Re: Churching was: uterine bleeding

[Guest guest]

> I have just looked it up in Brewers and it says " To church a woman " means

" To

> read the appointed service when a woman comes to church to give thanks

after

> childbirth " . However, from talking about it to my Mum (some time ago so I

may

> have forgotten more than I have remembered) she said it was some sort of

> cleansing service/ceremony which she had to go through after I was born

before

> she could take Holy Communion again. She said that she didn't like the

thought

> that she was perceived as unclean and found the whole thing humiliating so

> didn't go through it after my brother and sister were born.

>

> Lynda

-------------------------------

There's a similar service for the Greek Orthodox Christians.

When I returned to Athens with DD, who was 5.5 weeks, my MIL was quite

insistent that we go to the church and have our blessing, which usually has

to be done within the first 40 days.

I'm not absolutely certain it was a 'purification' prayer - I looked on it

as a blessing.

In the end MIL arranged for a priest to come to our house and bless us.

It's definitely a blessing for the baby and the new mother and if there was

a purification part, well it doesn't bother me - that's their belief and I

have to respect that.

Interestingly, as DD wasn't yet baptised she couldn't receive the holy oil

on her forehead.

It does seem bizarre to me that after giving birth you are considered

unclean when it's one of the most natural things in this world!

Janet

Athens

[Guest guest]

> I have just looked it up in Brewers and it says " To church a woman " means

" To

> read the appointed service when a woman comes to church to give thanks

after

> childbirth " . However, from talking about it to my Mum (some time ago so I

may

> have forgotten more than I have remembered) she said it was some sort of

> cleansing service/ceremony which she had to go through after I was born

before

> she could take Holy Communion again. She said that she didn't like the

thought

> that she was perceived as unclean and found the whole thing humiliating so

> didn't go through it after my brother and sister were born.

>

> Lynda

-------------------------------

There's a similar service for the Greek Orthodox Christians.

When I returned to Athens with DD, who was 5.5 weeks, my MIL was quite

insistent that we go to the church and have our blessing, which usually has

to be done within the first 40 days.

I'm not absolutely certain it was a 'purification' prayer - I looked on it

as a blessing.

In the end MIL arranged for a priest to come to our house and bless us.

It's definitely a blessing for the baby and the new mother and if there was

a purification part, well it doesn't bother me - that's their belief and I

have to respect that.

Interestingly, as DD wasn't yet baptised she couldn't receive the holy oil

on her forehead.

It does seem bizarre to me that after giving birth you are considered

unclean when it's one of the most natural things in this world!

Janet

Athens

[Guest guest]

>It does seem bizarre to me that after giving birth you are considered

>unclean when it's one of the most natural things in this world!

Ah but it isn't a natural thing for men to do - and there are not

many religions in which women write the rules.

--

jennifer@...

Vaudin