But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head. (I Corinthians 11:5).
Orthodox women, according to the words of the holy Apostle Paul, go to God's church with covered heads. For nearly two thousand years now, this custom has been kept by faithful women and has been handed down from generation to generation. It is a custom not only of the local churches, but also of the Universal Church, and, therefore whether we be in a Greek, in a Serbian or Russian church the women in the church have their heads covered. Not long ago, we happened to talk with a woman who had only just been in Russia. On a feast day, she went to church with her head uncovered, and when she came forward to venerate the Cross, the priest refused to give her the Cross. To her protests and excuses, that she had come from abroad, did not know the local customs and thought that it is necessary to cover one's head only for Communion, the priest replied to her that this is no excuse, that it is always necessary to have the head covered in church, and that he could not allow her to kiss the Holy Cross.
When taking into consideration the rule that women in church must cover their heads, it is completely incomprehensible why in many churches of the Russian diaspora one may see women with uncovered heads. The reasons and justifications for this are usually the following: kerchiefs are not in style; a kerchief spoils the hairdo; they say that there is no basis for covering the head; they ask why the Apostle Paul says that it is necessary to cover the head: why is it necessary for us women to cover the head, but not necessary for men? And sometimes it simply makes no difference to people what the Church directs, and even when given a wellgrounded response to the foregoing arguments, they remain of the same opinion. Below, we shall try to respond briefly to all of these points.
Worldly fashions should not have any kind of influence on our Church life. If we were to give in to fashion, then our services would last fifteen minutes, we would sit in our churches and there would be the playing of musical instruments. Perhaps the head covering does spoil one's hairdo; but at the same time, for example, women wear highheel shoes for the sake of beauty. It seems that one can endure discomfort for the sake of beauty, but to do so for the sake of God is impossible.
We find the basis for covering the head in Sacred Scripture itself, in the New Testament. The Most Holy Virgin Mary covered her head in the holy temple from her young years. According to tradition, her headcovering in the Jerusalem temple was light blue; therefore, on the feast days of the Theotokos our clergy wear light blue vestments. The Most Holy Theotokos wore a kerchief as a sign of her humility and submissiveness to God's will, which was manifested on the day of the Annunciation. In wearing a kerchief, the faithful woman recalls the image of her who was vouchsafed to carry the Saviour Himself. If the Most Pure and Most Blessed One herself had a covered head, shall we really consider the imitation of her as an abasement. Every outward action, accompanied by the correct Christian inward disposition, brings benefit to the soul. The Holy Church knows human nature and the effect of symbolism on man perfectly well. The Saviour frequently taught by means of parables and images, so that His teaching would be more understandable and intelligible to the people. And His Church teaches us by means of images and symbolic actions (the sign of the Cross, bows), in order to bring us closer to His Kingdom.
But why should only women cover their heads? This is not entirely true look at the hierarch; is not his head covered with a klobuk, and during the Divine services with a miter? The right to wear a headcovering is considered an award and an honor by the clergy. However, women, in coming to church with a headcovering, should not take it off; whereas clergy and monastics should take of and put on theirs at various times during the course of the Divine services.
And so, we have no basis for breaking the Church's statute. When Greeks, converts or just Church people come to our church and see women in church with uncovered heads, this disturbs them and leads them into perplexity! And there is nothing we can say in reply. For a thousand years Russian Orthodox women have prayed in Russian churches with covered heads. Let it not be us who neglect this profound custom. Let us remember the words of the Lord that he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much (Luke 16:10).
Parish Life, August 1994