Women in the altar?

[C BG]

Can an Orthodox Priest allow a woman to enter the Altar area of the Church? And if so, under what circumstances?

[David Galloway]

C_BG,

The general understanding is that no one should go behind the iconostasis unless they have an important reason for going there. Usually, the only ones who go beyond the iconostasis are ordained clergy, acolytes, and readers. I am none of the above, but if the acolytes or readers aren't at church as early as I am my priest will ask me to light the vigil lampadas.

Also, at women's monasteries often a nun is blessed to go beyond the iconostasis to clean and maintain the altar. Women's monasteries usually do not have acolytes to take care of these things.

[Thomas Garland]

In August, I was privileged to spend a couple of days at the Monastery of Notre Dame de Toute Protection at Bussy-en-Othe, France - a celebrated community of nuns in the Russian tradition.

I was there for the Feast of the Transfiguration, which they celebrated with great joy and magnificent services, celebrated by an Ukrainian metropolitan and a Dutch bishop. In the course of these services, I noticed that one of the senior nuns entered the altar on a number of occasions (I think she held a position akin to treasurer, but may have been sacristan as well). I couldn't see what function she performed - there were certainly acolytes and a proto-deacon present - but she did hold the holy water for the blessing of the fruit in the nave.

I'm afraid I didn't feel up to querying this practice! But David's exposition of the 'rule' is surely the normal one - it's not so much that women are banned from the altar, more that the categories of people allowed behind the ikonostasis do not include women.

Certainly, in the little chapel I go to in rural England, where regular worshippers number less than 10, and the chapel is owned by a lady member of the community, cleaning and maintenance outside service times is usually carried out by women, but they would not otherwise enter the altar.

Thomas Garland

[John Simmons]

I was visiting a womens monastery this summer and I observed a young nun acting as an acolyte during the liturgy. She helped hold items for the priest during proskomedia, and carried the candle during the entrances, etc. I asked one of the serving priests about it and he told me that in a womens monastery, this is normal, but that the serving nun must be a virgin.

I was also told about older women (post-menopause only) that sometimes assist in the altar in parishes in Russia.

John