At Baptism, the priest puts on a pectoral cross on the one who has received the Sacrament. Today it marks the conversion of a person to the Christian Orthodox faith. Do I now have to wear it all the time, or is there some special order?
The cross is a symbol of belonging to the Orthodox Church
For the first time, the theologian John Chrysostom (347-407) mentions people who wore the symbols of the Cross of the Lord on their chests in the third part of his work "Against the Anomees". But he was talking about encolpions-medallions. Initially, these were wooden four-sided boxes with relics. At an early stage, particles of relics, chips from the Golgotha tree, parts of lists of holy books, and other shrines could be inside. The monogram of the name of Jesus Christ was depicted on the outer side of the encolpion (translated from Greek - "breastplate"). Directly worn crosses appear in wide use in the 9th-11th centuries.
In Russia, the beginning of the tradition of wearing a pectoral cross dates back to the 17th century. Then it became an obligatory part during the baptismal procedure. Adults wore it over clothing, for show, as a clear and unambiguous indication of Christian baptism. The pectoral cross, which is worn by Russian Orthodox priests according to the rank, appeared even later, in the 18th century.
Wearing the cross is an honor and a responsibility
It is an honor and a great responsibility to wear a pectoral cross on your chest for a truly believing Orthodox person. A blasphemous or disdainful attitude towards the cross has always been condemned and perceived by the people as an act of apostasy and offending the dignity of believers.
It is widely known in Russia such a rite of oath of fidelity as the kissing of the cross, Russian people changed and became brothers-in-arms with pectoral crosses. The cross on the chest symbolizes participation in the sufferings and deeds of Jesus Christ and the readiness to follow the Gospel commandments of the Savior, to fight with our passions, not to condemn and forgive those close to us.
How to wear
The pectoral cross is not a talisman or a talisman. And this is not a fashionable piece of jewelry on an expensive gold chain, which is worn on some occasion to this or that outfit. On the other hand, one must understand that wearing a cross in itself does not save you from anything and means little to an unbeliever. The attitude towards the cross must be in accordance with faith.
Someone does not part with him in the bath - there were even special wooden replaceable crosses so that the metal would not burn the chest. But blindly following all sorts of superstitions associated with the cross is also extreme. Of course, losing or leaving your cross somewhere is an unpleasant event. But it still states only one thing: the rope or chain broke.
