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Fr. Deacon Ed,

For married clergy, "Wisdom" might mean not growing a beard ... if one's wife has a say.

Cantor Joe,

You are quite correct! Discretion is also a sign of wisdom.

Edward, deacon and sinner

Dear Reverend Father Edward,

I do believe the Orthodox Churches quite insist on priests wearing beards.

A friend of mine, a convert from Anglicanism who is now an OCA priest and has a mission in Hamilton, Ontario, inquired about this and was told ("strongly encouraged") to grow a beard, which he is doing.

Small or big "T," I've yet to see an Orthodox priest without a beard (save for Met. Philip Sabiba of the Antiochians - but some think that jurisdiction is a bit modernist, you know ).

I have yet to come across anyone dedicated to Eastern traditions in our Church, a priest I mean, that has no beard.

And our Administrator has a beard too, as I understand.

I agree with Cantor Joseph, though, that beards for married clerics can be perceived as quite the "ticklish" issue with their wives . . .

Alex

I believe Met. Philip now has grown a beard. He is now fully Orthodox.

Celibate priests do not have a 'wife factor' to consider. So they can do anything they want with their facial hair.

I still think Z-Z-Top beats them all!

Well, speaking as a woman and potential wife (though as the years continue to fly by, the latter becomes less and less of a potentiality!), I would think the "wife factor" would make a priests MORE likely to shave, not less.

Kissing a beard can be icky-poo!

Dear Cantor Joseph,

Well, that's good to hear!

Many years, Despota!!

(I once met the good Metropolitan and reverendly kissed his hand. An Orthodox priest of his came up behind me and said to me, "Now you're in his good books forever - do you want to be a bishop?")

I know a priest who has the longest beard, but is bald on top.

How is that possible? Does it come from wearing a hat and not letting the sun shine through, as what happens with lawn-grass?

I once wore a fake beard when I played St Nicholas for an orphanage.

The kids came up to pull on my beard and that got me really worried!

They really believed I was St Nicholas and said, "Don't go away, FAther Nicholas, we want to be adopted by you."

I was almost in tears when I turned to them and said, "Father Nicholas has adopted you all a long time ago. Pray to me and I will hear you always and come to help you!"

Sniff . . .

Alex

Although Alex has been getting it right more than wrong lately, on this one issue, in the contemporary Orthodox Church, it's simply not true that there is a "requirement" to wear a beard. I know many priests who do not have beards. (My father, both my uncles, my grandfather... and many, many others.)

Yes, relax, I have one. It's not long, but I also work as a network engineer and networking instructor, plus my wife would throw me out of the house. :-) Yes, I've asked, and yes, she's told me as much.

I will acknowledge that some bishops will drop a not so subtle hint about wearing a beard, but you will never see a requirement in writing. Some priests may also take a light hearted jab at younger priests who do not have a beard, but never an older priest, to whom they should always show respect. I would say that more of the younger priests have beards than older. There is definitely a movement of more conservative practices sweeping the nation. Considering that around half of the approximately 2,000 Orthodox clergy in this land are converts, that's pretty amazing.

I would say maybe 75% of the priests in the OCA have beards. In the Antiochians, maybe 50%. In the Greeks, maybe less than 50%. These are very loose guesstimates, and maybe wrong, but probably not too much so.

There is no "obsession" with beards in Orthodoxy. The custom of wearing beards has no theological significance, although I've seen certain articles written about growing beards, and allowing your hair to grow, etc... That's just nonsense - a way of justifying a venerable custom using the bible and theology. It is, however, a strong Eastern European and Middle Eastern custom, and one worthy of keeping, considering Christianity's middle eastern roots.

And in fact, there is less consistency on beards in Orthodoxy than in clean shaven faces in other Western confessions... No one ever seems to mention that.

Priest Thomas

Bless me a sinner, Father Thomas!

I'll be shaving more closely from now on, just to let you know . . .

What other times have I got it wrong, by the way?

Kissing your right hand, I again implore your blessing,

Alex

May the Lord God bless you!

Do we really need to go there? Plus, who has time to go through your over 10,000 posts?

You're doing good work. Keep it up!

PT

Bless me a sinner, Father!

O.K., O.K., I get the picture . . .

Kissing your right hand, I again implore your blessing,

Alex

(Too bad our Latin friends don't have such a respectful way of addressing THEIR priests . . .)

Not so very long ago, when an Eastern Orthodox priest became Greek-Catholic, the first thing they would do to him was to make him shave off the beard. So just who is taking the beard issue too seriously? Incognitus

Dear Incognitus,

Gee Whiz!

Alex

Alex,

For many years I served as the president of a computer club. Our vice-president was a ROCOR priest -- and he had no beard! I cannot find anything in the rudder that would suggest wearing a beard to be an Orthodox requirement, and there is certainly nothing in Eastern canon law to require one.

Edward, deacon and sinner

Dear Reverend Father Deacon Edward,

If I should find one, do I get an icon from you?

Alex

You mean "Hey, Pop!" isn't respectful enough?