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Icons

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Prayer, Fasting and Worship › Icons

The question

I know that icons are a hallmark of Orthodoxy. My question is how do we venerate icons? Is kissing the icon a necessary part of veneration or is it a customary thing? The coronavirus causes me to think of this. I know nothing bad can come from the Eucharist because it is actually God, but what about the kissing of icons.

The answer

Kissing the icons, whether directly on the icon or indirectly by touching it and kissing your hands, are traditional customs. It is not mandatory to kiss icons. This custom is to venerate the saints but it is not related to one's salvation, such as the Holy Eucharist and the other Holy Mysteries of the Church. Thus, it is sufficient to bow or prostrate before an icon and make the gesture of kissing it with reverence but without touch.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Related questions

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 2300 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.