Are Priests Allowed to Have Long Hair?

[Dale_M]

This is true . . . but then again, a man who shaves his head may be distracting as well.

At first, anyways.

Someone recently posted a video by a young priest with a shaved head. I was startled by the contrast of his age and lack of hair until I looked closely and saw the stubble. I mentally shrugged, thought “that is odd,” and then paid attention to what he was saying.

I suppose the same would be generally true of long hair on priests. However, some lay persons might remain put-off by his hair length.

 

[lauraabarlow]

This is true . . . but then again, a man who shaves his head may be distracting as well. And of course, looking decent and professional depends on where one lives and what profession one practices.

Many guys at my job shave their heads (^-^)

 

[Tsuwano]

Many guys at my job shave their heads (^-^)

I hope you don’t find them too distracting.

 

[Tsuwano]

At first, anyways.

Someone recently posted a video by a young priest with a shaved head. I was startled by the contrast of his age and lack of hair until I looked closely and saw the stubble. I mentally shrugged, thought “that is odd,” and then paid attention to what he was saying.

I suppose the same would be generally true of long hair on priests. However, some lay persons might remain put-off by his hair length.

Yeah, you’re right. Maybe we shouldn’t focus too much on hairstyle and keep our attention focused on the word of the Lord.

 

[Darran]

Saying that, if you saw my old hair I think you would find it distracting! I’m strongly considering the seminary so I cut it off for presentation sake, but was just wondering. Its hard to get rid of, it grows on you after a while p)

 

[april32010]

not sure where this fellow has been, but he had quite a following a few years ago on the web

thepunkpriest.com/news.asp

I remember reading that his Masses were packed, and he was a powerful preacher

boblubic.blogspot.com/search/label/Celibacy

It is time to re-address the practice of mandatory celibacy for the diocesan priesthood. It is not dogma or doctrine, it is only a Practice that CAN be changed tomorrow, if the Vatican wants it changed.

1/3 of the priests in Milwaukee asked for celibacy to be re-addressed at the US bishops conference, six years ago. They were ignored, it is time these priests are heard.

 

[O_Moriah]

My non practicing and quite anti-Catholic Catholic sister sent me a news article of a civilian clothed long haired Catholic priest who was arrested for possessing a rather large bag of marijuana.

What do you say to that?

Does a picture of a priest with short hair who has been convicted of theft or molestation mean that all short-haired priests are as suspect of being thieves and molesters as long-haired priests are suspect of being potheads?

To answer the questions: yes, priests can have long hair. The regulation of beard and hair which was common under the 1917 Code is abrogated. Conferences of bishops can establish new norms under the new Code, but none have been issued for the U.S., which means anything which is not specifically anti-Christian (e.g., shaping the hair into devil horns) is allowable.

Local bishops may try to regulated such things, but, there is little they can do with regard to enforcement, let alone punishment. And in the absence of a norm set by the Conference of Bishops, a juridical appeal to the Congregation of the Clergy would probably side with the priest over the bishop.

 

[gnosisofthomas]

It’s always been my understanding that Roman Catholic priests are to keep their hair short (although I don’t know exactly how long is considered too long), whereas allowing one’s hair to grow in the fashion of a Nazarite has been a long tradition among clergy and monastics of the Eastern Church. What we consider long hair to be varies a lot, as fashions change…

Pope Anicetus forbade clergy from having long hair in the 2nd century, and it’s been suggested that that was because some Gnostic sects wore their hair long. I don’t know how much truth there is in that reasoning though.

 

[Georgia]

There’s a great priest in my diocese who has hair way below his shoulders. He wears it in a ponytail for Mass. It surprised me too, but, as I said, he’s is a fantastic priest, so I cannot imagine why anyone would care even if it gets longer than Crystal Gayle’s hair.

 

[gnosisofthomas]

There’s a great priest in my diocese who has hair way below his shoulders. He wears it in a ponytail for Mass. It surprised me too, but, as I said, he’s is a fantastic priest, so I cannot imagine why anyone would care even if it gets longer than Crystal Gayle’s hair.

That’s kind of awesome!

 

[ConstantineTG]

I think it started with good reason why Latin priests shave and cut their hair and Eastern priests grow their hair out. Then at some point when the schism was brewing, it became part of the polemical attacks, both sides accusing each other of heresy because of how their priests either grew out their beards or shaved.

The tradition of beards in the East goes a long way. You can see even in older icons that men are always depicted with beards. Men without beards are always adolescents or pre-adolescents. You will see in icons of the Last Supper that St. John is an unbearded fellow, and in icons depicting him as the Gospel writer or John the Theologian, you have an older fellow with beard. St. John was about 15 during the Last Supper.

I believe the Western Tradition of shaving started because they were afraid of leaving the Precious Blood in their facial hair after receiving.