Can pregnant women go to church? The clergy give an unequivocal answer to this question - “Of course, you can!” Pregnant women are not only allowed to visit the temple, but also necessary. Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko recently spoke about this. If a woman observes fasting, then during this period she can attend church, but eat, first of all, wisely, and not for the purpose of full compliance with fasting.
The priest recommends praying as often as possible. During fasting, pregnant women also need to refrain from watching entertaining television shows and films. You need to be kind, merciful, responsive to loved ones, excluding judgment on your part towards others. You can’t quarrel with other people and get irritated over any reason while waiting for the long-awaited arrival of your child.
Where did the opinion about the ban on pregnant women from attending church come from?
There are several possible origins of this prejudice. Perhaps this is due to the long-standing belief that a pregnant woman should be protected from prying eyes. However, the clergy assure that in the temple a woman is protected from the “evil eye”, and prayer will help her protect herself and her child from bad influence.
The Church does not prohibit pregnant women from coming to church
Sometimes it is impossible for the expectant mother to attend church due to health reasons. If there is a threat of miscarriage, it is better to refrain from going anywhere, including to church. It must be remembered that during the service you will have to stand for a long time in a stuffy room. In this case, the pregnant woman may feel unwell. Therefore, it is worth assessing your health and deciding whether you have enough strength to attend church.
When a woman cannot go to the service on her own, relatives should do so in order to pray for the expectant mother and baby and light candles for the saints.
Pregnancy and christening
It happens that for some reason a pregnant woman is not baptized, but expresses a desire for this ceremony to be performed on her. In this case, this must be done. This procedure gives a special gift to a person, helping him to be spiritually born again. There are no prohibitions for a pregnant woman. What to do if you are in a position and you have been offered to become a godmother.
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Can a pregnant woman baptize someone else's child in church? The answer to this question must be given by the pregnant woman herself. The church does not forbid her to take part in this ritual. But she may experience certain inconveniences:
- Long procces,
- staying on your feet for a large amount of time,
- holding a “difficult” baby or toddler in your arms,
- specific smells during the ritual.
Many, in order to avoid these troubles, invite a priest to their home and perform the baptism ceremony there. So only the pregnant woman should make a decision, taking into account all the negative and positive aspects.
How the Church Treats Pregnant Women
Expecting a child is considered the Lord's miracle, because it was God who sent great grace to a woman - the opportunity to experience the happiness of motherhood and give a new life. Therefore, priests not only do not prohibit pregnant women from coming to church, but, on the contrary, encourage it.
During the service, priests allow a pregnant woman to sit on a chair if she becomes ill: this will not cause condemnation. During the period of religious fasting, pregnant women are also given concessions, deviation from prohibitions or non-observance of fasting is allowed, justified by the health status of the expectant mother. For example, during Lent it is allowed to eat fish, since calcium and phosphorus in sufficient quantities are necessary for the full development of the fetus. The main task of a pregnant woman is to preserve the life and health of the child, the church understands this and does not encourage a woman to go hungry. In this case, spiritual cleansing comes to the fore.
The main thing is the desire to attend church
The main aspect of visiting a temple during pregnancy is the desire of the expectant mother. If you have such a need, there is no need to limit yourself. Sometimes it happens that before pregnancy a girl constantly went to work, but while she is expecting a baby she does not want to do this. There is nothing wrong with this, since in a new position changes occur not only with the body, but also with the soul.
The desire to visit the temple must be sincere; if it is not there, then there is no need to force yourself to go to church. You can pray at home and ask your loved ones to light a candle for you in church.
You need to go to church!
Especially recommended for those who:
- expecting her first child;
- experiences fear of the future and uncertainty;
- I have been praying for a child for a long time;
- feels a spiritual urge to go to church.
In Christianity, the patrons of pregnant women are:
- Virgin Mary, Mother of God;
- Blessed Xenia of Petersburg;
- Great Martyr Anastasia the Pattern Maker;
- Venerable Melania the Roman;
- Great Martyr Catherine;
- righteous Elizabeth and Zechariah.
They are the ones who should light candles and ask for intercession. You can also make prayers to the saint whose name the expectant mother bears.
Service in an Orthodox church is a rather difficult test even for healthy, strong people. Because you will have to spend at least an hour on your feet. But expectant mothers can visit it if their soul is eager to go to church.
However, it doesn't hurt to take precautions:
- You shouldn't go to church alone. It is better to take someone who can take care if necessary;
- during the service you can sit on a bench or chair against the wall;
- you should stay away from the main crowd;
- If you feel bad, there is no need to be a hero, it is better to immediately go outside.
Which saints to pray to during pregnancy
Pregnancy does not always proceed well; there are cases of the child’s incorrect position in the womb, entanglement in the umbilical cord and other troubles. Under these circumstances, in addition to strict medical supervision and regular medical examinations, prayer and faith in the Lord help maintain peace of mind.
Even when everything is fine, the church considers it necessary for a pregnant woman to turn to God every day with a request to preserve the health of the child and help her cope with the pangs of labor. There are special prayers for expectant mothers that need to be read every day, morning and evening. Of course, a woman must have a spiritual need for this.
The main patron of expectant mothers is the Virgin Mary. In front of the icon of St. Mary “Helper in Childbirth,” people ask for a painless and successful delivery. It is believed that turning to the images of the Mother of God “Education”, “Adding Mind” and “Healer” gives the child health, intelligence and obedience.
Icon “Unexpected Joy”
In case of any troubles, you can pray in front of the “Unexpected Joy” icon. This religious image is very powerful and helps to cope with troubles and gain peace of mind. Non-pregnant women who dream of becoming mothers also turn to him. To overcome fear and anxiety before the upcoming birth, requests should be sent to the “Quench My Sorrows” icon.
Practical points
Sometimes a pregnant woman is forbidden to go to church not by the holy father, but by her mother (mother-in-law, grandmother). And they are not always wrong.
- On holidays, many people gather in temples and churches, and you may be accidentally pushed. Therefore, it is better to immediately take a secluded place in a corner on a bench. Especially if you want to attend a long service, it is strictly forbidden for you to get tired. Or, as an option: come to the temple on an ordinary day, pray and receive communion, and put off the holidays for later.
- Standing for a long time (especially in the last trimester) may cause swelling in your legs. If there are few benches in the temple and they are always occupied, take a light folding chair with you. By doing this you will not violate any church regulations, and, moreover, you will not harm your body.
- In summer, a crowded temple can be hot and stuffy, so that even a non-pregnant woman may feel dizzy. To prevent trouble from happening to you, stand only near the open door.
- In the first trimester, the body of the “waiting woman” may not react in the best way to the smell of incense and other church incense.
- If the gynecologist warns that you are at risk of miscarriage and you are advised to go to bed, even if you really want to receive a blessing, listen to the doctor and humbly rest at home (in the ward). Surely you have a mother, mother-in-law, sister or friend who can carve out an hour and run into church to light a candle for your health. Ask them to buy you a “pregnant” icon of the Virgin Mary, and you will have a little intercessor not only in this difficult time, but also during childbirth.
Recommendations from clergy for pregnant women
A woman expecting a child is pure before the Lord. Answering the question whether pregnant women can go to church, the priests assure that it is not only possible, but also necessary. Expectant mothers are always welcome in the church.
The Church approves of the bonds between a man and a woman and their desire to become parents. If the parents of the unborn child are in a registered marriage, but not married, the Holy Fathers recommend doing this before the birth of the baby; pregnancy in this case is not a hindrance. It is believed that the Lord sends special grace to the baby born to people in a sanctified marriage.
There is an opinion that a child will be spiritually closer to the Lord if his mother visited the temple during pregnancy. Such children are not afraid of the church environment and calmly endure all rituals. On the eighth day after birth, a child is supposed to be baptized. In addition, an unbaptized woman can convert to the Christian faith during pregnancy and undergo baptism.
A pregnant woman can not only attend church services, but also receive communion and confession. It is allowed to light candles for health and peace, give notes, and remember loved ones in the cemetery. The Church does not refuse pregnant women who want to become godmothers. However, a woman should take into account that the ceremony is quite long, and she will have to hold the child in her arms.
To summarize, we can say with confidence that visiting church by a pregnant woman is approved by the clergy. Faith in the Lord and turning to the Saints will give the future mother strength and help her bear and give birth to a healthy and happy baby.
Is it a sin to get married while pregnant?
Is it a sin for a pregnant woman to get married? What does the Orthodox Church think about this? Archpriest Konstantin Ostrovsky answers these questions.
— Dear Tatyana! In your small question, you touched on several important topics at once: about chastity, about church sacraments, about sorrows and illnesses, about the birth of a person into the world.
Thank God that you and your husband, although belatedly, legalized your family relationship. Then you, already pregnant, got married, but fell into embarrassment because of someone’s empty words.
Wedding is a church sacrament with which Orthodox Christians should begin their married life. But for non-Christians, the Church recognizes the legality of their unmarried marriages, and we do not consider the families of non-Christians to be prodigal cohabitants.
If these people entered into a marriage in accordance with the laws of their country and live as a family, the Church recognizes the legality and inviolability of such a marriage.
Therefore, if non-church people lived in a legal but unmarried marriage and one of them believed in Christ and the other did not, then the believing spouse should not destroy his unmarried family, but should maintain marital fidelity and pray for the half who has not yet believed.
But if both spouses believe, then, of course, they can and should get married, no matter what month of pregnancy the wife is at that time. After all, a wedding is not a magical ceremony, but a teaching of God’s blessing to the husband and wife on their married life. If Christians have entered into a legal marriage, then the Church blesses it, and there is and cannot be anything bad in God’s blessing.
Those who told you that getting married while pregnant is a big sin simply do not understand the essence of the matter. This fornication is a great sin, and pregnancy is the Divine mystery of the birth of a new life, and in the sacrament of wedding, God's deep blessing is poured out on the family.
But you are confused by thoughts about the causes of your and your son’s illnesses
There are many reasons for diseases: heredity, infections, unhealthy environment, one’s own carelessness, unhealthy lifestyle - this series can be continued and deepened. But we all must remember that the main reason for everything that happens is God’s love for us
And this applies not only to pleasant things, for which we are always ready to thank everyone, and at the same time God. This applies no less, but even more so, to illnesses and sorrows. Even when illnesses and sorrows are direct consequences of our actions, they in themselves are the mercy of God.
We are simply not used to looking at things from this perspective.
Our actions can be bad, they can be good, they can be nothing, but their consequences, and everything that befalls us, sometimes unexpectedly and, apparently, illogically, brings us benefit in eternity. If, of course, we accept what happens to us without complaining, and even better - with gratitude.
All people suffer, all get sick and eventually die. The Lord himself suffered, was crucified and died on the cross. And the one who decides to follow Christ on the way of the cross will be with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, dear Tatyana, do not torment yourself by searching for the causes of your illnesses and sufferings, but endure them without complaining, and God will comfort you in a way you did not expect.
Also one of the frequently asked questions. Pregnant women can and should get married, no matter what month of pregnancy they are in. In fact, you need to start your married life with a wedding. But the church also recognizes marriages concluded in registry offices and does not consider them to be prodigal cohabitation. If for some reason you and your husband did not manage to get married before conception, then do not delay - wedding gives special grace to the family.
And if someone tells you that getting married while pregnant is a sin, don’t pay attention, this is the advice of an ignorant person. Living in fornication is a sin, but asking for grace and blessings for your family is very good. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the wedding ceremony lasts about an hour. And if you decide to get married, do not wait until the last months of pregnancy so that this important event is not overshadowed by your poor health.
If a pregnant woman is not baptized, but wants to be baptized, this must also be done. Baptism is a special gift, it is like the spiritual birth of a person again; With baptism a person becomes a member of Christ's Church. There are no obstacles to the baptism of a pregnant woman.
There are myths that a woman who has conceived a child out of wedlock should not go to church. And in this case, it is not prohibited, but in every possible way it is recommended for a woman to attend church, live a church life and pray. After all, who, if not the Lord, will calm you down, give you love, hope, forgiveness and faith?
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