Is it possible to attend church during menstruation? “Women’s uncleanliness”: should I go to church or not?

Many religious women wonder: “Is it possible to go to church during menstruation?” This article will help answer this question from the point of view different religions And modern views churches to this question.

Now let's look at this in more detail.

Menstruation – common occurrence in the life of every woman, which is determined by the physiological processes occurring in her body. However, as history shows, menstruation has long been treated differently than any other physiological process. Present in many cultures and religions special treatment to menstruation, especially the first. This explains the presence of various kinds of prohibitions at this time. As for Christianity, for a believer going to church is a regular occurrence. Women who profess Christianity often face the problem of being able to attend church on the days of menstrual bleeding.

This happens primarily because public opinions on this matter vary greatly. Some people believe that a woman is “unclean” during this period and do not recommend visiting the temple. Others are inclined to think that no natural manifestation of the body can separate a person from God. In this case, it is logical to turn to the formed system of canons concerning the behavior of Christians. But she also does not give clear recommendations.

In the earliest times of Christianity, believers made their own decisions. Some people followed the traditions of their ancestors, specifically their family. Much also depended on the opinion of the priest of the church to which people went. There were also those who, out of theological convictions and for other reasons, adhered to the point of view that during menstruation it is better not to take communion or touch holy objects, so as not to stain them. A very strict ban was observed in the medieval period.

There were also categories of women who took communion, regardless of the presence of menstrual bleeding. However, precise data regarding the attitude of Orthodox church ministers to the behavior of menstruating women in church has not been recorded. Christians in ancient times, on the contrary, gathered every week and, even under the threat of death, served the liturgy in their homes and received communion. There is no mention of women's participation during their period.

Is it possible to go to church while on your period according to the Old and New Testaments?

In the Old Testament, menstrual bleeding in women is considered a sign of “uncleanness.” With this holy scripture all the prejudices and prohibitions imposed on women during menstruation are connected. In Orthodoxy, the introduction of these prohibitions was not observed. But their abolition was also not carried out. This gives rise to differences of opinion.

The influence of pagan culture cannot be denied, but the idea of ​​external impurity for a person was revised and began to symbolize the truths of theology in Orthodoxy. Thus, in the Old Testament, uncleanness was tied to the theme of death, which, after the fall of Adam and Eve, took possession of humanity. Concepts such as death, illness and bleeding speak of deep damage to human nature.

For mortality and impurity, man was deprived of divine society and the opportunity to be close to God, that is, people were expelled to earth. This is exactly the attitude towards the period of menstruation that is observed in the Old Testament.

Most people consider that which comes out of the body through certain human organs to be unclean. They perceive it as something superfluous and completely unnecessary. These things include discharge from the nose, ears, phlegm when coughing, and much more.

Menstruation in women is the cleansing of the uterus from tissues that have already died. Such purification occurs in the understanding of Christianity as expectation and hope for further conception and, of course, the emergence of a new life.

The Old Testament says that the soul of every person is in his blood. Blood during menstruation was considered doubly scary, since it contains dead body tissue. It was claimed that a woman was purified by being freed from this blood.

Many people believe (referring to the Old Testament) that it is impossible to go to church during such a period. People associate this with the fact that the woman is responsible for the failed pregnancy, blaming her for this. And the presence of oozing dead tissue defiles the church.

In the New Testament, views are revised. Physical phenomena that have sacred and special meaning in the Old Testament are no longer valuable. The emphasis shifts to the spiritual component of life.

The New Testament records that Jesus healed a woman who was having her period. It was as if she had touched the savior, but this was not a sin at all.

The Savior, not thinking that he might be condemned, touched a menstruating woman and healed her. Thus, he praised her for her strong faith and devotion. Previously, such behavior would certainly have been condemned, and in Judaism it was considered equated with disrespect for a saint. It was this entry that caused a change in interpretations about the possibility of visiting church and other holy places during menstruation.

According to the Old Testament, not only the woman herself is not clean during her period, but also any person who touches her (Leviticus 15:24). According to Leviticus 12, similar restrictions applied to the woman who gave birth.

In ancient times, it was not only Jews who gave such instructions. Pagan cults also prohibited menstruating women from performing various temple duties. Moreover, communication with them during this period was considered desecration of oneself.

In the New Testament, the Virgin Mary adhered to the requirements of ritual purity. It is said that she lived in the temple from two to twelve years old, and then she was betrothed to Joseph and she was sent to live in his house so that she could not desecrate the “treasury of the Lord” (VIII, 2).

Later, Jesus Christ, while preaching, said that evil intentions come from the heart and this defiles us. His sermons talked about how conscience affects “purity” or “impurity.” The Lord does not rebuke bleeding women.

Likewise, the Apostle Paul did not support the Jewish view of the rules Old Testament on matters of this kind of purity, he preferred to avoid prejudice.

Jesus Christ in the New Testament believes that the most important concept of ritual purity is transferred to the spiritual level, and not the material. Compared to purity of spirituality, all bodily manifestations are considered insignificant and not so important. Accordingly, menstruation is no longer considered a sign of impurity.

Currently, there is no fundamental ban on women attending church during their period.

In the chapters of the Testament, the disciples often repeated statements that faith is desecrated by evil coming from human heart, and not bodily discharge at all. In the New Testament Special attention They focus on the internal, spiritual state of a person, and not on physical processes independent of the will of a person.

Is there a ban on visiting a holy place today?

The Catholic Church expresses the opinion that a natural process in the body cannot in any way be an obstacle to visiting a temple or performing rituals. The Orthodox Church cannot come to unanimous opinion. Opinions vary and sometimes even contradictory.

The modern Bible does not tell us about the strictest ban on going to church. This sacred book confirms that the process of menstruation is a completely natural phenomenon of earthly existence. It should not become an obstacle to a full-fledged church life and should not interfere with belief and the performance of necessary rituals.

Currently, there is no fundamental ban on women attending church during their period. The shedding of human blood is prohibited in churches. If, for example, a person in the temple cuts his finger and the wound bleeds, then you should go out until the bleeding stops. Otherwise, it is considered that the temple has been desecrated and will need to be consecrated again. It follows from this that during menstruation, if you use reliable hygiene products (tampons and pads), you can visit the temple, since bloodshed will not occur.

But the opinions of church ministers on the issue of what is allowed and what is not allowed to be done in church during menstruation are different and even contradictory.

Some say that such women should not do anything in a holy place. You can come in, pray, and then leave. Some clergy who hold radical views on this issue consider church attendance by a woman on her period to be inappropriate behavior. During the Middle Ages, there was a strict ban on women visiting the temple on such days.

Others argue that menstruation should not influence behavior in any way and that it is necessary to fully “live the church life”: pray, light candles, and not refuse confession and communion.

Both sides have evidence for their opinions, although they are controversial. Those who support the first judgment mainly rely on the Old Testament, saying that previously bleeding women were located at a distance from people and the temple. But they don't explain why this happened. After all, women were then afraid to desecrate with blood Holy place, due to lack of necessary hygiene products.

The latter insist that in ancient times women attended churches. For example, the Greeks (this is how they differ from the Slavs) did not consecrate churches, which means there is nothing to desecrate in them. In such churches, women (not paying attention to monthly bleeding) venerated the icons and led a normal church life.

It was often mentioned that it is not the woman’s fault that she has to periodically endure such a physiological state. And yet, in the past, the girls of Rus' tried to avoid appearing in churches during such special periods.

Some saints spoke out that nature has endowed the female sex with such unique feature purification of a living organism, They insisted that the phenomenon was created by God, which means it cannot be dirty and unclean.

It is wrong to prohibit a woman from visiting a temple during her menstrual period, based on the opinion of strict Orthodoxy. Careful and in-depth study of the church and modern solution Theological conferences found a common opinion that the taboo on visiting holy places during a woman’s period is already morally outdated views.

Nowadays, there is even condemnation of people who are categorical and rely on old foundations. They are often equated with followers of myths and superstitions.

Is it possible or not to go to church on critical days: what to do in the end

Women can enter the church any day. Considering the opinion of the majority of church ministers, women can attend church on critical days. However, during this period it would be preferable to refuse to perform such sacred rites as weddings and baptisms. If possible, it is better not to touch icons, crosses and other shrines. Such a ban is not strict and should not hurt women’s pride.

The Church calls on women to refuse Communion on such days, with the exception of long-term and serious illnesses.

Now you can often hear from priests that there is no need to pay special attention to the natural processes of the body, because only sin defiles a person.

The physiological process of menstruation, bestowed by God and nature, should not interfere with faith and excommunicate a woman from the church, even temporarily. It is not right to expel a woman from the temple just because she is going through a monthly physiological process from which she herself suffers regardless of her will.

About visiting a mosque during menstruation by Muslims

Most Islamic scholars are convinced that women should not go to the mosque during their periods. But this doesn't apply to everyone. Some representatives believed that no such ban should exist. It should be noted that even negative attitude visiting the mosque by women during menstruation does not apply in any way to extreme cases when the need is great and undeniable. Outside of discussion is the situation when a woman desecrates a mosque with her discharge in the literal, physical sense. Such behavior is indeed subject to the strictest prohibition. However, women are allowed to attend Eid prayers.

Attitude of other religions

In Buddhism, there is no prohibition on women visiting the datsan during menstruation. In Hinduism, on the contrary, going to temple on critical days is extremely unacceptable.

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.

As it was 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 there will be no shedding of human blood. 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 should have been 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 occur. 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 to 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. If we take into account the opinion of a larger number of clergy, 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 shrines. 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?

There are certain rules of conduct for visiting church. Some of them are known to many. For example, most people know what women should wear when visiting the Temple - a skirt below the knees, a closed jacket with sleeves and a necessarily covered head. Men, on the contrary, need to remove their hats when entering the church, and clothing should also cover the body as much as possible - shorts and T-shirts are not allowed. However, there are many nuances that arise before visiting holy places. One of them is the question of whether it is possible to go to church with menstruation. Let's figure it out. After all, there are many conflicting answers to it.

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

According to the Bible, a woman on her period is considered “unclean.” This is why in ancient times, a menstruating girl was prohibited from visiting the Temple. Is it possible to go to church while on your period? modern world? According to the priests, women are allowed to enter the Temple on such days. However, during her menstruation, she cannot participate in the Sacraments and venerate holy objects (the cross, icons, anointing with oil and taking prosphora). It is believed that this state is not considered sinful, but there is some impurity present, which was written about earlier.

Where are the origins?

Why weren’t girls allowed to visit the Temple in ancient times? Why did the question arise: “Is it possible to go to church while on your period” in those days? Of course, first of all, the answer in the Bible, which was already mentioned above, is still the same “uncleanness”. IN ancient church any discharge from the human body was considered unclean. This is saliva, blood, phlegm and other secretions from human organs. For example, even a priest with an open cut on his hand could not participate in the rituals. And in cases where “uncleanliness” fell on the church floor, it was considered desecration. This explains why women were prohibited from entering temples during their periods. However, in the modern world, many hygiene products have appeared that prevent secretions from getting on the floor. In addition, the Monk Nicodemus the Holy Mountain explains that God called the cleansing of women during menstruation “unclean” for the purpose of preventing men from touching them for copulation. The reason for this is concern for the offspring.

Controversial issue

And yet, until now, the answer to the question: “Is it possible to go to church while on your period?” is quite ambiguous. And if in Catholic churches have long ago decided that menstruation has nothing to do with the church, then in Orthodoxy this question remains open. Some priests consider it unacceptable for a woman to visit the Temple on such days. However, most clergy are of the opinion that a woman during her period can go into church, but only for prayer, but she should not take part in rituals or venerate shrines. Therefore, if you are wondering whether it is possible to go to church while on your period, you can be sure: a woman has the opportunity to come to the Temple at any time in her life. Only in

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Impurities included:

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

The Jews were not a single people before leaving Egypt. Besides worship To the One God, they borrowed a lot from pagan cultures.

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

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

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

The attitude of the Orthodox Church to:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Russian Church of the early period

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contemporary clashes in the Russian Church

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

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

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

Marriage, procreation and impurity somehow difficult to tie together.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 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, we are talking about in this case This applies not only to women on days of uncleanness, but also to those, for example, who suddenly have a nosebleed.

As seen, we're talking about both about human blood in the temple in general, and about 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 in 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 on menstruation 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

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.