Orthodox and Catholics understand the essence of the sign of the cross differently.

Catholics for a long time were allowed to be baptized in either of these two ways, until in 1570 Pope Pius V ordered them to do it from left to right and no other way. With such a movement of the hand, the sign of the cross, according to Christian symbolism, is considered to come from a person who turns to God. And when the hand moves from right to left, it comes from God, who blesses a person. It is no coincidence that both Orthodox and Catholic priests cross those around them from left to right (looking from themselves). For someone standing opposite the priest, it is like a blessing gesture from right to left.

Catholics usually cross themselves with all five fingers as a sign of the “sores on the body of the Lord Jesus Christ” - two on the hands, two on the feet, one from a spear.

In addition, moving the hand from left to right means moving from sin to salvation, since left-hand side in Christianity it is associated with the devil, and the right one is associated with the divine.

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Question to the priest

Number of entries: 16441

Good afternoon Some time ago I dreamed of my mother’s death several times, after the last such dream my mother died (a month ago). Now I dream that my husband is dying (I have dreamed about this twice already). I also often dream that my mother seems to have come to life. I don't understand anything. Help me understand what this is all about. What should I do??? I'm very worried about my husband.

Dear Mary, do not be afraid of dreams, but trust all your fears to the Lord God in prayer. Since you began to worry about your husband, pray especially for him, it’s good to read the Holy Gospel. God bless you!

Priest Sergius Osipov

Hello, priests! I want to thank you, and in your person the entire Orthodox priesthood, for your invaluable help and blessed work! Glory to the Lord for his care for people with your hands and words! A question. In my prayer book...

IN Orthodox tradition It is considered incorrect and sometimes even blasphemous to cross yourself from left to right. To a person far from religion, a strictly defined procedure for applying the sign of the cross may seem like only superstition, but for a true believer it is always important to observe established traditions.

Among believers of the Orthodox tradition, there is a widespread belief that it is incorrect to make a godfather from left to right.

It is believed that the hand depicting the cross should first touch the right shoulder and then the left, which symbolizes the traditional opposition for Orthodoxy (and Christianity in general) between the right side as the abode of the saved and the left as the abode of the perishing (for more details - Matt., 25, 31-46 ). Thus, the Orthodox tradition believes that by raising his hand to his right and then to his left shoulder, the believer prays to be included in the fate of the saved and to be delivered from the share of the perishing.

In general, in everyday life, it is customary for superstitious or religious people to highlight the right...

Historically, Catholics make the sign of the cross from left to right, unlike Orthodox Christians who cross from right to left. However, this was only until the 16th century, and Catholics for quite a long time historical time crossed not only from left to right, but also from right to left, and the church accepted both methods. Changes were made by Pope Pius V in 1570, ordering that the sign of the cross should only be made from left to right and with an open hand. In this case, the five fingers of the hand acted as symbols of the five wounds of Christ. But adherents of various directions in Christianity had their own interpretations of the movement of the hand when making the sign of the cross, but nevertheless they did not contradict each other.

In accordance with Christian symbolism, moving the hand from left to right when making the sign of the cross is considered to be coming from the person and facing God. And when you move your hand from right to left, it comes from God and is a blessing. You're probably...

I was unpleasant when I discovered it on a Catholic forum. Some kind of another story, and the most dense one: a man in a shirt and boots, devils with horns on their shoulders. Who is this propaganda intended for?

Pay attention - there is a peasant depicted there.

Well, what is the THEOLOGICAL difference? If a Catholic crosses himself differently than I do, is his sign of the cross invalid? Or is it the same as to be baptized (from right to left or from left to right)? I can't understand this.

By the way, I just recently with Catholics found out the origin of this prayer gesture:

I learned a lot of interesting things about its origins. It turns out that it means transferring oneself into the hands of God - that's to put it briefly.

It is not used in the PC (as far as I know), but in the CC it is quite common.

Although there are fewer and fewer people who attend church every Sunday, the majority still consider themselves, if not religious, then believers.

I don’t want to delve into the jungle of religion, so that, God forbid, I don’t offend the feelings of people who are deeply religious, but today we decided to raise a topic that we found interesting. To be honest, not all of our editors knew the answer to this question.

So: why do Orthodox Christians cross themselves from right to left, and Catholics from left to right?

So, until 1570, Catholics were allowed to be baptized both from right to left and from left to right. But then Pope Pius V insisted on doing it from left to right and nothing else. “He who blesses himself... makes a cross from his forehead to his chest and from his left shoulder to his right,” said the great messenger of God.

The fact is that when you move your hands in this way, the sign of the cross, according to Christian symbolism, comes from a person who is turning to God. And when you move your hand from right to left -...

“Why do Orthodox Christians cross from right to left, and Catholics from left to right?”

This was not the case in past centuries strong differences between the sign of the cross in different local churches. In John Chrysostom we read a polemic about how one should be baptized. In particular, his absolutely wonderful words: “Take your thumb and draw a cross on your forehead.” This was considered sufficient.

Moreover, in ancient times Catholic Church made the sign of the cross, like us - from right to left, with three fingers. But over time, after the separation of Orthodoxy and Catholicism, the fabrications of Catholic theologians led to the fact that Catholics began to be baptized in a different order - from left to right.

In Rus', too, there was no serious debate on the issue of how to be baptized, until the moment when some of the believers fell away into the Old Believer schism, where the ritual aspect was given great importance great importance. After the schism, the formula of the sign of the cross was converted Special attention, both sides began to believe that the other had the “wrong cross”….

Which hand is the correct one to cross yourself and how to cross yourself correctly - from left to right or from right to left? How to fold your fingers correctly? Why do you need to be baptized and is it necessary to do this before entering the temple?

The essence of the sign of the cross, why is it necessary to be baptized?

The sign of the cross for a believer combines several essences: religious, spiritual-mystical and psychological.

Religious essence consists in the fact that, by crossing himself with the sign of the cross, a person shows that he is a Christian and lives with Christ; that he is part of the Christian community, appreciates its traditions and values ​​them. That he remembers and keeps in his heart the entire earthly life of Christ - from His first to his last day - and tries to the best of his ability to correspond to it. That he honors and tries to live according to the commandments that were given by Christ.

Spiritual and mystical essence is that the sign of the cross itself has life-giving power - protecting the one who is baptized and sanctifying him. The cross is a spiritual image that a person puts on himself, “overshadows” himself with it - making himself, according to the degree of his faith, similar to Christ. Therefore, Christians have a reverent attitude toward the sign of the cross and they try to be baptized not hastily, “fusily,” but with accountability.

Moreover, when it is said that the sign of the cross has a certain “mystical” essence, it does not mean that the cross is a “mathematical” formula - such as the Indian mantra, or the rituals of magicians - which begins to “act” from simple repetition a set of actions or words. In a way inexplicable to human understanding, the cross sanctifies everyone who is baptized, but at the same time, everyone is “rewarded according to his faith”...

The sign of the cross is a prayer and the attitude towards it should be appropriate.

Emotional and psychological essence The sign of the cross is that a believer unconsciously begins to be baptized when he is “used to it” (at certain moments of the service), or at those moments when he wants to collect himself internally (before an important matter, before a secret step), or simply when he experiences psychological fear of something. Or vice versa - we are filled with joy and gratitude to God. Then the hand “begins to be baptized itself.”

With what hand and how correctly should Orthodox Christians be baptized?

In the Orthodox tradition, you need to be baptized with your right hand - regardless of whether you are right-handed or left-handed.

The order is as follows: forehead - stomach - right - then left shoulder.

You can “shrink” the sign of the cross (not the stomach, but the chest) - for example, in situations when there are non-believers around, you want to cross yourself, but you try to do it “invisibly.”

The main thing is not to trivialize the cross “within yourself”, to always remember its greatness, importance and strength.

How to fold your fingers correctly (photo)

The Orthodox tradition says that the fingers should be folded like this: the thumb, middle and index fingers are brought together - this symbolizes the Holy Trinity - and the ring finger and little finger are pressed against the palm.

Is it possible to cross yourself in some other way or, for example, with two fingers or from left to right? No in Orthodox Church It is customary to cross yourself with three fingers from right to left and you need to do it this way - without reasoning. Even if we assume that the number of fingers is a convention and an earthly institution (referring to the fact that Old Believers still cross themselves with two, as all Orthodox Christians in Russia once did), the very violation of tradition brings more spiritual harm to a person than good.

A page from the pre-revolutionary book “The Law of God,” which tells about how to correctly fold your fingers when making the sign of the cross, and what all this symbolizes.

Do I need to be baptized before entering a temple or while passing through a temple?

When entering the temple it is customary to cross yourself. For a person who is just getting acquainted with religion, this may seem like an artificial rule (sort of like a “must”), but over time it becomes natural and even a need - to “gather” internally, to overshadow oneself with Christ’s symbol and power, to pay tribute to the temple in which the sacraments are performed.

As for the situation when you just see a temple and pass by it, then a person must rely on his feelings and there are no rules. There are people who overshadow themselves with a sign every time they see the domes of the temple. There are those who do not do this, but at the same time in life they will be no less an example of a Christian.

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For anyone Orthodox man The sign of the cross acts as a minor sacred rite. At the same time, not every parishioner who is accustomed to regularly attending church is baptized correctly, because he believes that it is enough to draw an imaginary cross with his hand. But such crossing has its own rules concerning not only the direction of movement of the hands (from right to left), but also the shape of the fingers (three fingers), as well as the thoughts that should be in a person’s head while performing such an action. How to be baptized correctly as an Orthodox Christian? How to perform rebaptism according to the current canons of the church? What is triplicity? Why are Orthodox and Catholics baptized differently?

About the sign of the cross

The sign of the cross, which is performed by Orthodox believers, is a prayerful gesture that personifies the cross of the Lord. To be baptized incorrectly means not to understand the meaning of this action, because this must be done with three fingers folded together, which symbolize faith in the Holy Trinity:

• God the Father,
• God the Son
• God the Holy Spirit.

Three fingers are the thumb, index and middle fingers folded together, which are used to make the sign of the cross. The ring finger and little finger must be pressed against the palm - these fingers symbolize the 2 natures of the Son of God: Divine and human. In general, it is believed that to be baptized is to attract Divine grace.

How to be baptized correctly for Orthodox Christians?

Orthodox Christians must make the sign of the cross with three fingers (three fingers), successively placing the fingers folded together to the forehead, to the upper abdomen, to the right shoulder, to the left shoulder. Christians make such gestures only with their right hand. It is important to remember that you can be baptized in a church or temple during a service in silence, while in any other cases you must say out loud the phrase: “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

Why is it correct to cross from right to left?

Among the Orthodox, the sign of the cross with three fingers is performed from right to left, which is explained as follows: on the right shoulder of a Christian is the place of the saved, on the left is the place of the lost. In other words, Right side symbolizes heaven, where angels and saved souls live, and the left one symbolizes hell, where demons reign and where all sinners go. Thus, by first raising his palm to his right shoulder, the Christian asks the Lord to count him among the saved. Afterwards, transferring the three-fingered finger to the left shoulder, he prays to God for deliverance from the fate of the perishing. All this implies a gesture of some kind of protection during prayer or worship and at the same time turning to the Lord Jesus Christ with repentance.

A logical question that may arise for any believer: why do Catholics cross themselves from left to right? In Catholicism, the symbolism of the right and left sides is similar: on the right is heaven, on the left is hell. But here the sign of the cross expresses the movement from sin to salvation, therefore the palm of the believer with fingers folded into three fingers moves from left to right.

About other rules of the sign of the cross

When, where and how to be baptized true Christian? A believer can perform this action anywhere and anytime, but the sign of the cross becomes obligatory upon entering the temple. While at the threshold, you need to be baptized three times, each time ending this action with a low bow. In addition, one must be baptized while standing in front of icons or at the sight of a sacred building. It is believed that Orthodox citizens are obliged to be baptized before going to bed and immediately after waking up (gratitude to the Lord for another past or new day), as well as before a meal (gratitude for the food sent by the Lord). Moreover, after each such action it is necessary to bow, but only after the right hand goes down.

One of the most important issues in performing the sign of the cross remains the internal state of the believer who is being baptized. This must be done slowly, mentally turning to God Jesus Christ and fully realizing the importance of this small sacred rite. Only in this case will your faith and spirit be strengthened by respect for the Holy Father. Otherwise, the sign of the cross, performed incorrectly, will be considered blasphemy and even an insult to God, and therefore a sin pleasing only to evil spirits.

Video: how to be baptized correctly by an Orthodox Christian in church

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ requires the ability to be baptized. A video will help you learn how to do this correctly, which depicts believers while reading a prayer for the forgiveness of sins in the temple:

A person who believes in God is constantly baptized while staying in a house or in a temple. But not everyone knows how to be baptized correctly Orthodox Christian.

The method of baptism was developed long time . Orthodox and Catholics are baptized differently. They are based on different religious traditions.

Tradition of being baptized

Previously, believers crossed only their fingers right hand. At the same time, they touched their lips, chest and forehead. Christians had to pray every time before reading the Gospel. After a while, they began to use the palm or several fingers to cross. First, believers in God baptized the forehead, left, right shoulder and navel. However, in 1551, the navel was replaced by the chest, because the heart is in the chest.

It is necessary to make the sign of the cross correctly. This suggests that an Orthodox person honors traditions and believes in God. To baptize yourself or a loved one, you must first fold the fingers of your right hand. Then connect the tips of the thumb, middle, and index fingers, and press the little and ring fingers to the palm. The fingers folded this way should be placed on the forehead.

After this, lower your hand to solar plexus, to the right shoulder, to the left shoulder. After lowering your right hand, you can bow.

What is the meaning of this action

If the child’s parents are believers, they take him to church from a young age and teach him to be baptized correctly. But sometimes small children perform this action spontaneously.

Why are these actions needed and what do they mean:

• Three fingers folded together mean the Holy Trinity among the Orthodox.
• The other two, pressed against the palm, represent the active nature of Christ. About the union of two principles - human and spiritual - in the Son of God.

Please note that you only need to cross yourself with your right hand. You also need to know how to cross yourself correctly from left to right or right to left. After the sign of the cross, you can bow to the waist or to the ground. If at the waist, the head should be bowed to the waist. Prostration involves kneeling and touching the ground with your forehead. Bowing the head symbolizes humility before the Lord and great love to him.

The cross, without exaggeration, has great power. It contains spiritual power to protect the soul. A person, having been baptized, receives powerful protection from various misfortunes and temptations. A cross placed by a priest or parents has similar power.

When to be baptized

Everyone knows that the prayer ends with the words: “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.” At this moment you need to baptize yourself. They are baptized at the moment when the words of prayer are pronounced by the minister of the church. But we should not forget that you need to rebaptize yourself not only at the moment dedicated to prayer.

Believers are baptized early in the morning after waking up from sleep, before eating food and before going to bed.

To make the sign of the cross, it is not at all necessary to read a long prayer. It is enough to say words of gratitude to God for the beginning of a new day in life, food or a well-past day. Mothers, in order to protect their children from misfortune, make the sign of the cross over their children. Illumination of the holy cross by parents has great power, because parental love is also invested in it, and not just love for God.

Why you need to cross yourself from right to left

There is an opinion that Christian believers cross themselves from right to left, since the word “right” means “true”. In other words, following in the right direction. According to another opinion, how Orthodox Christians are baptized depends on the physiological characteristics of a person. After all, many are right-handed and begin all actions with the right hand. But there are believers who consider the difference to be a mere formality and do not attach importance to how to be baptized correctly, from right to left or vice versa.

Historical data indicate that until the middle of the 17th century people were baptized not only from right to left, but also with two fingers. After the innovations of Patriarch Nikon, the cross began to be applied with three fingers, in turn, this symbolizes the threefold nature of the Lord.

But, despite the fact that there is still no direct evidence of the correctness of applying the cross properly, church traditions should be respected and not forgotten that in Orthodoxy the cross is imposed on oneself only from right to left.

Not everyone knows what this means. This is a sacred act in which the image of the Cross is applied to oneself or something. In other words, when applying the sign of the cross, a person seems to calls upon the Divine Grace of the Holy Spirit. In addition, a person tries to protect himself from various misfortunes and troubles.

Surely everyone has seen when people begin to cross themselves before entering or leaving a church, as well as before starting any action, for example, before a long journey or eating food. Why do they do this?

First of all, so that the business, which is just beginning, is successful. So, an elderly grandmother crosses herself in front of a pedestrian crossing on the road, and only then begins to cross the roadway.

When entering the temple of God to perform prayer, or the need to order a funeral service, baptism, light candles - In all cases the following must be adhered to:

Subsequent stay in the temple is at the discretion of the worshiper. You can submit notes, light candles and place them in front of the saint’s face. Pray before him too.

Many people regularly visit the temple and are well aware of all the rules and church rituals. But still there are those who rarely come to church and do not know all the intricacies.

Usually believers come to the aid of such “visitors,” but mistakes are not always corrected correctly. There may be ill-mannered people who will speak very rudely and offensively towards the person who has broken the rule. Often this discourages any desire to go to church. To prevent this from happening, and for you to be able to calmly defend the service and spend time in prayer, you need to know the rules of how to apply the sign of the cross and with what hand Orthodox Christians are baptized.

Why right to left?

To make the sign of the cross, Orthodox Christians traditionally join together three fingers of their right hand. There is an explanation for this: on the right shoulder is heaven (the place where the salvation of the soul takes place and angels live here), on the left shoulder is hell, in which the soul perishes (demons and sinners live here). First, bringing three fingers to his right shoulder, a person prays to Jesus Christ for the salvation of his soul, and then touching his left shoulder, asks the Lord to deliver him from destruction.

Sometimes the question arises, why get baptized? The cross is a symbol of repentance and protection during prayer.

It is interesting that Catholics cross themselves, on the contrary, from left to right. In Catholicism, the symbols mean the same thing, on the left is heaven, and on the right is hell, but the hand moves from left to right, because they go from sin to the salvation of the soul.

Important rules for Orthodox Christians

How should Orthodox Christians be baptized when entering a church? According to established rules, you must cross yourself three times and bow to the ground. By this action a person glorifies Jesus Christ and declares his faith.

How to fold your fingers correctly

In order to cross yourself, you need to put your thumb, index and middle fingers together, as if in a pinch, bend your ring finger and little finger and press them to inside palms.

This position of the fingers is very symbolic. Three fingers signify the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The two remaining fingers tell us that Christ is man and God at the same time.

Sequence of applying the sign of the cross:

• First, bring your fingers to your forehead while saying “In the Name of the Father.”
• Next, place your hand on your stomach, with the words: and the Son.
• Cross the right and then the left shoulder: and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Each movement has its own designation:

• By touching the forehead, the mind is sanctified.
• By baptizing the belly, all organs are blessed.
• Then moving to the shoulders, a person sanctifies his entire body.

In an idle life and endless bustle, people rarely go to church. Usually a person turns to the Lord only in difficult moments of his life. It is not right. It is necessary to have icons at home and pray. Every Christian believer must know how to be baptized. You need to wake up with morning prayers, and go to bed with the evening ones. Know such prayers as: “Our Father”, “Creed”, “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary”. And prayer to the Honest Cross will protect you from all troubles.

The danger of wrong actions

When applying the sign of the cross It is necessary to bring your hand to your stomach; many people neglect this, stopping their hand at chest level. The priests do not approve of this. They see such a cross, like upside down. This method of baptism was used many centuries ago by those who opposed the church, and they were considered heretics.

When you illuminate yourself or another person with the cross, the movements should be slow and consistent, signifying true faith. During prayer you need to think only about God and the salvation of the soul.

An incorrect sign of the cross applied to oneself invalidates the entire prayer. It is believed that if a person is baptized incorrectly, he attracts demons and may be tempted by the devil.

How people were baptized several centuries earlier

The current way of crossing oneself has been taking shape for more than one century. Initially, when Christianity was just being formed, people crossed themselves with one finger and at the same time they touched their lips, forehead and chest. They did this at every mass when the gospel was read. After some time, they began to use two fingers or even the whole palm to cross themselves. On icons, Jesus Christ is depicted with two fingers raised up - the index and middle. This is why clergymen use this gesture to cross someone.

Believers began to cross the forehead, shoulders and navel when Orthodox Christianity. Then the navel was replaced with the chest, explaining that this is where the heart is located.

How to be baptized correctly must be taught from early childhood, because not a single prayer is performed without the sign of the cross. Guide your children to place their fingers correctly into three fingers and make the sign of the cross correctly, slowly and without fuss. When passing by the temple, pause a little, cross yourself and worship God. With this you are in Once again reaffirm your faith and praise our Lord Jesus Christ.