Contradictions in Orthodox Teaching on Ear Piercings

[GoingByzantine]

I have noticed through my readings that there seems to be contradictory teachings on whether earrings/ear piercing is licit by Orthodox Christians. On one hand I have read things such as:

"If an Orthodox Christian willfully insists on a tattoo or piercing, he should know that this may subject him to penances or suspension from Communion. This includes even tattoos of the Cross or of other Christian symbols." (https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2012/04/icon-of-christ-with-earring.html).

Saint Augustine also spoke out against earrings and other forms of jewelry on multiple occasions.

On the flip side there have been hierarchs such as the reposed Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens who told young people to "come as you are, earrings and all". I have also seen many Orthodox women wearing earrings to church with no visible problem at multiple parishes, and I saw a man with pierced ears (though no jewelry) at an Antiochian parish.

Things get even more complicated when you consider that there are period icons of female and male saints wearing earrings, legal records indicating that religious figures bequeathed earrings to their sons in the Byzantine period, and there is even an icon of Jesus wearing an earring (see this post). There are also plenty of biblical references to males and females wearing earrings, but none of them are approving or hostile of the act.

So now I ask, what is the Orthodox position on piercings, and specifically pierced ears? It technically is body modification, which is a big no no, but at the same time in the millennia that the church has existed there seems to be no official teaching on the matter...which is strange, at least to me. People in some jurisdictions could get excommunicated over this, while in others it is considered no big deal. Can someone provide some clarification?

(Note: I'm not planning on getting my ears pierced, I ask this out of genuine curiosity.)

 

[gzt]

Interpreting canons is always tricky and always must be contextualized. They're interpreted by modern bishops and so, yeah, if Met Christodoulos says it's fine, there you go.

You will almost always find contradictions when dealing with things that are purely disciplinary rather than moral.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Not only does the Serbian Orthodox literature in our narthex say tattoos are a sin and require confession, my priest detests them and agrees with that wholeheartedly. I must say, just speaking for myself, I concur. They are a desecration of flesh, unsightly, and a symptom of the primitive culture that the West is devolving into at a rapid rate. The West has a flirtation with the primitive now. You see people shoving discs in their ears like frisbees, rings in their noses like bulls, and covering their body with disgusting Marvel comics. There is an undercurrent that has become a tsunami of people admiring that which is backwards and barbaric rather than high-cultured and civilized. I find it troubling.

I have noticed through my readings that there seems to be contradictory teachings on whether earrings/ear piercing is licit by Orthodox Christians. On one hand I have read things such as:

"If an Orthodox Christian willfully insists on a tattoo or piercing, he should know that this may subject him to penances or suspension from Communion. This includes even tattoos of the Cross or of other Christian symbols." (https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2012/04/icon-of-christ-with-earring.html).

Saint Augustine also spoke out against earrings and other forms of jewelry on multiple occasions.

On the flip side there have been hierarchs such as the reposed Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens who told young people to "come as you are, earrings and all". I have also seen many Orthodox women wearing earrings to church with no visible problem at multiple parishes, and I saw a man with pierced ears (though no jewelry) at an Antiochian parish.

Things get even more complicated when you consider that there are period icons of female and male saints wearing earrings, legal records indicating that religious figures bequeathed earrings to their sons in the Byzantine period, and there is even an icon of Jesus wearing an earring (see this post). There are also plenty of biblical references to males and females wearing earrings, but none of them are approving or hostile of the act.

So now I ask, what is the Orthodox position on piercings, and specifically pierced ears? It technically is body modification, which is a big no no, but at the same time in the millennia that the church has existed there seems to be no official teaching on the matter...which is strange, at least to me. People in some jurisdictions could get excommunicated over this, while in others it is considered no big deal. Can someone provide some clarification?

(Note: I'm not planning on getting my ears pierced, I ask this out of genuine curiosity.)

 

[~Anastasia~]

There is a difference between "come as you are" (accepting a person who wants to become Orthodox who might already have tattoos) and giving a blessing for someone who is already Orthodox to do something.

A person isn't going to be rejected from becoming Orthodox because they have tattoos. But in all the cases I know of priests have always said "no" when a person has asked whether they can go out and get one.

And you are likely to get different answers regarding earrings vs tattoos ... just as there is a difference between an ear piercing where someone wears a small stud or someone who gets gauges and multiple piercings.

It's not only modifying the body, but also has to do with drawing attention to oneself.

 

[ArmyMatt]

canons are always accepted in full, and then applied pastorally. the are a guide to steer the Church.

so as an example with tattoos (and I think this goes with earrings as well), a large part is why you are getting them. there is a huge difference between someone who was inked because he was in a concentration camp during WWII vs someone who wants a tribal tattoo just because it looks cool.

 

[All4Christ]

It's not only modifying the body, but also has to do with drawing attention to oneself.

This is key. I’ve seen plenty of women with basic earrings. However, I don’t see women coming with massive hoop earrings or really heavy jewelry, etc.

We shouldn’t direct attention to ourselves and we shouldn’t be putting our focus on outward appearance.

“But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.”

1 Peter 3:4

 

[Meko126]

I’d like to add that seeing a man with pierced ears but no earrings doesn’t necessarily reflect Church teaching or tradition at all. My husband’s ears will always be noticeably pierced from his teen years but he doesn’t plan on ever wearing earrings again. My ears will also always be pierced, whether or not I choose to wear earrings. We are currently catechumens. This is an interesting topic though and it is the first time I’ve seen an Orthodox discussion of either piercings or tattoos.

 

[All4Christ]

I’d like to add that seeing a man with pierced ears but no earrings doesn’t necessarily reflect Church teaching or tradition at all. My husband’s ears will always be noticeably pierced from his teen years but he doesn’t plan on ever wearing earrings again. My ears will also always be pierced, whether or not I choose to wear earrings. We are currently catechumens. This is an interesting topic though and it is the first time I’ve seen an Orthodox discussion of either piercings or tattoos.

I never heard about it during my catechumenate either. Honestly, I still haven’t heard it discussed outside arenas like this or books. Modesty and focusing on God instead of focusing on our outward appearance though...that is something Fr discussed.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Yes I've never heard earrings discussed in any significant way. But yes, modesty and drawing attention to oneself and focusing on the outward appearance are definite topics.

I have a good friend who became Orthodox a few years ago and was heavily tattooed. She has since decided to have them removed. When she asked her priest, he told her "I would never have asked you to do that". But he gave her his blessing and said it was the right thing to do.

I had wondered for a while what the priest would say if I asked about tattoos to camouflage what have turned out to be pretty bad scars from my multiple surgeries. My surgeon says I don't heal well lol. And I dress in ways that cover them. But I never asked the priest - as it turns out I have issues with lymph moving under the surface of the skin as well and tattoos could make that worse, which could produce even worse effects than scars that can be covered. So I decided not to even entertain the idea. I might still ask to see what he would say out of curiosity. Being that it has nothing to do with being seen and correcting a medical issue it might be allowed. But that's still not the same as getting inked for the reasons people usually do it.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

So what I hear you saying is a holocaust survivor tattoo is different from someone with a giant grim reaper tat surrounded by Harleys and thorns with a “Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original” title on it and a “Glock—-Perfection” monicker on their forearm?

canons are always accepted in full, and then applied pastorally. the are a guide to steer the Church.

so as an example with tattoos (and I think this goes with earrings as well), a large part is why you are getting them. there is a huge difference between someone who was inked because he was in a concentration camp during WWII vs someone who wants a tribal tattoo just because it looks cool.

 

[gzt]

There are canonized saints with tattoos and pierced ears.

 

[~Anastasia~]

There are canonized Saints who are murderers and thieves and fornicators too.

Of course we all have a past - of some kind of another.

 

[ArmyMatt]

So what I hear you saying is a holocaust survivor tattoo is different from someone with a giant grim reaper tat surrounded by Harleys and thorns with a “Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original” title on it and a “Glock—-Perfection” monicker on their forearm?

yes

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Father Matt---practitioner of extreme brevity!

yes

 

[Hermit76]

So what I hear you saying is a holocaust survivor tattoo is different from someone with a giant grim reaper tat surrounded by Harleys and thorns with a “Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club Redwood Original” title on it and a “Glock—-Perfection” monicker on their forearm?

Involuntary vs. voluntary would make a difference.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I was kidding with Father Matt! You are correct!

Involuntary vs. voluntary would make a difference.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Father Matt---practitioner of extreme brevity!

yep.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

I'd hate to hear how you chant the Creed!

yep.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Most priests turn to face the people saying "peace be with you all"

Father Matt just says PBWYA (pronounced "pebwuhyah")

yep.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I'd hate to hear how you chant the Creed!

I don't chant the Creed. I listen to the people chant the Creed while I wave the Aer over the diskos and the chalice.