Pope St. Gregory the Great +605
Menstruation and Holy Communion
To St. Augustine of Canterbury
Enlightener of England
Published in The Orthodox Church, Dec 1987
A women should not be forbidden
to enter the Church during the times of her monthly period
for the workings of nature cannot be considered sinful, and
it is not right that she should be refused admittance since her condition is beyond her control
We know that the woman who suffered an issue of blood
humbly approaching behind our Lord, touched the hem of his
robe and was at once healed of her sickness. If, therefore, the
woman was right to touch our Lord's robe, why may
one who endures the workings of nature not be permitted to enter the church of God? And
if it is objected that the woman in the Gospels
was compelled by disease while these latter are bound by custom
THEN REMEMBER, my brother, that everything that we
endure in this mortal body through the infirmity of its nature is
justly ordained by God since the fall of man
For hunger, thirst, heat, cold and weariness originate in this infirmity of our nature; and our search for food against hunger
drink against thirst, coolness against heat, clothing against cold
and rest against weariness is only our attempt to obtain some remedy in our weakness
In this sense the menstrual flow in the woman is an illness
So if it was a laudable presumption of the woman who, in her
disease, touched our Lord's robe, why may not the same
concession be granted to all women who endure the weakness of their nature? Thus
A woman, therefore, should not be forbidden to receive the Mystery of Communion at these times
If any, out of a
DEEP SENSE OF REVERENCE
do not presume to do so
THIS IS COMMENDABLE
But if they do so, they do nothing blameworthy
Sincere people often acknowledge their faults even when there
is no actual fault, because a blameless action may often spring from a fault
For instance, eating when we are hungry is no fault, yet being
hungry (in our present way) originates in Adam's sin
Similarly, the monthly courses of women are no fault. They are
caused by nature. But the defilement of our nature is apparent
even when we have no deliberate intention to do evil, and this defilement springs from sin
So may we recognize the judgment which our sin brings upon us. And so may people who sinned willingly bear the punishment of their sin unwillingly
THEREFORE when women, after due consideration
DO NOT presume to approach the Sacrament of the Body
and Blood of the Lord during their monthly period
THEY ARE TO BE COMMENDED
But if they are moved by devout love of this Holy Mystery to receive it
as pious practice suggests that they do
THEY ARE NOT TO BE DISCOURGED
For while the Old Testament makes outward observances
important, the New Testament does not regard these things as highly as the inward disposition, which is the sole criterion for
allotting punishment. For instance, the Law forbids the eating
of many things as unclean, but in the Gospel the Lord says
Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a person, but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man
He also said
Out of the mouth proceed evil thoughts
See Mark 7:18-20
Here Almighty God shows clearly that evil actions spring from the root of evil thoughts. Similarly the apostle Paul says
To the pure all things are pure, but to the corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure
And later he indicates the cause of their corruption, adding
For their very minds and consciences are defiled
Titus 1:15
If, therefore, no food is unclean to one of a pure mind, how can a woman who endures the laws of nature with a pure mind be considered impure
