Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.churchofthenativity.net/faq.html
What is the difference between the old rite and new rite of the Russian Church?
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Through the rites of the Church -- that is, by the various external actions such as bows, singing, and the making of the sign of the Cross, the Church expresses its belief in Jesus Christ and glorifies Him and the saints, and nourishes the spiritual life of the people. There are undoubtedly many ways of expressing the same thing, and the Church of Christ has a treasury of beautiful rituals which express its Orthodox Faith in a variety of ways.
When we speak of the "New" and "Old" rites, we are speaking of a phenomenon of the Russian Orthodox Church that originated in the 17th century due to the reforms of Patriarch Nikon. The revised rites he introduced conformed more or less to of almost all the other national Orthodox Churches, but it differed considerably from the ancient practices of the Russian Church. Many factors, not the least of which were the Patriarch's powerful personality and manner of enforcing the new rites, created a great schism in the Russian Church which has not effectively been healed to this day.
Some of the many differences in the rites which have been explosive in the past are: the making of the sign of the Cross, the number of loaves used at the Eucharist, unison vs. harmony singing, the shape of the bishop's staff, the number of prostrations and bows to be made during the services, the manner of icon-painting, the singing of Alleluia, and many others.
Our parishioners realize that although the rites of the Church express its dogmas and are not to be treated lightly, the rites themselves are a means to an end, not dogmas in themselves, and the exact same dogma can be expressed in many ways. Although we love and cherish the old rites of the Russian Church, we do not reject those who practice the new ones, and they in turn have shown much interest and respect for our customs. The pitiful misunderstandings and persecutions of former years have now been replaced with a realization that the Orthodox Church has a precious and sacred treasure in its many beautiful ancient rites....
What is the significance of the beard worn by many men of your church?
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The Orthodox Church looks upon the beard as the mark of a Christian man, in that it is the natural appearance of man created by God, and also the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. Likewise, the uncut hair of women as their particular glory. The general attitude of our church is that anything that alters this image in which we were created -- for example, masks, shaving, makeup, and such things -- is not appropriate for Christians. Lamentably, the younger generations of our Church are neglecting this apostolic tradition and following the styles of the world even when not pressured by concerns of employment and the like. There is still, however, a deep awareness of this revered tradition that former generations have instilled on our community, and most of our parishioners -- at least in their later years -- carefully observe it. Other Orthodox communities have not been able to preserve this tradition at all, and even the clergy often appear beardless....
What is the significance of the special clothing worn to church services
by your parishioners?
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Our parishioners wear special clothes when attending church services, the style of which was the normal mode of dress for all Russians before the time of Tsar Peter I. The Old Believers rejected the western style of clothing (which included shaving and styling the hair), and retained their traditional form of dress at the expense of much social discomfort and persecution. In more isolated and agricultural communities of Old Believers, this manner of dress is still faithfully observed today. Our parishioners, however, are very much a part of the Erie community, holding positions in business, education, healthcare, industry, etc., and wear the traditional garb only for church services. Our custom of these special church clothes has insured that our parishioners are always properly and modestly dressed for worship in the house of God. In most Orthodox parishes, however, there is no particular rule for dress for the laity apart from modesty. Our parish recently decided to make the traditional church clothes optional, in order not to intimidate those who would desire to become Orthodox Christians but were not of Russian heritage....
Why must women be veiled when entering the church?
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In the Orthodox Church it has always been customary for the heads of men to be uncovered and for women to be veiled. Only men who have been set aside for the service of God, (e.g. bishops, monks, and other clergy) are permitted to wear the special head coverings of their respective offices. In his admonition to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul says "every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head," and later he asks, "is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?" (I Corinthians 11:5,18) The veiling of women, then, is a custom that has come down to us from the time of the apostles. For a woman to be unveiled in our Church or for a man to wear a hat would be a sign of great disrespect.
