Sign Cross Direction (Teachings of the Orthodox Church) Christianity. Orthodoxy. Catholicism. Sense of life. Articles for Christians.
“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.                “You shall have no other gods before me.                “You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.                “You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.                “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. You shall labor six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God. You shall not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; for in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.                “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.                “You shall not murder.                “You shall not commit adultery.                “You shall not steal.                “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.                “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
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Sign Cross Direction (Teachings of the Orthodox Church)
   

QUESTION:

Is there an explanation for why Eastern Christians make the sign of the cross from the right should to the left, while Western Christians make the sign of the cross from the left shoulder to the right.

ANSWER:

While it is generally known that Western Christians, until the 11th, 12th, or 13th centuries, originally made the sign of the cross in the same manner that Orthodox Christians do to this day, the exact reason as to why the Western Christians reversed this is not widely known.

When an Orthodox priests faces the people and blesses them, they literally trace his blessing on themselves as they make the sign of the Cross. Hence, the priest moves his hand from left to right, while the faithful touch their shoulders from right to left, thereby moving in the same direction at the same time.

For years I have been trying to find out the exact reason as to why the West reversed this on the part of the people, even though the priest blesses in the same direction as an Orthodox priest would. It seems to be one of those things that just happened, although I am no Church historian.

Keep your ears open and, if you hear of any explanations, please share them!






Published in January 2011.









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