Are Priests Allowed to Have Long Hair?

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I would guess that there are plenty of priests in the Latin tradition who come from cultural backgrounds where long hair on men is normative.
 
ConstantineTG said:
It doesn’t mean there are none of them out there. And it doesn’t mean that just because there was once case of a priest with long hair who turned out to be a crook, it doesn’t mean every priest who has long hair is a crook.

I’m just troubled that you put out an example without much explanation, and the topic is about long hair and not criminal records, yet you manage to summarize the length of hair with bad behavior. I hope we give our priests a fair shake here, this is hasty generalization at its worst and its never a good thing with priests or any other person.
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A Catholic priest should know that to be approachable to many people that there is a common acceptable guideline on appearance.

We are taught this in military service and men and women know this in business. You play a part - even when that part doesn’t necessary fit your personality.

That is, these men are agreeable to conformity. They cut their hair, they shave, they wear the suit that the Catholic Church designed for him, etc.
 
Barbkw said:
Sorry, I did a quick check back on those details. It wasn’t a bag of pot it was…
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Will you please stick to the thread topic. Your comments are totally irrelevant to the the OP’s question.
Are priests allowed to have long hair.
Answer is yes.
 
Barbkw said:
It’s a question of length (how long is too long) and a question of non-conformity. I’ve never seen a Catholic priest with long hair.
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The very role of the priest is one of non-conformity. Practicing celibacy is not exactly a part of mainstream culture anywhere I know of. Besides, Jesus was a non conformist, too, and he probably had long hair. Heck, I bet he didn’t even wear socks!
 
Well, Fr. Sean looks very similar to a priest we had back in 1971-75 in Northeastern Washington. He had been a Chaplain at the State pen. for many years. Looked like he just came in from 40 years in the desert. Boy, did he have a foul mouth on him too.

The poor man passed away about 10 years ago. I hope he was able to make a good confession before meeting our Lord.
 
Barbkw said:
A Catholic priest should know that to be approachable to many people that there is a common acceptable guideline on appearance.
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I don’t know why or how long hair would repel anyone.
Barbkw said:
We are taught this in military service and men and women know this in business. You play a part - even when that part doesn’t necessary fit your personality.
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Welcome to the new millennium. I was at an interview once where the hiring manager has several face piercings. I was in a small claims court once and the judge had some hair coloring (a pink streak).
Barbkw said:
That is, these men are agreeable to conformity. They cut their hair, they shave, they wear the suit that the Catholic Church designed for him, etc.
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Does this priest on the right look unapproachable to you?

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ConstantineTG said:
I don’t know why or how long hair would repel anyone.
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Exactly - man or woman, long hair is fine as long as it is neat and clean. That is the standard in the vast majority of businesses.

And in those that aren’t, like the military or healthcare profession, you’ll find it’s usually for OH & S reasons rather than appearance or ‘approachability’. Eg soldiers go on military manoeuvres sometimes for many days at a time in remote places without being able to wash - short hair is more hygienic in those circumstances. Priests have no such concerns preventing them having long hair.
Welcome to the new millennium. I was at an interview once where the hiring manager has several face piercings. I was in a small claims court once and the judge had some hair coloring (a pink streak).
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Exactly. One job I had at a big law firm. I met the two principals of the firm at different times after I’d been hired - neither wearing ties, one wearing a polo and long shorts! Mind you, the latter was in a smart casual context rather than a business context, but that was carrying things quite far even for smart casual.

Does this priest on the right look unapproachable to you?

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Tsuwano said:
The very role of the priest is one of non-conformity. Practicing celibacy is not exactly a part of mainstream culture anywhere I know of. Besides, Jesus was a non conformist, too, and he probably had long hair. Heck, I bet he didn’t even wear socks!
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:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
Ya ,think?
 
I think there used to be rules for Latin Rite priests that they couldn’t have any “vanities,” that is, long hair, jewelry, glitzy watches, etc. I think part of the point was to enforce a more visible rank system between prelates and priests. Now, I don’t mean that prelates could wear long hair, though.

Even in some seminaries today, like FSSP and ICRSS seminaries, men are required to have a short haircut.
 
YoungTradCath said:
I think there used to be rules for Latin Rite priests that they couldn’t have any “vanities,” that is, long hair, jewelry, glitzy watches, etc. I think part of the point was to enforce a more visible rank system between prelates and priests. Now, I don’t mean that prelates could wear long hair, though.

Even in some seminaries today, like FSSP and ICRSS seminaries, men are required to have a short haircut.
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I didn’t know long hair is a vanity. I’m pretty sure monks in the middle of the desert with no access to haircutters aren’t vain people.
 
ConstantineTG said:
I didn’t know long hair is a vanity. I’m pretty sure monks in the middle of the desert with no access to haircutters aren’t vain people.
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Exactly! At many points in history and in many places, it was considered vanity to have short hair. After all, who could afford a barber to cut one’s hair or razors to shave?
 
Tsuwano said:
Exactly! At many points in history and in many places, it was considered vanity to have short hair. After all, who could afford a barber to cut one’s hair or razors to shave?
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That is right. That is why in the East monastics do not cut their hair. Because its vanity to do so, that is why they have the big beards. The long hair sometimes is not obvious but if you look closely you will see they have long hair, if they have any hair left 😉
 
ConstantineTG said:
I didn’t know long hair is a vanity. I’m pretty sure monks in the middle of the desert with no access to haircutters aren’t vain people.
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My posts deal with the secular Western Church. I’m not stepping on anyone’s Eastern sensibilities.
 
ConstantineTG said:
Is vanity different from the East and West?
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That’s as silly as asking, “Is culture different between the US and Japan?” Of course vanity is different between the East and West. Why are you trying to entrap me?
 
Very interesting!

I had someone tell me that a big part of his conversion was due to a longhaired priest in the 70’s telling him to read the explaination of real Love in Corinthians after he had mistaken him for a hippy.

I’ve had long hair for most of my life, I hadn’t cut it for around 3 + 1/2 years untill recently. I figured it would be more sensible since I’m considering the seminary. Good to know that I could have the possibility of growing it again if it suits 😛
 
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