The Church is a place where we come for spiritual cleansing, and with prayer we turn to the Lord to tell him about our joys and sorrows, so it is very important to know all the nuances of communicating with clergy in order to avoid mistakes due to our ignorance. Depending on the dignity of a clergyman, there are standards of conversion.
When you come to church, do not say "Hello", instead you must say: "Glory to Jesus Christ", and in response you hear - "Forever, glory to God."
When saying goodbye, one should also not say: "Goodbye", but use: "Forgive Christ's sake." In response, you will hear: “God will forgive you; God bless."
When communicating with a priest, it is necessary to ensure that your gestures, speech, posture, facial expressions, and glance are decent. In practice, a person during a conversation should not be rude, use non-normative vocabulary, jargons. Facial expressions and gestures also need to be controlled, since minimal gestures are considered a sign of good manners.
It is strictly forbidden to touch the priest with your hands or to be familiar with him. It is also necessary to talk at a certain distance, since being too close to the priest, you violate not only the norms of etiquette, but also his personal space.
During a conversation, you cannot take a defiant or cheeky pose. If a clergyman is standing in front of you, you must also stand, you can sit down only after he offers it to you. The gaze should be humble, meek, and not ironic or too intent.
It is not accepted for church ministers, even the elderly to be called by patronymic, you can only by name.
The priest, introducing himself, will say about himself: "Priest Vasily" for example, and not call himself by name and surname. The clergy are never introduced in the first person, but only in the third.
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When parting or meeting, the laity are supposed to bow and ask the priest for blessing: "Forgive me, father and bless."
When talking with a priest, a believer should remember that the Lord Himself is speaking to him, therefore it is necessary to heed the words of the spiritual mentor.
If you need to invite a priest to perform the requirements, for example, by phone, then the conversation does not begin with the words: "Hello." You can ask: "Hello, this is the father …" and briefly describe the purpose of your call. Finishing the conversation, you need to say: "Bless."