Is it possible to go to church with menstruation, is it possible to receive communion and confession during menstruation, the priest’s answer

New Testament on Communion During Menstruation

It was decided to give the patriarchal blessing to change the texts of the Small Breviary regarding marriage and its holiness, prayers for women who have given birth and are entering the temple for the first time, and the texts of funeral services.[71]
Theologians should... write a simple and adequate explanation of the churching service and adapt the language of the rite itself so that it reflects the theology of the Church. This will be helpful to men and women who should be given the true explanation of the service: that it exists as an act of offering and blessing of the birth of a child, and that it should be performed as soon as the mother is ready to resume normal activities outside the home...

We ask the Church to assure women that they are always welcome to come and receive Holy Communion at any liturgy when they are spiritually and ritually ready, regardless of the time of the month. [72]

...the idea that women during their menstrual period cannot receive Holy Communion or kiss the cross and icons, or bake bread for the Eucharist, or even enter the vestibule of the church, not to mention the altar area, are ideas and practices that are morally and dogmatically untenable from the point of view of strict Orthodox Christianity... Saint John Chrysostom condemned those who promoted such an attitude as unworthy of the Christian faith. He called them superstitious and followers of myths. [73]

Such statements may cause embarrassment because... they obviously neglect certain canonical rules, most notably the 2nd rule of Dionysius of Alexandria. But such confusion is most often based on the incorrect assumption that church “truth” is somehow bound and at the same time guaranteed by some unchangeable, inviolable, and forever obligatory code of canons.

If this were so - if the true well-being of the church body depended on the fulfillment of the canons, then this body would have crumbled many centuries ago. For a significant number of canons from the Book of Rules (from the official canonical code of the Orthodox Church) have not been observed for centuries. The Church grants its shepherds a significant degree of freedom in relation to canonical legislation, so that ultimately the church hierarchy decides, in accordance with the divine “economy” (economy), how and when to apply the canons - or not to apply. In other words, the Church governs the canons – not the canons governing the Church.

Let us point out just some of the canonical rules that are not followed today. Rules 15 of the Council of Laodicea (c. 363/364) and 14 of the Seventh Ecumenical Council (787) prohibit uninitiated readers and singers from reading or singing in the temple. But in almost every parish, the uninitiated sing and read – men, women, and children.

Rules 22 and 23 of the same Council of Laodicea prohibit readers, singers, and altar servers from wearing the orarion, which is given only to deacons, who wear it on their shoulders, and to subdeacons, who wear it crosswise on both shoulders. Nevertheless, today at the bishop's services of the Russian Orthodox Church one can often notice uninitiated altar servers wearing cruciform orari like subdeacons.

Rule 2 of the Council of Constantinople, which took place in the Church of Hagia Sophia in 879, states that a bishop cannot be a monk. More precisely, this rule declares the incompatibility of monastic vows with the episcopal office. The practice of our Church today clearly contradicts the principle affirmed by this canon.

Rule 69 of the Trullo Council (691/2) prohibits all laypeople - except the emperor - from entering the altar. I note that I have never seen women violate this canonical rule. But men and boys enter the altar quite freely in all the Russian Orthodox churches I have visited.

One can recall the words of the great Gregory Dvoeslov and the Apostle Paul, who argued that everything that the Lord created was beautiful and bright. Woman was created by the Creator God, which means she is beautiful. The menstrual cycle is a natural phenomenon for which the woman is not at all to blame and she should not be banned from attending church.

There is a parable about a bleeding woman who was sick for a long time and no one could help her. Having learned that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was coming, she touched His clothes with faith. The Lord did not push her away, but on the contrary healed her and approved of her action: “Your faith has saved you,” Christ told her.

The Savior himself did not oppose the bleeding woman, and therefore she has the right to visit the temple.

Among the majority of parishioners, there are certain generally accepted rules, according to which women can attend church and pray on days of so-called uncleanness, but touching shrines (the Cross, the Gospel, the relics of saints) and participating in the Sacraments is prohibited.

There are only 7 sacraments:

• Baptism;
• Confirmation;
• Repentance;
• Communion;
• Sacrament of marriage (wedding);
• Blessing of Unction;
• Priesthood (applies only to clergy, women do not participate in it).

Previously, women were prohibited from entering God’s temple at all on days of any uncleanness (menstruation, the first 40 days after childbirth).

This was due to the fact that, due to the nature of the clothing, menstrual blood could drip onto the floor and thereby desecrate the shrine.

Nowadays, thanks to the huge number of hygiene products, such situations are impossible, so women are allowed to go to church.

Nevertheless, even now it is traditionally advised to stand during services not in the temple itself, but in the vestibule; if it’s not there, which is possible, then it’s just not far from the entrance.

Is it possible to receive communion during menstruation? Your personal confessor will tell you. You should listen to him.

The table shows in more detail the permissions and prohibitions regarding critical days.

Note! It is forbidden to enter the temple with any bleeding wound, so as not to desecrate it by shedding blood.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ changes the understanding of human purity and impurity. He talks about the importance of spirituality, the presence of the Holy Spirit, rather than physical condition.

He did not reject the bleeding woman who touched him, but, on the contrary, healed her, praising her for her faith. By this, the Savior made it clear that only what is important is what is in a person’s heart: his thoughts and intentions, and only unrighteous thoughts and actions, but not natural bodily things, can defile him.

The Apostle Paul also says that “every creation of God is good” and there is nothing unclean in man created by the Lord.

However, when he mentioned this, he meant food, so it is difficult to understand whether the apostle only wanted to talk about food or whether he was talking about all the phenomena and things created by God.

Although the concept of ritual impurity (identified in the Old Testament) has been removed, it is difficult to draw an exact conclusion about what women should do on such days. It is known that the early Christians took communion every week, and there is no mention of exceptions for women with certain disabilities.

Despite indirect indications, nowhere in the New Testament does it clearly say whether it is possible to receive communion during menstruation.

The coming of Jesus radically changes the concept of sacrifice for sin and the importance of purity.

Christ clearly says that He is Life (John 14:5-6), the past has all passed away.

The Savior Himself touches the young man’s deathbed, resurrecting the widow’s son. (Luke 7:11-13)

The woman, suffering from bleeding for 12 years, knowing about the prohibition of the Old Testament, herself touched the hem of His garment. At the same time, many people touched her, because there were always many people around Christ.

Jesus immediately felt the healing power come out of him, called the once sick woman, but did not throw stones at her, but told her to act more boldly.

(Matthew 9:20-21)

Important! Nowhere in the New Testament is it written about the uncleanness of bleeding.

The Apostle Paul, sending a letter to the Romans, chapter 14, says that he himself does not have anything unclean. People invent “uncleanliness” for themselves and then believe in it.

First Epistle to Timothy, chapter 4, the apostle writes that everything must be accepted, giving thanks to God, who created everything well.

Menstruation is a process created by God; it cannot be considered unclean, much less separate someone from the protection and grace of God.

In the New Testament, the apostles, speaking about uncleanness, mean eating foods prohibited by the Torah, which is unacceptable for Jews. Pork was considered an unclean food.

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 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:

Is it possible to go to confession during menstruation?

History goes back to the distant past, to the time of Jesus Christ. The entire procedure of communion is described repeatedly in the Bible in the New Testament. On the eve of the great holiday of Easter, the Last Supper of Jesus Christ and his disciples - the 12 apostles - took place. The teacher broke off a piece of bread to everyone and handed it to them with the words: “Eat, this is my body!

“Then he took a sip of wine from a glass, passed it to the students, and they did the same in turn. Jesus said: “Drink, this is my blood!” For this, the royal soldiers came for Christ, and subsequently committed crucifixion. What does this procedure mean, what meaning did Jesus put into these words? Some view it materially, others spiritually. This is the crux of the disagreement.

Communion itself signifies unity with Jesus Christ. Everyone eats his body, drinks his blood, whoever touches him. In material terms, they bake bread, prepare wine, and eat it all in turn. Where is the highest? Where is God? “Bread” and “body” signify the teachings of Jesus Christ. “Eat” means read the Bible, follow Christ.

"Wine" means faith. Without faith in the power of Jesus Christ, the Most High God, eating baked goods and drinks makes no sense. Not a word is mentioned in this place about the ban on the sacrament of communion for women with menstruation. If everything is considered physically, women generally do not have the right to receive communion, since only men were present at the Last Supper.

Reasons for the ban

To decide whether you can attend church during your period, you need to read the Bible and try to find the answer in it. The ban on entering the church during the Old Testament was physical disorders in the human body:

• Infectious diseases;
• Inflammatory processes in the active phase;
• Discharge from the urethra in men;
• Menstruation in women.

In addition, it was forbidden to visit temples for those who had physical contact with the deceased (washing, preparation for burial). Young mothers should attend church 40 days after the birth of a son and 80 days after the birth of a daughter.

The ban for menstruating women is associated with the fact that blood cannot be shed in church. Priests or parishioners who are injured must leave the temple and stop the bleeding outside. Getting blood on the floor, icons or holy books is unacceptable, since after this it must be re-consecrated.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the Orthodox Faith - Preparation for Communion

With the advent of the New Testament, the list of conditions prohibiting church attendance decreased. It still has 40 days left from the birth of the children and menstruation. The latter are considered a sin. The onset of the menstrual cycle, according to some interpretations, indicates a dead egg and spontaneous abortion.

In the New Testament there is evidence of Jesus healing a woman with uterine bleeding. During the ceremony, she touched it with her hand and the bleeding stopped. Some clergy associated this condition of a woman with the possibility of giving birth to a new life, which the Almighty awarded her to women. Others believed that bleeding was a punishment for the sins of the first woman, Eve.

Attitude of the modern church

Is it possible to go to church while on your period?! With this question, young women come to the clergy and ask for advice. Whether to allow it or not is a personal matter for the minister.

Priests allow you to be present in church, but you cannot:

1. Light candles;
2. Touch the images.

You are allowed to enter and pray in the temple. The clergy are lenient towards the sick. Some women and girls are concerned about uterine bleeding when the menstrual cycle begins and ends. Unfortunately, medicine is not able to stop them at once. Periodic treatment does not bring results. Then they go with prayer to the Lord and the saints for health.

In such situations, the first prayer must be said in church by lighting a candle. Before prayer, it is customary to undergo the rite of confession and communion. In front of him, the holy father is warned about his situation and asked for his blessing.

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

From the editor: The article by nun Vassa (Larina) caused a heated discussion on the English-language Internet - many discussions, links, detailed response publications. The portal “Orthodoxy and Peace” translated the main texts of the discussion into Russian.

Translation from English by Yulia Zubkova specially for Orthodoxy and Peace. The portal's editors thank nun Vassa for her great assistance in working on the Russian text.

Nun Vassa (Larina)

When I entered the convent of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) in France, I was introduced to the restrictions that were imposed on a sister during menstruation. Although she was allowed to go to church and pray, she was not allowed to take communion, venerate the icons or touch the antidoron, nor help bake prosphora or distribute them, nor help in cleaning the temple, nor even light the lamp or lamp hanging in front of the icon in her own cell - this last rule was explained to me when I noticed an unlit lamp in the icon corner of another sister.

Today in the Russian Orthodox Church there are various rules regarding “ritual impurity”, which vary from parish to parish, and most often it depends on the local priest. The popular “Handbook” by Sergius Bulgakov proceeds from the fact that “church rules” prohibit women during menstruation from both coming to church and receiving communion.

[1] In Russia, however, women are generally allowed to come to church during menstruation, but are not allowed to take Communion, kiss icons, relics, the cross, touch the prosphora or antidoron, or drink holy water. [2] In parishes outside of Russia, as far as I know, women usually only abstain from communion.

An article written by His Holiness Patriarch Pavlo of Serbia, entitled “Can a woman always come to church?” [3], is often cited as an example of a moderate opinion that allows a menstruating woman to participate in everything except the sacrament, and which seems to oppose the concept of “ritual impurity.”

However, Patriarch Paul defends another traditional restriction, prohibiting a woman from entering the temple and participating in any Sacraments for forty days after she has given birth to a child. [4] This prohibition, also based on the concept of “ritual impurity,” is observed in the parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia known to me, both in Germany and in the USA.

Today, in light of "feminist" theology [6] and the traditionalist response to it [7], there is a temptation to approach the issue of "ritual impurity" in political or social terms. Indeed, the rather humiliating everyday implications of the restrictions mentioned may, to a certain extent, stress women accustomed to the socio-political culture of the West.

Thus, putting aside interests of equality, I would like to draw your attention to the theological and anthropological content of the concept of “ritual impurity”. For our church life does not ultimately come down to following certain rules, reading certain prayers and bowing to the ground, or even humility as such.

The point is the theological and anthropological significance of all this. By doing these things, we confess a certain meaning, a certain truth of our faith. So today I ask a question: what is the meaning of refusing Communion during menstruation? What does this say about the female body? What is the meaning of the ban on entering the temple after the birth of a baby?

Let's look at biblical, canonical, and liturgical sources to try to answer these questions.[9]

How many days after the birth of a child can one be in the presence of God at a Divine service?

In the times of the Old Testament, it was believed that a woman after giving birth for 40 days, while she was being cleansed, had no right to attend divine services. Currently, this tradition has also been abolished.

Communion during menstruation: canons of the Old Testament

The earliest biblical evidence of ritual restrictions on women during menstruation is found in the Old Testament, Leviticus 15:19-33. According to Leviticus, not only was a menstruating woman unclean, but any person who touched her also became unclean (Leviticus 15:24), acquiring some kind of uncleanness through touch.

The Jews were far from the only ones in the ancient world who introduced such regulations. Pagan cults also included prohibitions related to concerns about “ritual purity”: menstruation was believed to defile and make pagan priestesses unable to perform their cult duties in temples [10], clergy should avoid menstruating women at all costs on pain of desecration [11], it was believed that the birth of a child also defiles.

However, the Jews were a special case. In addition to their exclusive abhorrence of blood (Leviticus 15: 1-18), [13] the ancient Jews held a belief in the danger of female bleeding, which was gradually established, and further strengthened in later Judaism: the Mishnah, Tosefta and Talmud are even more detailed on this subject, than the Bible. [15]

The attitude of the early Church to the Old Testament was complex and cannot be explained in detail within the scope of this work. Neither Judaism nor Christianity had a clear, separate identity in the early centuries: they shared a common approach to certain things.[21] The Church clearly recognized the Old Testament as divinely inspired Scripture, while at the same time moving away since the Apostolic Council (Acts 15) from the dictates of the Mosaic Law.

Although the apostolic men, the first generation of church writers after the apostles, hardly touched upon the Mosaic Law regarding “ritual uncleanness,” these restrictions were widely discussed somewhat later, from the mid-2nd century. By that time it becomes clear that the “letter” of the Mosaic Law has become alien to Christian thought, as Christian writers try to give it a symbolic interpretation.

“It is clear that he who was once cleansed through the new birth (baptism) can no longer be stained by what is mentioned in the Law.”[24] In a similar spirit, Clement of Alexandria writes that spouses no longer need to wash after sexual intercourse, as required by the Mosaic Law, “because,” states St. Clement, “the Lord has purified the faithful through baptism for all marital relations.”[25]

Yet Clement's seemingly open attitude toward sexual relations in this passage is not typical of writers of the time,[26] or even of Clement himself.[27] It was more typical for these authors to consider all the injunctions of the Mosaic Law to be symbolic, with the exception of those related to gender and sexuality.

There were many reasons for this. In an era when the teachings of the Church had not yet crystallized into a definite dogmatic system, many ideas, philosophies and outright heresies were in the theological air, some of which found their way into the works of early Christian writers. The pioneers of Christian theology, such as Tertullian, Clement, Origen, Dionysius of Alexandria and other highly educated men of the time, were influenced in part by the pre-Christian religious and philosophical systems that dominated the classical education of their time.

It was not only “pollution” if it did not result in procreation, it was a sin even in marriage. Notice in this context that Christ mentions sexual relations only once in the Gospel: “... and the two will become one flesh” (Matthew 19:5), without mentioning procreation. [32] Tertullian, who embraced the ultra-ascetic heresy of Montanism in later years, went further than many others and even considered prayer after sexual intercourse impossible.

[33] The famous Origen was notoriously influenced by the modern eclecticism of Middle Platonism, with its characteristic disdain for the entire physical and material world in general. His ascetic and ethical doctrines, while originally biblical, are also found in Stoicism, Platonism, and to a lesser extent in Aristotelianism.

“About women who are in purification, whether it is permissible for them to enter the house of God in such a state, I consider it unnecessary to ask. For I do not think that they, if they are faithful and pious, being in such a state, would dare either to begin the Holy Table, or to touch the Body and Blood of Christ. For even the wife, who had been bleeding for 12 years, did not touch Him for healing, but only the hem of His garment.

Note that Dionysius, like the Syriac Didascalia, refers to the bleeding woman in Matt. 9:20-22, but comes to the exact opposite conclusion: that a woman cannot take the sacrament. It has been suggested that Dionysius actually forbade women from entering the sanctuary (altar) but not the church itself.

A menstruating woman should not enter the temple of God because she is not completely pure spiritually and physically. I wonder if this assumes that all other Christians are completely pure, "katharoi". Most likely not, because the Church condemned those who called themselves "katharoi", or "pure ones", the ancient Novatian sect, at the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. [54]

Orthodox commentators past and present have also explained the rule of Dionysius as something to do with concern for the conception of children: the 12th century commentator Zonara (after 1159 AD), while denying the concept of ritual impurity, comes to the disconcerting conclusion that the real reason for these restrictions is for women - “to prevent men from sleeping with them...to enable the conception of children.”

[55] So, women are branded unclean, not allowed into the temple and from Holy Communion, in order to prevent men from sleeping with them? Without addressing the "sex is only for procreation" premise of this argument, it raises other, more obvious questions: Are men somehow more likely to sleep with women who have been to church and received the Sacrament?

In Old Testament times, not only women were considered unclean in these days, but also people who suffered from the plague. Moreover, it was forbidden to touch women these days; it was believed that whoever touched them would also become unclean. Therefore, in those days, visiting church was strictly prohibited.

Is it possible for women to go to church and receive communion during their periods?

Oh, how many times a day does a priest serving in a church have to deal with this topic!.. Parishioners are afraid to enter the church, venerate the cross, they call in panic: “What should I do, I was preparing so much, I was preparing to take communion for the holiday and now...”

Many Internet forums have published perplexed questions from women to the clergy, on what theological basis at crucial periods in their lives they are excommunicated from communion, and often even simply from going to Church. There is quite a bit of debate on this issue. Times change, so do views.

It seems, how can the natural processes of the body separate us from God? And educated girls and women themselves understand this, but there are church canons that prohibit visiting church on certain days...

How to solve this issue? There is no comprehensive answer. The origin of the prohibitions about “uncleanness” after expirations lies in the Old Testament era, but in Orthodoxy no one introduced these prohibitions - they simply were not abolished. Moreover, they found their confirmation in the canons of the Orthodox Church, although no one gave a theological explanation or justification.

Menstruation is the cleansing of the uterus from dead tissue, cleansing the uterus for a new round of expectation, hope for a new life, for conception. Every shedding of blood is the specter of death, for there is life in the blood (in the Old Testament, even more so, “the soul of a man is in his blood”). But menstrual blood is doubly death, because it is not only blood, but also dead uterine tissue. Freeing herself from them, a woman becomes cleansed. This is the origin of the concept of impurity of women's periods. It is clear that this is not a personal sin of women, but a sin affecting all of humanity.

Let's turn to the Old Testament.

In the Old Testament there are many instructions regarding the purity and impurity of a person. Uncleanness is, first of all, a dead body, some diseases, discharges from the genital organs of men and women (there are other “unclean” things for a Jew: some food, animals, etc., but the main uncleanness is exactly that I indicated).

Where did these ideas come from among the Jews? The easiest way to draw parallels is with pagan cultures, which also had similar regulations about uncleanness, but the biblical understanding of uncleanness is much deeper than it seems at first glance.

Of course, there was the influence of pagan culture, but for a person of the Old Testament Jewish culture, the idea of ​​external impurity was rethought; it symbolized some deep theological truths. Which? In the Old Testament, uncleanness is associated with the theme of death, which took hold of humanity after the fall of Adam and Eve. It is not difficult to see that death, and illness, and the flow of blood and semen as the destruction of the germs of life - all this reminds of human mortality, of some deep-seated damage to human nature.

A person, in moments of manifestation, discovery of this mortality and sinfulness, must tactfully stand aside from God, Who is Life Itself!

This is how the Old Testament treated “uncleanness” of this kind.

Christianity, in connection with its teaching about victory over death and the rejection of the Old Testament man, also rejects the Old Testament teaching about impurity. Christ declares all these prescriptions to be human. The past has passed, now everyone who is with Him, even if he dies, will come to life, especially since all the other impurities have no meaning. Christ is the incarnate Life itself (John 14:6).

The Savior touches the dead - let us remember how He touched the bed on which they were carrying to bury the son of the widow of Nain; how He allowed a bleeding woman to touch Him... We will not find in the New Testament a moment when Christ observed the instructions about purity or impurity. Even when he is faced with the embarrassment of a woman who has clearly violated the etiquette of ritual impurity and touched Him, He tells her things that contradict conventional wisdom: “Courage, daughter!” (Matt. 9:22).

The apostles taught the same. “I know and am confident in the Lord Jesus,” says St. Paul - that there is nothing unclean in itself; Only to him who regards anything as unclean, it is unclean for him” (Rom. 14:14). He: “For every creation of God is good, and nothing is blameworthy if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Tim. 4:4).

Here the apostle speaks of food uncleanness . The Jews considered a number of products unclean, but the apostle says that everything created by God is holy and pure. But ap. Paul does not say anything about the impurity of physiological processes. We do not find specific instructions on whether a woman during her period should be considered unclean, either from him or from the other apostles. In any case, we have no information about this; on the contrary, we know that the ancient Christians gathered in their houses weekly, even under the threat of death, served the Liturgy and received communion. If there were exceptions to this rule, for example for women in a certain period, then ancient church monuments would have mentioned this. They don't say anything about it.

But this was the question. And in the middle of the 3rd century the answer to it was given by St. Clement of Rome in his essay “Apostolic Constitutions”:

“If anyone observes and performs Jewish rites regarding the ejaculation of semen, the flow of semen, legal intercourse, let them tell us whether they stop praying, or touching the Bible, or partaking of the Eucharist in those hours and days when they are exposed to something like this? If they say that they stop, then it is obvious that they do not have in themselves the Holy Spirit, Who always abides with believers... In fact, if you, a woman, think that during the seven days when you have your period, you do not have in you Holy Spirit; then it follows that if you die suddenly, you will leave without the Holy Spirit and boldness and hope in God. But the Holy Spirit, of course, is inherent in you... For neither legal copulation, nor childbirth, nor the flow of blood, nor the flow of semen in a dream can defile the nature of man or separate the Holy Spirit from him; only wickedness and lawless activity separate him from [the Spirit].

So, woman, if, as you say, during the days of menstruation you do not have the Holy Spirit in you, then you must be filled with an unclean spirit. For when you don’t pray and don’t read the Bible, you unwittingly call him to you...

Therefore, woman, refrain from empty speech and always remember the One who created you, and pray to him... without observing anything - neither natural cleansing, nor legal copulation, nor childbirth, nor miscarriages, nor physical defects. These observations are empty and meaningless inventions of stupid people.

...Marriage is honorable and honest, and the birth of children is pure... and natural cleansing is not abominable before God, Who wisely arranged for it to happen to women... But even according to the Gospel, when the bleeding woman touched the saving edge of the Lord’s robe in order to get well, the Lord did not reproach her but he said, “Your faith has saved you.”

St. writes on the same topic Gregory Dvoeslov (it was he who authored the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, which is served on weekdays during Great Lent). He answers a question asked about this to Archbishop Augustine of the Angles, saying that a woman can enter the temple and begin the sacraments at any time - both immediately after the birth of a child and during menstruation:

“A woman should not be prohibited from entering church during her menstruation, for she cannot be blamed for what is given by nature, and from which a woman suffers against her will. After all, we know that a woman suffering from bleeding came up to the Lord from behind and touched the hem of His garment, and immediately the illness left her. Why, if she, while bleeding, could touch the Lord’s garment and receive healing, a woman during her period cannot enter the Church of the Lord?..

It is impossible at such a time to forbid a woman to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion. If she does not dare to accept it out of great respect, this is commendable, but by accepting it, she will not commit a sin... And menstruation in women is not sinful, for it comes from their nature...

Leave women to their own understanding, and if during their menstruation they do not dare to approach the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord, they should be praised for their piety. If they... want to accept this Sacrament, they should not, as we said, be prevented from doing so.”

That is, in the West , and both fathers were Roman bishops, this topic received the most authoritative and final disclosure. Today, no Western Christian would think of asking questions that confuse us, the heirs of Eastern Christian culture. There, a woman can approach the shrine at any time, despite any female ailments.

In the East, there was no consensus on this issue.

An ancient Syrian Christian document from the 3rd century (Didascalia) says that a Christian woman should not observe any days and can always receive communion.

St. Dionysius of Alexandria , at the same time, in the middle of the 3rd century, writes another:

“ I don’t think that they [that is, women on certain days], if they are faithful and pious, being in such a state, would dare either to begin the Holy Meal, or to touch the Body and Blood of Christ . For even the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years did not touch Him for healing, but only the hem of her garment. Praying, no matter what state someone is in and no matter how disposed they are, remembering the Lord and asking for His help is not forbidden. But let him who is not entirely pure in soul and body be prohibited from approaching what is the Holy of Holies.”

A hundred years later, St. writes on the topic of natural processes of the body . Athanasius of Alexandria . He says that all of God's creation is “good and pure.” “Tell me, beloved and most reverent, what is sinful or unclean in any natural eruption, as, for example, if someone wanted to blame the discharge of phlegm from the nostrils and saliva from the mouth? We can talk about more, about the eruptions of the womb, which are necessary for the life of a living creature. If, according to Divine Scripture, we believe that man is the work of God, then how could a bad creation come from pure power? And if we remember that we are the race of God (Acts 17:28), then we have nothing unclean in ourselves. For only then are we defiled when we commit sin, the worst of every stench.”

According to St. Athanasius, thoughts about the pure and the unclean are offered to us by “the tricks of the devil” in order to distract us from spiritual life.

And thirty years later, the successor of St. Athanasius in the department of St. Timothy of Alexandria spoke differently on the same topic. When asked whether it was possible to baptize or allow a woman to receive Communion if “the usual thing happened to women,” he answered: “It must be postponed until she is cleansed.”

This last opinion, with different variations, existed in the East until recently. Only some fathers and canonists were more rigoristic - a woman should not visit church these days at all, others said that it is possible to pray and visit church, but not to receive communion.

If we turn from canonical and patristic monuments to more modern monuments (XVI-XVIII centuries), we will see that they are more favorable to the Old Testament view of tribal life than to the New Testament. For example, in the Great Book of Breviaries we will find a whole series of prayers for deliverance from the defilement associated with birth phenomena.

But still - why not? We do not receive a clear answer to this question. As an example, I will cite the words of the great Athonite ascetic and polymath of the 18th century, Ven. Nicodemus the Holy Mountain . is the monthly purification of a woman considered unclean not only in the Old Testament, but also according to the Christian holy fathers, the monk replies that there are three reasons for this:

1. Because of popular perception, because all people consider unclean what is expelled from the body through some organs as unnecessary or superfluous, such as discharge from the ear, nose, phlegm when coughing, etc.

2. All this is called unclean, for God teaches through the physical about the spiritual, that is, the moral. If the body is unclean, something that happens without human will, then how unclean are the sins that we commit of our own free will.

3. God calls the monthly purification of women unclean in order to prohibit men from intercourse with them... mainly and primarily because of concern for offspring, children.

This is how the famous theologian answers this question.

Due to the relevance of this issue, it was studied by the modern theologian Patriarch of Serbia Paul. About this he wrote an article, republished many times, with a characteristic title: “Can a woman come to church for prayer, kiss icons and receive communion when she is “unclean” (during menstruation)”?

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. She would not have been able to receive communion in this state, or if she was unbaptized, she would not have been able to be baptized. But in a mortal illness he can both receive communion and be baptized .”

We see that Patriarch Paul comes to the conclusion: you can go to church, but you still cannot take communion.

But, it should be noted that in the Orthodox Church there is no definition on the issue of women's hygiene adopted at the Council. There are only very authoritative opinions of the holy fathers (we mentioned them (these are Saints Dionysius, Athanasius and Timothy of Alexandria), included in the Book of Rules of the Orthodox Church . The opinions of individual fathers, even very authoritative ones, are not the canons of the Church.

To summarize, I can say that most modern Orthodox priests still do not recommend that a woman receive communion during her period.

Other priests say that all these are just historical misunderstandings and that one should not pay attention to any natural processes of the body - only sin defiles a person.

What can the author recommend in light of all of the above to God-loving readers? The only thing is that in this matter they must humbly follow the recommendations of their confessor .

Based on the article by priest Konstantin Parkhomenko “On the so-called female “impurity”

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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 in such a state, “if they were faithful and pious, dared either to begin the Holy Table, or 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 . Saint John the Faster (VI century) also adhered to the same point of view, defining penance in case a woman in such a state nevertheless “received the Holy Mysteries.”

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...”

Answers from Deacon Andrei Kuraev and Father Dmitry Smirnov.

Answer o. Dimitry (Smirnov):

Answer from Deacon Andrei Kuraev:

Related link:

Rules of the Egyptian Fathers

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. The Didascalia, on the contrary, denounces Christian women who abandoned the Holy Spirit during menstruation, 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.

A Christian woman who has not crossed the threshold of the temple during menstruation, who has not touched the Bible, can die without the Holy Spirit, and what 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 the Dvoeslov also stood on the side of women, arguing that natural, God-created processes in the human body cannot become the reason for the ban on attending church services, confessing, or receiving communion.

Further, the issue of female impurity during menstruation was raised at the Gangra Council. The priests meeting in 341 condemned the Eustathians, 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.

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 prohibited from entering the church while menstruating.

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 Nifont of Novgorod, if labor begins right in the church and a child is born there, then the entire church is considered desecrated. It is sealed for 3 days, re-consecrated by reading a special prayer, which can be found by reading “Questioning 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?

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, childbearing and impurity are somehow difficult to connect together.

1997 made adjustments on this issue. The Holy Synod of Antioch, 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.

The 2000 Crete Conference recommends that when churching or introducing a young mother, bless her and not talk about impurity.

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 Paul 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.

What are the restrictions on going to church during your period?

With the arrival of menstruation, many women who visit the temple are concerned about the question of whether it is possible to receive communion during menstruation, get married, baptize children, kiss icons or pray.

Due to the lack of a clear answer in the Bible about the possibility of attending church on critical days, clergy interpret the postulates based on their own beliefs about female “uncleanness” on certain days of the cycle. The Russian Orthodox Church forbade women from visiting church during menstruation, fasting, and praying.

However, natural physiological processes in the female body are an inevitable phenomenon that does not indicate that the woman has become “unclean.” Only committing sin defiles a person.

What is the reason for the ban on visiting the temple?

In addition to the ban on visiting the temple, the Orthodox Church believed that a woman during menstruation should not:

• take communion;
• get married;
• baptize a child;
• confess;
• touch icons;
• to be baptized unbaptized;
• take antidor (prosphora) and holy water;
• participate in singing;

In addition, you cannot enter the temple for 40 days after giving birth.

To explain why you can’t go to church during your period and a few days after giving birth, you need to turn to the Old Testament. It says that a dead body, certain (venereal) diseases, and discharge from the genitals of women and men are considered “unclean.”

Most modern priests do not limit a woman’s stay in the temple during her period. They convince parishioners that natural processes in the body should not influence their beliefs.

Prohibition theories

Adherents of “ritual purity” give their reasons why a woman during her period is not worthy to visit the temple:

1. From the Middle Ages until the 18th century, menstruating women were not allowed to visit shrines. It was also forbidden to enter the temple during menstruation.
2. The Russian Orthodox Church has put forward strict demands since the 12th century. Women were forbidden to give birth in the house, so as not to desecrate the living space with their own secretions. A bathhouse was used for this. The first visitor after childbirth was a priest who read a special prayer, “cleansing” the woman in labor from filth. For 80 days (at the birth of a girl) and 40 (if a boy was born), the woman in labor did not have the right to attend church, receive communion, or baptize her children. Only the clergyman could determine how many days the ban would last and when one could receive communion.
3. According to the statements of Timothy of Alexandria, the ban on communion was associated with the physical ailment of women during and after menstruation. At this time they were supposed to be at home, reading prayers.
4. According to the Canons of Hippolytus, women in labor and midwives were not allowed to attend church during menstruation and after childbirth. They could only stand at the gate during the service until the restriction period expired.
5. The sayings of Dionysius of Alexandria limited time in the temple to certain days, thereby pointing to the spiritual and bodily “uncleanness” of menstruating women. That is why a woman could not be a godmother or confess during her period.
6. The Gospel of James says that the Virgin Mary lived in the temple until she was 12 years old (until the onset of menstruation) so as not to desecrate the holy place with menstrual blood.
7. Levitical laws prohibited touching a menstruating woman out of concern for the health of unborn children, thereby limiting sexual intercourse. According to Moses, Tertullian, Lactantius, and Origen, who were the founders of Christian theology, intercourse is justified only for the purpose of conceiving a new life.

Modern look

Today, the church's attitude towards the material world has changed. Each woman decides independently whether it is possible to pray during menstruation, visit holy places, participate in the sacraments of baptism and weddings.

Modern clergy focus on the fact that every creation of God is pure. If a woman feels the need to communicate with the Lord, no physiological changes in the body should interfere with this.

Menstrual flow, like any other, does not affect the spiritual purity of a woman. There are a lot of hygiene products with which women can not limit their physical and social activity.

Women do not refuse to become godmothers or get married if a significant event coincides with critical days.

Sometimes periods come early or are delayed, and it is not always possible to regulate the right moment.

Famous clergymen of past centuries opposed the ban for women to attend church when they are menstruating: John Chrysostom, Apostle Paul, Gregory Dvoeslov, Patriarch Pavel of Serbia and others.

After the Crete Conference in 2000, priests of Orthodox churches were recommended not to prohibit, but to welcome the presence of women in the temple, regardless of critical days. It was also recommended to inform parishioners that they can take the sacrament and confess on any day. But not all clergy agreed with this situation.

Not every priest will allow a woman “during bleeding” to be a godmother and perform the wedding ceremony, but he will not be able to prevent this. Why can’t you baptize while you’re on your period, because it’s impossible to reproach a parishioner for what was given to her by nature.

Some women doubt whether they can go to church if they have gynecological diseases, when there is uterine bleeding, or whether they should stay at home.

In this case, the New Testament gives an example of how a woman suffering from bleeding touched the Lord's garment and was healed of her illness. At the same time, she did not hear the reproach for her bodily “uncleanness.”

On the contrary, the Lord pointed out to the baptized woman the power of her faith, with the help of which she was healed.

Today it is difficult to imagine a situation where a clergyman would be interested in issues that confuse parishioners. If a woman independently decides not to attend church, not to receive communion and to fast during her period at home, she can be praised for her piety, but no one will prevent her from being in church.

Menstrual blood is just a temporary physiological phenomenon that in no way affects spiritual purity and cannot desecrate the temple.

Source: https://DrLady.ru/mistika-i-ezoterika/kakie-sushhestvujut-ogranichenija-pri-poseshhenii.html

Is it possible to confess and receive communion during menstruation?

In the 21st century, asking a question on this topic, you can get different answers from priests.

Some say that women on critical days can go to church, light candles and pray, take a blessing, but they cannot touch shrines - the Cross, icons, relics of the Holy Saints of God. You cannot take part in the Sacraments of the Orthodox Church - baptism, wedding, confirmation, communion, confession, blessing of oil (unction), priesthood.

Others say that you can do all of the above. You need to be guided in this matter by your conscience, and also follow the rules that are accepted in your church where you go to worship.

If a woman is planning to go to a monastery, to holy places, and plans to take part in the Sacraments, she needs to consult with her confessor or parish priest and take a blessing for the trip. The issue of critical days should also be resolved during the conversation.

There are priests who require their parishioners to strictly follow all the rules of preparation for Communion (reading the canons, fasting, etc.) and do not allow women to attend during their periods.

There are those who say that the main thing is to approach the Sacrament with trepidation and real repentance, and consider all formalities (including preparation and physical condition) unnecessary.

Although, undoubtedly, there are much fewer supporters of the second point of view. Basically, most clergy adhere to the traditional approach, that is, they still do not recommend that women approach the Holy Chalice on days of cleansing.

Nevertheless, today's priests do not just use this dogma, but try to find an explanation.

And among the opinions, in addition to the common interpretations about the hygienic and spiritual side of the issue, there is also the idea that women during this period of the cycle are more tired and less focused, cannot fully pray and participate in the Liturgy, and are not well enough prepared for Communion.

At the same time, there are clergy who are of the opinion that during menstruation a woman, on the contrary, needs communion more, because this period is already quite difficult for her both physically and emotionally.

Note! The question of whether it is possible to receive communion during menstruation, as well as all other restrictions and permissions, should be decided by each woman only personally with her confessor (or the priest of the temple she regularly visits).

The point of view of Western bishops - St. Clement of Rome and Gregory the Dvoeslov is such that a woman is allowed to take part in the Sacrament on such days, because this weakness does not depend on her will, and the Holy Spirit is always present in her.

In the East there is no such unanimity:

• The ancient Christian document Didascalia (3rd century) says that women can always receive communion, regardless of temporary weakness.
• During the same period, St. Dionysius of Alexandria says that a woman herself cannot dare to take Communion during the period of purification. He cites as an example the Gospel story about a woman with bleeding, who, for the sake of healing, decided to touch not the Lord himself, but only the hem of his robe.
• A little later St. Athanasius of Alexandria, discussing whether a woman can receive communion during her period, writes that just as any person cannot be blamed for the flow of saliva or phlegm from the nose, so a woman cannot be blamed for monthly flows, and defilement can only come from committing a sin.
• Timothy of Alexandria believes that a woman “should postpone Communion until she is cleansed.”
• Patriarch Pavel of Serbia allows a woman to live a full church life (light candles, pray, participate in divine services), but, in his opinion, it is still impossible to receive communion and be baptized during menstruation.

Is it possible to receive communion during menstruation - the meaning of the sacrament, prohibitions and prejudices

Issues of religion are always discussed by all generations, by every inhabitant of the planet. So many people, so many opinions. The priests are not unanimous on some issues. Is it possible to receive communion during menstruation? The main question that worries women so much.

Sacrament of Communion

History goes back to the distant past, to the time of Jesus Christ. The entire procedure of communion is described repeatedly in the Bible in the New Testament. On the eve of the great holiday of Easter, the Last Supper of Jesus Christ and his disciples - the 12 apostles - took place.

The teacher broke off a piece of bread to everyone and handed it to them with the words: “Eat, this is my body!” Then he took a sip of wine from a glass, passed it to the students, and they did the same in turn. Jesus said: “Drink, this is my blood!” For this, the royal soldiers came for Christ, and subsequently committed crucifixion.

What does this procedure mean, what meaning did Jesus put into these words? Some view it materially, others spiritually. This is the crux of the disagreement.

Communion itself signifies unity with Jesus Christ. Everyone eats his body, drinks his blood, whoever touches him. In material terms, they bake bread, prepare wine, and eat it all in turn. Where is the highest? Where is God? “Bread” and “body” signify the teachings of Jesus Christ. “Eat” means read the Bible, follow Christ.

"Wine" means faith. Without faith in the power of Jesus Christ, the Most High God, eating baked goods and drinks makes no sense. Not a word is mentioned in this place about the ban on the sacrament of communion for women with menstruation.

If everything is considered physically, women generally do not have the right to receive communion, since only men were present at the Last Supper.

Is it possible to go to confession during menstruation?

One of the conditions for proper communion according to the Christian faith is the need to confess. Easter is approaching, and your period is just around the corner. What to do in this case? This issue is also approached in different ways. Some go to church because the law of the church requires it. Others at the call of the soul.

If this is the second case, it doesn’t matter whether you have your period or not. For God, the flesh itself is considered unclean. Men and women are equally unclean. God pays attention to the inner world of a person, his thoughts, desires, aspirations. You can confess both on the first day and on the last day of your period! Cleansing occurs spiritually.

If tradition is carried out blindly, there is absolutely no power in it.

Is it possible to go to church during menstruation?

Most people are confused by the fact that women were prohibited from entering the church while on their period. Moreover, she was forbidden to appear in public places. And again Jesus Christ abolished this rule. He made men and women equal. Because for him the main thing is the soul, and it has no appearance.

One case confirms this. What is described in the Bible in the New Testament. A woman suffering from bleeding followed Christ in a crowd of people. She secretly touched his robes, contrary to all prohibitions and traditions, with the hope of being healed. Jesus felt his strength drain away.

Then he turned to the woman and said: “What are you violating? Why did you approach me while bleeding? And a second later he added: Your faith saved you!” Since then, the woman has recovered and the bleeding has stopped. You can go to church during your period if there is a spiritual or physical need for it.

And the church prohibitions of some ministers are based on the canons that were actually written. If you go to church to a priest, follow his rules, if you go to God, you must follow the scriptures of the Bible. There is no other true document in religion. All the rest are written by people and everyone has their own opinion.

You can go to church on any day of the cycle.

On what day after menstruation can you take communion?

The tradition is observed by Christians all over the world. It should be remembered that the cleansing of the body occurs after the cleansing of the soul. You can go to church during your period. It is necessary to receive communion at the call of the soul with an understanding of everything that is happening. Simply eating bread will not lead to cleansing.

It is absolutely inappropriate to ask whether this can be done on the 7th day. Examining further the scriptures of the Bible, one can notice that the “church” is faith, and the “temple” is located inside every person - in the soul. As a matter of fact, to receive communion it is not at all necessary to go to a building built by people.

At one of his sermons, he said: “A temple built by people can be destroyed in one day, but a temple built by God cannot be destroyed forever!” Jesus held the Last Supper, mind you, in an ordinary room. The main thing is to understand why all this is being done.

Some people, after the tradition of taking communion in church, remain with the same “dirty” thoughts and deeds as before. Menstruation has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Of course, many are interested in the priest’s answer. It's no secret that priests are different. And at a certain moment they also emphasize that father is also a human being. Opinions vary. Some priests insist on the ban, others do not see anything wrong with a woman visiting church during menstruation.

Source: https://moimesyachnye.ru/mozhno-li-prichashhatsya-pri-mesyachnyh.html

Prayers of the Breviary

The special prayer of the Trebnik of the Russian Orthodox Church, which even today is read on the first day after the birth of a child, asks God to “cleanse the mother from filth...” and continues, “and forgive this servant of yours, named, and the whole house in which the child was born, and who touched to her, and to all who are found here...”[69] I would like to ask why we ask forgiveness for the whole house, for the mother and everyone who touched her?

On the one hand, I know that the Levitical laws contained the concept of defilement through touch. Therefore, I know why Old Testament believers considered it a sin to touch “unclean” things. And I know that the pagans were afraid of bleeding both during childbirth and during menstruation, because they believed that this attracted demons.

“Cleanse from all sin and from all defilement... so that without condemnation you may be worthy to partake of your holy mysteries... wash away bodily defilement and spiritual defilement for the duration of fourty days: do it in a manner worthy of communion of your holy body and blood...” [70]

Today it is often said that a woman does not go to church for forty days after giving birth to a child due to physical fatigue. However, the text quoted does not speak about her ability to participate in liturgical life, but about her dignity. The birth (not conception) of her child, according to these prayers, became the cause of her physical and mental “uncleanness” (defilement). This is similar to Dionysius of Alexandria’s reasoning about menstruation: it makes a woman not entirely pure “both in soul and body.”

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

Is there anything offensive for a Christian to be outside of church service, participation in confession, and communion for a while?

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. In addition to worshiping the One God, they borrowed a lot from pagan cultures.

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

About women:

God created a man and his wife perfect in beauty and health. Human death is associated with a reminder of sinfulness. God is Life, everything unclean has no right to even touch Him.

Confirmation of this can be found in the Old Testament. The book of Leviticus, chapter 15 clearly states that “not only wives are considered unclean during the flow of blood, but every person who touches them.”

For reference! During menstruation, it was forbidden not only in the temple, but also in ordinary life, communication, personal touch between any person and an “unclean” woman. This rule applied to the husband, prohibiting all sexual activities during menstruation.

When a child is born, blood is also released, so a woman has a cleansing period for 40 days after giving birth.

Pagan priestesses were absent from rituals due to weakness; in their opinion, magical power disappeared with blood.

The era of Christianity made its own amendments in this matter.

Patriarch of Serbia Paul on female impurity

Patriarch Paul, reflecting on female impurity, talked about Dionysius of Alexandria, who argued that a woman does not have the right to receive communion or touch the holy relics of the Savior, but is always obliged to pray and be baptized.

According to Dionysius, a woman does not have the right to confession until she is completely cleansed. There is also an opinion that you cannot enter the temple for exactly 40 days from the moment of childbirth or miscarriage.

But Father Pavel’s personal answer was different. It draws on the parable of the bleeding woman. If the Savior himself did not consider women with blood unclean, then why should there be prohibitions in our time,” the father reasoned.