Is it possible to come to church while on your period? Is it possible for women to attend church while menstruating? The origins of the ban

For support of your faith, ask your loved ones for help from the Almighty or thank him, perform the sacrament of baptism or wedding. There are no strict restrictions on visiting church. But women often have a question: is it possible to go to church during menstruation? To get the answer, you need to turn to the Old and New Testaments.

Is it possible to go to church during your period?

The Old Testament contains definitions of the purity and uncleanness of the body. You cannot go to church if you have certain illnesses or discharge from the genitals. Therefore, it is better for women to avoid going to church during menstruation. But if you remember the New Testament, then one of the women touched the Savior’s clothes, and this was not considered a sin.

The answer to the question can be the words of Grigory Dvoeslov, who wrote that a woman during menstruation can attend church. She was created by God, and all the processes occurring in her body are natural, it does not depend in any way on her soul and will. Menstruation is a cleansing of the body; it cannot be compared with something unclean.

Priest Nikodim Svyatogorets also believed that a woman should not be prohibited from attending church on critical days; during this period it is possible. And the Monk Nicodemus the Holy Mountain said that women during menstruation are unclean, so during this period copulation with a man is prohibited and procreation is impossible.

Modern clergy answer this question differently. Some are against visiting church during menstruation, others do not see anything sinful in this, and still others allow visiting church on menstrual periods, but prohibit participating in religious rituals and touching shrines.

Why is a woman considered unclean during her period?

During menstruation, a woman is considered unclean for two reasons: firstly, it has to do with hygiene and blood leakage. When there were no reliable means of protection, blood could leak onto the floor of the church, and the Temple of God is not a place for bloodshed. Secondly, impurity is associated with the death of the egg and its release during bleeding.

Now many clergy limit the participation of women with discharge in church life. The abbots do not forbid them to attend church; they can go in and pray, but not take part in religious rituals (confirmation, confession, baptism, wedding, etc.) and not touch shrines. And this is not due to the fact that the woman is unclean, but to the fact that if there is any bleeding, you cannot touch the shrines. For example, this restriction applies even to someone who has injured his hand.

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 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.

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

You cannot go into church, much less receive communion.

Is it really?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bishop of Alexandria Dionysius (III century): one can accept the Shrine only with a pure soul and body;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Priests do not have a definite answer to the question of whether it is possible to go to church with menstruation. Some argue that you can attend church services without participating in the holy sacraments, others say that it is better to avoid visiting during critical days.

Why can’t you go to church while you’re on your period, where did this ban come from, and what is the right thing to do. To understand the question of whether it is possible to attend church while menstruating, we need to familiarize ourselves with the point of view of the Holy Fathers and Holy Scripture. These are two important authorities for an Orthodox Christian.

In the Old Testament you can find precise reasons why parishioners should refrain from attending church.

Do not go to church if:

A person suffers from a serious illness.
The woman or man is not pure.
The person had touched the dead the day before.

Diseases for which it is not allowed to enter the church include infections, inflammation in the active phase, discharge from the urethra in men, and uterine bleeding in women.

Previously, such ailments included ulcers, leprosy, scabies, as well as all physical disorders associated with bleeding.

The ban on church attendance for young mothers who have given birth to a child remains in place to this day. Previously, when a boy was born, women did not enter the temple for 40 days after birth, and girls for 80 days. This period was required for purification.

The priest’s answer to why you can’t go to church while you’re on your period is usually based on the fact that you can’t shed blood in the shrine. Only one sacred blood can be present in the temple - the holy gifts, the Body and Blood of Christ.

If a person accidentally gets hurt, then he needs to go out and stop the bleeding outside the temple. If blood gets on the floor, icons or books, the Holy Monastery is considered desecrated, so it needs to be re-consecrated and certain prayers read.

The reason why people don’t go to church and monastery with menstruation is due to the opinion that this process was given to all women for the sinful fall of Eve, our ancestor, and, of course, there should be nothing sinful inside the temple.

According to other versions, during menstruation a dead egg is released, and this, to some extent, is considered death. The presence of deadly objects in the church is also not allowed.

Not only is it forbidden to go to church during menstruation, it is forbidden to do so for those people who had physical contact with the deceased, for example, preparing him for burial, washing him.

Interesting! The book of Leviticus of the Old Testament tells that during the period of bleeding, that is, during menstruation, not only wives are considered unclean, but also every person who dares to touch them.

Since ancient times, women were forbidden to go to church while bleeding, communicate with other people, or touch them.

New Testament

The coming of Jesus radically changed the opinion about whether it is possible to go to church with menstruation. In the Holy Scriptures there is evidence of a woman touching the Savior who had been bleeding for 12 years, which was considered unacceptable by the Jews.

After touching the clothing of Jesus Christ, as is known, it was healed, and the Lord felt healing power emanate from him.

Having learned that an “unclean” woman had touched him, He did not reproach her for what she had done, but, on the contrary, encouraged her and called on her to strengthen her faith.

Need to know! In his sermons, Jesus made it clear that people with sinful thoughts coming from the heart and evil intentions are considered defiled, and he did not consider bodily uncleanliness a sin.

The Holy Fathers, when asked whether it is possible to go to church with menstruation, gave a completely different answer. They considered the processes occurring during menstruation to be natural, given to women by the Almighty. This is a very important period for the female body, associated with the opportunity to prolong the human race.

Georgy Dvoeslov also argued that spiritual purity plays a paramount role, so he did not consider it a sin to go to church while menstruating. The first Christian women, according to traditions and canons, independently made the decision to visit the temple.

Some of them, finding it difficult to answer whether it was possible to enter the church while menstruating, listened to the service in the vestibule, while others entered, but did not touch anything holy. There were Christian women who believed that, apart from sin, nothing could separate them from God. They were supported by many theologians, for example Gregory the Great, who called not to condemn wives and virgins who go to church during menstruation, confess, and receive communion.

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This teaching lasted until the seventeenth century. After this, the question of whether women can attend church during menstruation again remained open.

Modern look

Nowadays, Christian believers are increasingly wondering whether it is possible to go to church, and also
Is it possible to confess and receive communion? The opinion of clergy may differ, so it is better to ask your spiritual mentor about this.

The priest's answer will help to finally resolve this dilemma. Some clergy allow you to come to a service, pray quietly and leave without touching anything.

Undoubtedly, when considering whether it is possible to go to church during critical days, confess and receive communion, it is better to be guided by your own spiritual aspirations and the opinion of the clergyman.

We must not forget that every person will still answer before God for all his sins. At the same time, there are situations when a person simply needs God’s help, then all conventions fade into the background. This applies to women suffering from uterine bleeding who wish to turn to God with a request for healing.

Unfortunately, sometimes medicine is powerless, doctors are unable to stop the flow, and treatment remains ineffective. At this moment, patients decide to turn to the Almighty in prayer.

If a woman feels that she will soon give her soul to God, is she allowed to go to church while on her period? Of course yes! Every Orthodox Christian has the right to receive communion and confess before leaving.

If a woman is healthy and feels great, then during her menstrual period it is not advisable for her to do the following:

baptism,
communion,
wedding.

The sacrament of these rituals lies in getting rid of sinful and unclean things. A person is born according to church rules, so it is better to approach these sacraments spiritually and physically cleansed. Of course, modern hygiene products can completely solve this problem and many women do not even doubt whether to go to the temple or not.

However, clergy advise, if possible, it is better to postpone this ritual until the woman becomes pure in both soul and body.

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Conclusion

We can talk about women’s “uncleanness” for a very long time, but we must not forget that Jesus Christ cleansed men and women with his blood. The Lord has given us eternal, spiritual life, independent of the flesh.

A strict ban on women visiting the temple during menstruation has been passed down from generation to generation. Some people believe in this and strictly enforce the rule. Others are indignant and outraged by the ban, thinking why it’s not possible. Still others, not paying attention to critical days, come to church at the behest of their souls. So is it permissible to go to church during your period? Who, when and why forbade women to visit her on these special days for the female body?

The creation of man and woman

You can get acquainted with the moments of the creation of the Universe by the Lord in the Bible in the Old Testament. God created the first people on the sixth day in his own image and likeness and called the man Adam and the woman Eve. It follows from this that initially the woman was pure and did not have menstruation. Conceiving a child and giving birth should not have been painful. In their world, filled with perfection, there was nothing unclean. The body, thoughts, actions and soul were pure. But the perfection was short-lived.

The devil incarnated himself in the form of a serpent and began to tempt Eve so that she would eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He promised her power and knowledge. The woman tasted the fruit herself and treated her husband to it. This is how the fall of mankind occurred. Adam and Eve were expelled from Paradise. God doomed the woman to suffer. He said that from now on she would conceive and give birth in pain. It is from this moment that a woman is considered unclean.

Prohibitions of the Old Testament

Rules and laws were important to the people of that time period. All of them were spelled out in the Old Testament. Temples were created for communication with God and for making sacrifices to him. A woman was not a full member of society, but was a man's complement. Everyone remembered Eve’s sin, after which she began to menstruate. Menstruation was a reminder of what the woman had done.

The Old Testament clearly answered the question of who was allowed and who was forbidden to visit the Holy Temple and why. Didn't visit:

with leprosy;
with ejaculation;
those who touched the corpses;
with purulent discharge;
women during menstruation;
women who gave birth to a boy - 40 days, women who gave birth to a girl - 80 days.

In Old Testament times, everything was looked at from a physical point of view. A dirty body was considered a sign of an unclean person. During critical days, women were forbidden to visit the Temple., as well as places with a lot of people. She was far from the gatherings of the people. Blood could not be shed in holy places. This lasted until the coming of Jesus Christ and the bringing of the New Testament.

Uncleanness Abolished by the New Testament

Jesus Christ focused on the spiritual and tried to reach the human soul. He came to atone for all human sins, including Eve's sin. If a person did not have faith, all his deeds were considered unspiritual. A person's dark thoughts turned him into an unclean person, even with the purity of his body. The Holy Temple did not become a specific place on Earth, but was transferred to human souls. Christ said that the soul is the Temple of God and His Church. Men and women have become equal in rights.

One day a situation occurred that outraged all the clergy. While Christ was in the Temple, one woman, who had suffered from bleeding for many years, walked through the crowd to him and touched his clothes. Christ, sensing her, turned around and said that her faith saved her. Since that time, a split has occurred in the consciousness of mankind. Some remained faithful to physical purity and the Old Testament. They were of the opinion that a woman should never go to church during her period. And those who obeyed the teachings of Jesus Christ and followed faith in the New Testament and spiritual purity stopped adhering to this rule. After his death the New Testament came into force. The shed blood became a sign of the beginning of a new life.

Answers of priests to the question about the ban

So is it possible to go to church during your period?

Catholic priests have long decided for themselves the issue of women attending church on menstrual days. They consider periods to be a natural occurrence and see nothing wrong with them. Blood has long stopped spilling on the floors of the church, thanks to modern hygiene products.

But Orthodox priests cannot come to a common opinion. Some say that a woman should not go to church while on her period. Others say that you can come if your soul requires it. Still others allow women to come to church during menstruation, but prohibit some sacred sacraments:

wedding;
confession.

Bans are mostly related to physical aspects. For hygienic reasons, you should not go into water during menstruation. It's not very pleasant to look at blood mixing with water. The wedding takes a long time and a woman’s weakened body during menstruation may not be able to withstand it. Fainting often occurs, the woman experiences weakness and dizziness. During confession, the psycho-emotional state of a woman is affected. And during her period she is in a slightly inadequate state. Therefore, if a woman decides to confess, she may say something that she will regret for a long time. This is why you cannot confess during your period.

Is it possible to go to church during menstruation or not?

Modernity has mixed the sinful with the righteous. Nobody knows the origins of this ban. Priests ceased to be the spiritual ministers that they were considered to be during the times of the Old and New Testaments. Everyone perceives information in the way that is most convenient for them. The church is a building, the same as it was under the Old Testament. It follows that everyone must adhere to the rules established in those times. You can't go to church while you're on your period.

But the modern democratic world has made its own amendment. If we consider that shedding blood in the temple was considered sinful, then in the present period of time this problem has been completely solved. Hygiene products such as tampons and pads absorb blood well and prevent it from leaking onto the floor of the sacred place. A woman is not unclean. But there is a downside here too. During menstruation, the female body cleanses itself. This means that the woman is still unclean, and she cannot attend church during her period.

But the New Testament and its purity of soul come to her aid. This means that if the soul feels the need to touch the shrine, to feel Divine support, then you can come to the temple. Even necessary! After all Jesus helps those who sincerely believe in him. And cleanliness of the body does not play a big role in this. Those who adhere to the rules of the New Testament are not prohibited from going to church during menstruation.

But there are amendments here too. Since the Church and the Holy Temple are in a person’s soul, then it is not at all necessary for him to come to a certain room for help. A woman can pray to God anywhere. And if the prayer comes from a pure heart, then it will be heard much faster than when visiting a temple.

Bottom line

No one can say for sure whether it is possible to go to church during menstruation. Everyone has their own opinion on this matter. A woman must answer this question herself and decide why she wants to go to church.

There is a ban and there is no ban. You need to look at what intentions a woman wants to go to church with.

If the purpose of the visit is to ask for forgiveness, repentance of sins, then you can go at any time, even during menstruation. Purity of soul is the main thing.

During critical days, it is best to reflect on your actions. Sometimes during your period you don’t want to leave the house at all. And during menstruation you can go to temple, but only if your soul requires it!