleansed. Therefore, his body must also be clean.

It is worth noting that many clergy do not share the views on any prohibitions on visiting the temple. They are perplexed why an Orthodox Christian cannot go to God’s house for any reason (especially for physiological reasons). Moreover, opponents of restrictions believe that such bans on going to church date back to pagan times, when women with menstruation were not allowed to participate in certain rituals. Due to the fact that paganism is in no way involved in the Orthodox religion and cannot dictate any restrictions or prohibitions to it, many priests are convinced that women can go to church on critical days, pray, and light candles.

Based on this, we can clearly conclude that strict prohibitions regarding physiological characteristics and the physical condition of a person does not exist for visiting the temple. Both men and women can go to the holy place at any time. The main requirement is to have good thoughts and spiritual purity.

However, the majority modern women endures a certain period after childbirth when they do not attend church. Why? The reason for this probably does not lie in any prohibitions, but rather in the weakened physical condition of the woman in the postpartum period and the need for her presence next to the newborn baby. But after 40 days from the moment of giving birth, a woman can go to church even with her baby. In addition, on the 40th day after birth, it is customary to baptize a child.

Is it possible or not to go to church on critical days: let’s summarize

Based on the fact that Orthodox officials do not impose strict prohibitions on visiting church, women can go to church during their periods. Attending church should not depend on the course of physiological processes in a woman. Even pregnant women are allowed to visit holy places and participate in some services.

Those believers who are of the opinion that it is impossible to go to church while menstruating should not change their ideas. If this is their belief, it has a right to exist, and will not be condemned by the church or other believers.

Thus, the question of why one should not go to the temple during menstruation disappears by itself. Church attendance should be based only on the good will and common sense of the believers.

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.

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 the 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 a holy place, it is 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.

Usually people go to church when they need support for their faith in God, want to pray for their own health and the health of loved ones, to perform the ritual of baptism, wedding, ask for advice and simply be closer to the Almighty. The Orthodox religion, unlike Islam, does not impose strict restrictions on women visiting the Temple of the Lord, but still recommends refraining from visiting church during menstruation. Therefore, Christians should plan Orthodox rituals taking into account the days of a woman’s cycle.

Is it possible and why not to go to church during menstruation? - the answers to these questions lie in the origins and traditions of the Orthodox faith and are associated with the physical “uncleanness” of a woman during this period.

Why shouldn't a woman go to church when she's on her period?

The Old Testament prohibits visiting church in the following cases: leprosy, purulent discharge, ejaculation, time of cleansing for women in labor (40 days for a woman giving birth to a boy and 80 days for a girl, Lev. 12), female bleeding (menstrual and pathological), touching a decaying body ( corpse). This is due to the fact that these manifestations are indirectly associated with sin, although they are not sinful in themselves.

But, since the moral purity of believers is important for religion, the lists of prohibitions when compiling the New Testament were revised and only 2 restrictions were left for visiting the temple:

for women after childbirth (up to 40 days, during postpartum discharge);
for women during menstruation.

Firstly, the reason is purely hygienic. After all, the very phenomenon of such discharge is associated with the leakage of blood from the genital tract. This has always been the case, even in times of lack of reliable hygiene products against leaks. And the temple, in turn, cannot be a place of bloodshed. If you adhere to this explanation, then today, by using tampons or pads, you can prevent the occurrence of such an incident and attend church.

Secondly, the reason for the “uncleanness” is explained by the fact that these discharges from a woman are associated with the rejection of the endometrium due to childbirth (which indirectly implies the commission of the original sin of the baby born), or purification due to the death of the egg and its release along with the blood.

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

Depending on what opinion the rector of a particular church has about the reason for the ban, a decision is made on the question “is it possible to go to church during menstruation?” There are those clergy who do not see anything wrong with a woman visiting church during her period, and there are those who are categorically against such a phenomenon.

In fact, by appearing during the period of postpartum or menstrual discharge, a woman will not commit any sin. After all, what is important for God is, first of all, the inner purity of a person, his thoughts and actions. Rather, it will look like disrespect for observing the rules of the temple and its life. Therefore, this restriction should be waived only in cases of extreme necessity, so that such actions do not become a reason for a woman to feel guilty in the future.

Today, almost all clergy agree in resolving this issue that it is possible to go into church and pray to a woman with bleeding, but you should refrain from participating in religious rituals (confession, communion, confirmation, baptism, etc.) and touching to the shrines.

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 fall inappropriately. 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 the 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 an 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 skip a Sunday or a holiday for such a long time.” 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 the 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

There is a Gospel story that 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.

Question: “Why can’t you go to church while you’re on your period?” controversial and ambiguous. The Orthodox Church, unlike the Catholic Church, still does not have a logical answer to it. Theologians cannot come to a common opinion, and perhaps they do not even try to do so. For example, Catholics have long dotted all the i's: in their opinion, nothing can prohibit a woman from visiting church when she needs it.

But in our case, this topic will remain controversial for a long time.

Why can’t you go to church in Russia while you’re on your period? On the one hand, the reason is quite clear, but on the other hand, it is unconvincing, since it raises more questions than answers. The point here is not at all about some bans on women visiting churches and temples. Everything is much simpler than you think! The temple is not a place where blood is shed. It's difficult to explain, but we'll try. The fact is that only bloodless sacrifices are performed in the church, since the blood of Christ in the temple symbolizes red wine. And this is no coincidence. The Church does not accept real human blood within its walls, because its shedding here desecrates the shrine! In this case, the priest is forced to consecrate the temple in a new way.

It would seem that the explanation of why you can’t go to church while on your period sounds reasonable, since everyone knows that a person who cuts himself in a church with one object or another must definitely leave it and stop the bleeding outside it. But this explanation may not be convincing. Think for yourself, starting a family and having a child are natural processes that are not only approved by the church, but also blessed. This means that the natural cleansing of the female body, which occurs monthly, is not vile in the eyes of God!

So is it still possible or not?

Dear readers! It was a huge discovery for me to find out the reason why today you can visit temples during critical days! People who claim this directly point to miraculous tampons and pads that prevent direct bleeding. From this they conclude that there are no obstacles to such women visiting temples.

The Orthodox Church itself does not comment on this situation. I listened to this opinion only because of the controversy regarding visiting the temple during happy holiday Easter. After all, holidays, as they say, are not chosen, and on the night of Easter many Orthodox women want to be present in church for the service. What if they are on their period? So, are they now barred from going to church? This is wrong! This is where feminine hygiene products come to the rescue. In my opinion, everything here is quite logical. In any case, no matter how many versions there are of why you can’t go to church while on your period, or, on the contrary, why you can, all of them must be respected. And we can absolutely say that women are allowed to enter the temple whenever they please. Unless during your period you should play it safe with tampons or pads!

In general, the Slavic traditions of Orthodoxy contain many similar controversial situations and issues. I just want to say: “We invented it ourselves, and we suffer ourselves.” If you still cannot decide for yourself the issue of participating in the life of the church during menstruation, then consult with the priest. I think the holy fathers of the church will be able to help you. The main thing is not to be shy, because there is nothing shameful in this.