Catholic church lays down dress code

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It is distracting when people aren’t dressed modestly in church. The vast majority of the people in the church I attend are dressed in a way that is fine but then on a summer’s day and it is a female problem, a small minority may I add that think it is fine to wear low cut tops.
It is distracting as you are there thinking they could have dressed more appropriately for the house of God.
I haven’t seen anything this year thankfully that distracts from the mass.
 
Tom317 said:
As I said, you are more concerned with humans, then God.
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It is not your place to make that comment. You should learn your place and not make yourself God or self appoint yourself as his personal spokesman.
 
A dress code is something that should be first and foremost MODEST. Secondly our focus on what clothing people should wear should not turn into materialism. Materialism can be a sin.

Materialism can consist in thinking that since jeans are inappropriate for a Wedding then we can’t ever wear them for Sunday Mass. A Wedding is an entirely different occasion than Sunday Mass. Some suits that I have seen some Men wear can be as gawdy as a Football jersey. The same can apply to some jeans or slacks.
 
childofmary1143 said:
It is not your place to make that comment. You should learn your place and not make yourself God or self appoint yourself as his personal spokesman.
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He claims that because I would wear a suit to a wedding but not to Sunday mass I am more concerned about humans than God. However, I would also point out that at my own wedding, I wore a Tuxedo, but I have never worn one to mass. If I really wanted to please God should I rent a Tux every week?
 
When God looks at you, He does not see your clothes or any material possessions of this world; however, He does see straight to the soul and recognizes what your intentions are with the clothing you choose to adorn yourself.

If a hooker suddenly realized that she needed a new life in God but didn’t have better clothes to wear to church, don’t you think God would rather her come to church rather than let material objects keep her from Him?

Additionally, there are many harlots in the church that dress very respectably and yet go to church with intentions out of God’s favor. Don’t think for one second that her outward appearance fools God.

What you wear to mass has little to do with respect for God as much as it has to deal with respect for our brothers and sisters in Christ. I’d like to think that if someone truly care about God and His people, they would choose not to dress in a way that could distract from His message. It’s important for these people to be made aware if their clothing is distracting to their brothers and sisters, but we cannot allow ourselves to deny them access to God’s church based on our opinions of their attire as our God does not mind them there if their intentions in His church are well.

Even so, it’s important that we not be unreasonable in what we consider appropriate attire as people may feel turned away from the church if over-scrutinized, something I’m sure God would dislike more than bad clothes. Also realize that if we are in a mindset that would allow mere clothing of another person to distract us from God’s will, then maybe a more important thing we should consider is our current path with God and why we would allow material things to take us so easily from His focus.

( All of this also applies to life outside of church walls. 🙂 Maybe even moreso )
 
You know it seems that some people tend to think that others should dress to please them and that going to Mass should be a fashion statement. I believe that God does not look at how expensive our clotting is, or how new etc.

I do think that our bodies should be covered modestly. No bu** cracks showing, no cleavage to the waistline, not seeing others underclothing when they stand or sit and no skin between the bust-line and hips. We should be as clean as we can be in body and mind, and respectful of others feelings. This is all I ask of others.
 
I agree with Unloud. The most important thing is that people come to church at all. And although I personally am refraining from wearing jeans to Mass (maybe it is my private penance since I really like to wear jeans) I don’t look down on people who do or wish they would leave. However, with myself, I have noticed that my outward posture/position/gestures reflect my inner attitude. I think CS Lewis has a good quote about that but I can’t remember it. And I don’t know if I can explain it right but I must discipline myself with external things in order to put the internal things in right order. CS Lewis fans, help me with that quote! Am I making any sense?!
 
buffalo said:
I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand it is good they come, on the other we again are dressing to minimum standards.

It is like the 10 Commandments - they are the minimum daily requirements for a Catholic, yet there is so much more.
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…the old bit…golly at least they come…sure…but would 'they’dress that way to meet someone they liked and respected! I fought the killing of the dress code at my catholic (small c) high school…was the only faculty member to do that.and so for three years chaos boomed at school…education is serious busines as is the House of God…being a depression era baby we had little new clothes but would never consider going to church in ripped jeans and peek a boo blouses…of course we had higher standards back then…
 
maklavan said:
The problem is one of enforcement. Are you going to have bouncers at the door turning away those considered to be improperly dressed?
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I think if what they were wearing was so immodest that it was sinful. then people would have a right to turn them away! In a loving way of course! …and then maybe try to explain to them why this is not a good thing! :yup: As I said in an earlier post, they have “bouncers” in the church doorways in Malta, and it works a treat! 😃

I do agree though, when it comes to Mass, we cannot enforce a dress code (except in the case of clothing being sinfully immodest). Jesus sees what’s in our hearts, and if we are just wearing nice clothes because we have to, then it is not really a loving effort, it is the same as “lip service”; empty. 😦

On the other hand I do believe that everyone should make their best effort out of love and reverence for God and the Blessed Eucharist. After all we are **celebrating ** the Marriage of the Lamb. We are being invited to The Lord’s Supper. So when it comes to dress, your own love of God will dictate how lovingly or reverently YOU decide is approriate. And if we do decide to dress well for Jesus, then let it be for Jesus, and stop worrying about what others are doing (again, unless it is sinful, then it’s your duty to do something).
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, nor about your body, what clothes you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?..Look first for God’s Kingdom and his Righteousness and all these other things will be given to you as well" Mt6
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KathleenElsie said:
You know it seems that some people tend to think that others should dress to please them and that going to Mass should be a fashion statement. I believe that God does not look at how expensive our clotting is, or how new etc.

I do think that our bodies should be covered modestly. No bu** cracks showing, no cleavage to the waistline, not seeing others underclothing when they stand or sit and no skin between the bust-line and hips. We should be as clean as we can be in body and mind, and respectful of others feelings. This is all I ask of others.
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…funny folks always like to use the domino theory…have clothes bouncers at the door…or gee.God wants all to come to His church dressed or not…manners and civility went out with Father knows best! How many teens go to their prom dressed like slobs…the temporary removal of the dress code at my school proved to be a horrible mistake…kids also were told to NOT clean up after them in the cafeteria…or also NOT have to report to study halls etc if they did NOT want to…finally after the board of health came in…and after constant false fire alarms…the idiot principal…(a man posing as a priest who later married a woman in the parish and left…good ridance…) he was fired because of our petition…and so it goes…ask for just a little and out comes the nonsense…like the aclu …if youl dont allow this…tomorrow the burning of books…etc…yeh right
 
I disagree with those who feel that the important thing is not manner of dress for Church but that people come at all.

The Mass can be thought of as a rehearsal for the heavenly banquet. We all know that how ever much God wants us all to be there, the standard of admission is not going to be “come as you like as long as you come”; if our hearts/lives don’t measure up, we’re going to be left out in the cold. True, manner of dress doesn’t necessarily reflect the heart, but it often does.

God loves us and wants communion with us; that doesn’t mean He doesn’t set standards that we’re expected to live by. Feeling that we can dress as we like in His house sounds a little presumptuous to me. My respect for my earthly parents causes me to think twice about how I talk or dress in their house whereas at my home all I have to consider are my personal tastes.

To me the only real point up for discussion here is what exactly constitutes acceptable/unacceptable dress - not whether there should be such a distinction.
 
my point has always been that taste is not set in stone. people will say casual jeans are not appropriate. that the denim cotton is not good for God. BUT, if you get the cotton and make it into a tighter knit dress pant, that IS ok. But blue jeans are too informal. but the SAME cotton material, dyed black, into a slack, is OK. but the black dyed denim, same material, different stitch, is too informal. but shorts are bad. my shorts to my knees are bad. but cotton skirts to the knees for women are ok. unless they are denim, then informal. but if they are tight knit twill or tight cotton stitch, then OK. but not denim ever. except long denim pants in black with tucked shirt. but shirt that is cotton with a collar, OK. but collarless cotton, not OK.

see? it’s all arbitrary. get your butt to Holy Mass where it belongs every Sunday and thank God that you have the breath in you to see other people, let alone critique their dress.
 
Here is a “Vatican dress code”…
flickr.com/photos/warg2/544332109/

I have seen those two top images in Church – the priest doesn’t say anything…

This “Vatican dress code” should be posted at every Roman Catholic Church and enforced.
 
Well IMHO it seems that there are people that are more concerned with the material that is used in the clothing then the clothing. If you read the OP reference to the code. It included jeans as being OK. The code was mostly to remind people to cover the parts of the body that are seen in the Vatican sign.

Denim is not the issue here. It is how tight, how long and how revealing the clothing is. In the USA the fashion is tight, low cut jeans. The working man/woman’s denim is usually loose and built for function.
 
I think I see that most people on this thread agree on at least a couple of matters:
  1. Immodesty is sinful and should not be permitted in church (as far as is possible)
  2. people should make their ***best effort ***to dress well when attending Mass (as circumstances permit). But one person’s best effort might be diffrent from another’s, depending on their circumstances; i.e. where you’ve came from, where you’re going, availability of clothing etc.
Ok, that said; is there any ***other ***issues that anyone has? If so I think i’m missing it!
 
Pat_the_Cat said:
I think I see that most people on this thread agree on at least a couple of matters:
  1. Immodesty is sinful and should not be permitted in church (as far as is possible)
  2. people should make their ***best effort ***to dress well when attending Mass (as circumstances permit). But one person’s best effort might be diffrent from another’s, depending on their circumstances; i.e. where you’ve came from, where you’re going, availability of clothing etc.
Ok, that said; is there any ***other ***issues that anyone has? If so I think i’m missing it!
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I think the “where you are going” part is sometimes taken as more important then the “how we are dressed for Mass” part.

If people have plans for a day at the beach after Mass they sure would not find there bathingsuits as the way to dress.😃 Yet to a lesser extent many others will just find it more “convient” to wear their shorts and play clothing to Mass so they don’t have to return home to change.🤷
 
seekerz said:
I disagree with those who feel that the important thing is not manner of dress for Church but that people come at all.

The Mass can be thought of as a rehearsal for the heavenly banquet. We all know that how ever much God wants us all to be there, the standard of admission is not going to be “come as you like as long as you come”; if our hearts/lives don’t measure up, we’re going to be left out in the cold. True, manner of dress doesn’t necessarily reflect the heart, but it often does.

God loves us and wants communion with us; that doesn’t mean He doesn’t set standards that we’re expected to live by. Feeling that we can dress as we like in His house sounds a little presumptuous to me. My respect for my earthly parents causes me to think twice about how I talk or dress in their house whereas at my home all I have to consider are my personal tastes.

To me the only real point up for discussion here is what exactly constitutes acceptable/unacceptable dress - not whether there should be such a distinction.
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👍
 
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