In addition to external material attributes - vestments, the way of wearing the cross - Catholic and Orthodox priests are strikingly different in the tradition of shaving or growing facial hair.
Shaving your beard is optional among Catholic ministers. Some fathers wear small beards if they wish. But none of them has that huge, thick beard that is obligatory for any Orthodox priest. There are several reasons for this.
Image of Jesus
During the service, the Orthodox priest symbolizes the image of Christ, and the Son of God is traditionally depicted with a beard and mustache. Thus, the priests pay tribute to reverence and admiration for God. But the main reason still lies in the direct instruction not to cut hair and beard, which is in the Bible. In the Book of Leviticus, the Lord bequeathed to Moses and all the people: "Do not cut your head around, and do not spoil the edge of your beard" (chapter 19, verse 27).
Orthodox Christians took this commandment literally. In Russia, it was sacredly performed not only by priests, but also by ordinary laity. It was this image of a man - with a long uncut beard - that was considered good-looking, decent for a believer. For this reason, the new fashion for a shaved face, which was forcibly introduced by Peter the Great, was received with hostility.
Roman traditions
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The Catholic priest does not personify Christ during the service. Rather, he is equated with his parishioners. Catholicism is strongly influenced by Roman, more secular traditions. The ancient Romans, who finally embraced Christianity in a difficult struggle with pagan idols, considered shaving their faces as a mandatory hygienic procedure for any civilized person.
In ancient Rome, bearded men were considered barbarians. Such Roman legionaries met in the northern lands, where they often went for new slaves and wealth. The noble Roman patrician always carefully looked after his face and always shaved off excess vegetation, so as not to become like commoners and slaves. This tradition took root later in Catholicism. The clean-shaven face (in some monastic orders and the head) of a priest is considered a special symbol of holiness.
In connection with the tradition of shaving a beard in the Middle Ages, an unusual ritual arose. In the 9th century, the holy papal throne in the Vatican was rumored to be occupied by a woman. The legendary Pope John called herself John VIII. She felt such a strong desire for godliness that she hid her true gender in order to lead the church. All the priests shaved their faces, so no one was surprised at the beardless and effeminate father of the church.
After a scandalous incident during one of the ceremonies when the Pope allegedly gave birth to a baby, this shameful fact was forever erased from the history of the Roman Catholic Church. Whether all this was true or rumor is difficult to establish now. And yet, it was after that incident that the ritual of determining the sex of the future pontiff was established.
The applicant sat in a special Sella chair, in which a small hole was cut. The empowered holy father would simply run his hand under the seat and literally grope for physical evidence of the masculinity of the future head of the church. In the case of Orthodox priests, such problems have never arisen. Thick or not very beard clearly indicated the gender of the priest.