Catholic church lays down dress code

[kprobson]

Is there not a parable in Matthew 22 stating that if you don’t prepare yourself with the proper garb when going before the King (ergo, God) then you will be cast outside of the walls?

Dressing as best one can to attend Mass follows this.

It IS distressing that holey, casual clothing is worn at church. It indicates their lack of respect for God.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

More importantly, What would Jesus be wearing to this dinner? Robe and sandals or suit and tie?

Christ Himself gave us the parable of the guests at the King’s feast. Those who did not clad themselves appropriately were cast into the outer darkness.

Slovenliness in dress defeats reverence.

 

[Appleby]

A couple of weeks ago I noticed a man at the communion rail in a jacket that proclaimed POKER STARS to the congregation. He could have slipped out of that before coming forward, if he had remembered it contained advertising for on-line gambling at all.

At our high-church Episcopal church in Atlanta we had a beadle at the door during weddings and high-volume holidays to insist that women who displayed inordinate amounts of bosom, backside and other body parts cover those areas up before entering the church. In these situations involving people whose last trip into a church was when they were baptized, many people simply do not know better. However, the modern generation feels Entitled to show up in their underpants (literally!) or shortie pajamas and bare feet if they want to,and they argue loudly that they GottaRight to do anything, go anywhere, and incidentally talk out loud ceaselessly if they Wanna.

If the policy is in writing, this makes the beadles job easier.

 

[CHRIS_DICKSON]

Something has to be done. More and more people are showing up to Mass dressed like they just walked off the beach; adult men with cut-off jeans and flip-flops while their wives are practically in string bikini’s! Many of these people are very wealthy and dress “to the 9’s” during the week, especially while entertaining business clients or hosting cocktail parties, yet come into the presence of Jesus dressed like beach bums. I believe their casual dress displays their casual indifference to Christ in the Eucharist.

 

[LisaA]

dress codes…IMHO, are complete idiocy. People like having their hands held, i don’t. if folks want to dress in tank tops, so be it. i don’t care, thats between them and God.

People want to regulate good taste inside and outside of Church, and you can’t do it. well, they can try to, but they’re wrong.

i want a Church, not a nanny. Jesus wouldn’t have been wearing acceptable garb to enter his own Church under the Manilla code.

I would agree that a detailed or overly burdensome dress code is inappropriate, but simply asking for modest dress in the presence of Jesus does not seem to be such an imposition.

I also think sloppy or provacative clothing is very disrespectful to the Church, to the priest and to your fellow parish members. It is hard NOT to notice overly short skirts, plunging necklines, “bum crack” level pants or shorts on the young people, particularly when people are sitting directly in front of you…not to mention in the line for Communion.

While IMO it’s disrespectful to wear provacative or sloppy clothing to mass, even worse is to see one of the Eucaristic Ministers so dressed. As one of my favorite Catholic radio hosts said, “I do not want to take Communion looking at some man’s hairy legs and grubby toes in a pair of flip flops.” Yuckko! If nothing else I wish our parish would ask the EM’s to take this honor seriously and dress like they care.

Lisa A

 

[soflochristmas]

dress codes…IMHO, are complete idiocy. People like having their hands held, i don’t. if folks want to dress in tank tops, so be it. i don’t care, thats between them and God.

People want to regulate good taste inside and outside of Church, and you can’t do it. well, they can try to, but they’re wrong.

i want a Church, not a nanny. Jesus wouldn’t have been wearing acceptable garb to enter his own Church under the Manilla code.

Only in today’s day and age can we not expect a dress code to worship God but only people in appropriate attire can golf.

 

[LilyM]

Oh my dear, if I have anything that needs ironing I give to the local charity. Haha!
Everything I buy is ‘NO IRON’. I all too well remember those days when every night was spent over the ironing board at least an hour.

This lady is actually so very nice. I think maybe I should have just ignored what I and others saw and just concentrated on the the 1st and 2nd readings and the gospel to come rather than allow my eye to wander. I need to remember that and not forget the real reason why I am at mass shouldn’t I?

I can just imagine that for every person I look at and think ‘what on earth were they thinking when they put that on’, there is probably someone else out there who would do the same when they see me - at least sometimes.

Case in point - yesterday I was wearing some reasonably well-loved shoes, and doing a LOT of walking in 'em. Towards the end of the day something started feeling funny. I looked down. Sure enough the bottom part of one of my heels had clean fallen off. Thank goodness I could still walk in them, but anyone looking at me would’ve had a good laugh.

Same on one other occasion when I accidentally slopped some sauce from my lunch onto a nice clean white shirt (why oh why do I always have to spill food or drink on myself when I’m wearing a WHITE shirt!). I did my best to hide the stain with my jacket, I imagine with only partial success.

 

[Tigg]

A couple of weeks ago I noticed a man at the communion rail in a jacket that proclaimed POKER STARS to the congregation. He could have slipped out of that before coming forward, if he had remembered it contained advertising for on-line gambling at all.

I can beat this one! A month or so ago, a young teenager brought up the gifts with (I presume her parents) dressed in shorts so short (it would be inappropriate on this forum to graphically describe what I saw) that I had an irresistable urge to run after her and tuck my sweater around her waist!

Not too long ago, during our largest attended Sunday Mass, another teenager (a boy - again I presume with his mother) brought up the gifts wearing tennies with no socks, black shorts and t-shirt with a skull and cross bones on the back that said “NO FEAR!”

 

[Mary_Joy]

I would agree that a detailed or overly burdensome dress code is inappropriate, but simply asking for modest dress in the presence of Jesus does not seem to be such an imposition.

I also think sloppy or provacative clothing is very disrespectful to the Church, to the priest and to your fellow parish members. It is hard NOT to notice overly short skirts, plunging necklines, “bum crack” level pants or shorts on the young people, particularly when people are sitting directly in front of you…not to mention in the line for Communion.

While IMO it’s disrespectful to wear provacative or sloppy clothing to mass, even worse is to see one of the Eucaristic Ministers so dressed. As one of my favorite Catholic radio hosts said, “I do not want to take Communion looking at some man’s hairy legs and grubby toes in a pair of flip flops.” Yuckko! If nothing else I wish our parish would ask the EM’s to take this honor seriously and dress like they care.

Lisa A

:sad_yes: I TOTALLY agree! During the Summer, I see women and girls wearing Spaghetti Strap tops and dresses with plunging necklines and it’s an embarassing site to see. It’s a TOTAL disrespect of what the Church is all about. A Holy place where you can focus on GOD and GOD ONLY.

 

[Snugglebugmom]

I think it all comes down to respect. By dressing appropriately you show respect to our Lord, and I don’t think that is too much to ask. People are very quick these days to say:“It is my right, this is who I am and if you don’t like it, tough.”
While Jesus was most definitely not about personal appearance, he also made it quite clear that there was a certain way to behave in the (then) temple, His Father’s house.
Showing cleavage (top or bottom), stained clothes, torn clothes… Those are all things that, even on a tight budget, are not necessary and show a great lack of respect and common courtesy. Just my two cents, of course.

 

[onthenarrowpath]

While I completely agree people should dress modestly and appropriately for church - ie. no halter tops, no short shorts (I’d say regular shorts are okay), no cleavage showing, no rear-end cracks showing…I do NOT agree that dresses should be required of women or that men should wear coats and ties. Likewise, if the only clothes a person owns are a golf shirt which is a bit stained or has a missing button, I don’t see how that is an issue. Jesus told His disciples not to worry about what they will wear because life was about more than food and the body about more than clothes, and James 2 said we should not look down upon the poor man who comes into the assembly wearing filthy clothes.

 

[CHRIS_DICKSON]

While I completely agree people should dress modestly and appropriately for church - ie. no halter tops, no short shorts (I’d say regular shorts are okay), no cleavage showing, no rear-end cracks showing…I do NOT agree that dresses should be required of women or that men should wear coats and ties. Likewise, if the only clothes a person owns are a golf shirt which is a bit stained or has a missing button, I don’t see how that is an issue. Jesus told His disciples not to worry about what they will wear because life was about more than food and the body about more than clothes, and James 2 said we should not look down upon the poor man who comes into the assembly wearing filthy clothes.

Excellent point!

As a Franciscan, I certainly have no problems with people who are struggling to put food on their table, let alone worry about how they dress. But the important difference here is whether someone is in poverty or choosing to see who can show the most skin. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to have someone address this issue from the pulpit once in a while so that people have a clear idea of what is expected of someone coming to the Supper Table of the Lord. Scriptures tell us there is a vast difference between the pre-Jesus and the post-Jesus attire of Mary Magdalene.

 

[Secret_Square]

Some of these CA posts about how to dress for church bring up the parable of the wedding feast and how the guest who didn’t show up properly dressed was thrown out.

Years ago in a Catholic bible study group, I was told that this parable leaves out a very important detail that in Christ’s time would have been taken for granted.

A lot of people who hear this parable probably wonder why a king would invite a bunch of beggars off the street to his son’s wedding and then get miffed that one didn’t show up properly dressed. Well, in the time of Christ, when kings or other dignitaries gave wedding feasts or banquets, they PROVIDED the guests with suitable clothing to wear (I assume some kind of robe or tunic or both). If a guest showed up not properly dressed, it could only be because he had REFUSED to wear the clothing provided by the host. The man in the parable says nothing when he is asked why he isn’t dressed properly – he doesn’t say “But I have nothing to wear,” or “I could not afford to buy a nice robe on such short notice,” or “The dog ate my robe” – because he knows he has no excuse.

The point of the parable is supposed to be that when Christ invites us to the Kingdom of God, He provides us everything we need to get in, and if we fail to gain admission it can only be because we refused the grace he offered.

If we apply this parable to how we should dress for church, I would suggest that churches which decide to impose dress codes should also, as much as possible, keep spare clothing on hand in a range of sizes to give to people who, through no fault of their own, show up for Mass not properly dressed. In that way they are offering people what they need to gain entrance, and there is truly no excuse for someone disregarding that. Some wrap skirts for women that reach to the knee, plus a few lightweight cardigan sweaters, shawls or jackets to cover up bare shoulders, midriffs, etc. Spare suit jackets could be set aside for men to cover up tank tops or T-shirts with potentially offensive designs or slogans.

 

[LisaA]

Some of these CA posts about how to dress for church bring up the parable of the wedding feast and how the guest who didn’t show up properly dressed was thrown out.

Years ago in a Catholic bible study group, I was told that this parable leaves out a very important detail that in Christ’s time would have been taken for granted.

If we apply this parable to how we should dress for church, I would suggest that churches which decide to impose dress codes should also, as much as possible, keep spare clothing on hand in a range of sizes to give to people who, through no fault of their own, show up for Mass not properly dressed. In that way they are offering people what they need to gain entrance, and there is truly no excuse for someone disregarding that. Some wrap skirts for women that reach to the knee, plus a few lightweight cardigan sweaters, shawls or jackets to cover up bare shoulders, midriffs, etc. Spare suit jackets could be set aside for men to cover up tank tops or T-shirts with potentially offensive designs or slogans.

I suspect this idea isn’t very practical although very creative!! I think the majority of people who show up wearing inappropriate clothing simply haven’t been asked (told?) what is suitable for mass. As a Catholic convert I have noticed the far more casual clothing at mass than I ever experienced as a Protestant (Methodist).

I know our priest has never addressed clothing or lack thereof! I wonder if a couple of tasteful notifications in the church bulletin or on the website would help? And honestly if the Eucharistic Ministers feel it’s OK to present the Body and Blood of Christ while wearing shorts and flip flops or a tank top, it’s hard to expect a teen to show up looking like Mother Teresa. I think if a standard is held by the various assistants at mass whether E.M.s, ushers, those presenting the gifts etc, it will trickle down to the other members.

Lisa A

 

[CarolAnnSFO]

It is not uncommon to see people wearing surgical scrubs and clogs to Mass at my church. This is what happens when the church is next door to a major hospital.

 

[Tigg]

If we apply this parable to how we should dress for church, I would suggest that churches which decide to impose dress codes should also, as much as possible, keep spare clothing on hand in a range of sizes to give to people who, through no fault of their own, show up for Mass not properly dressed. In that way they are offering people what they need to gain entrance, and there is truly no excuse for someone disregarding that. Some wrap skirts for women that reach to the knee, plus a few lightweight cardigan sweaters, shawls or jackets to cover up bare shoulders, midriffs, etc. Spare suit jackets could be set aside for men to cover up tank tops or T-shirts with potentially offensive designs or slogans.

This is certainly a novel idea and I’m sure people, if forced to put on other clothing, would get the idea in a hurry, but how very sad the church should have to do so. More importantly, why have we lost a sense of the “sacred ground” and lack reverent fear before the King of Kings!

 

[irmatru]

I can remember when I was a young girl attending mass, where we all wore a scarf or some type of cover on our heads, that was showing respect. I do not believe we should go back to that, but some of the clothes young people are wearing are just an outcry.
How can parents allow them to attend mass dressed as …! They’re pierced belly button, their chest exposed, this is a distraction to all, and I personnaly do not care to see it on the street; much less in church.
Please inforce the dress code, not just say there is one!

 

[Lynn-D]

I can remember when I was a young girl attending mass, where we all wore a scarf or some type of cover on our heads, that was showing respect. I do not believe we should go back to that, but some of the clothes young people are wearing are just an outcry.
How can parents allow them to attend mass dressed as …! They’re pierced belly button, their chest exposed, this is a distraction to all, and I personnaly do not care to see it on the street; much less in church.
Please inforce the dress code, not just say there is one!

The main point I think many of us make is not that one should wear expensive clothes to mass or not come. Even a beggar in rags is welcome to share in the communion with Christ.
What we are saying simply is that one should not be required to do anything more than present themselves in the best way they can and that excludes clothes that are more suitable to playtime. After all each time we enter the presence of the tabernacle are we not meeting with Christ?
Lynn-D

 

[paperwight]

Scriptures tell us there is a vast difference between the pre-Jesus and the post-Jesus attire of Mary Magdalene.

Are you sure about that? Can you give chapter and verse, please?

Which Gospel is that in? I’m pretty sure not the Synoptics, so is it in St. John?

Please do answer, as you seem so sure, and I’m interested as I’ve never heard that before.

 

[onthenarrowpath]

The main point I think many of us make is not that one should wear expensive clothes to mass or not come. Even a beggar in rags is welcome to share in the communion with Christ.
What we are saying simply is that one should not be required to do anything more than present themselves in the best way they can and that excludes clothes that are more suitable to playtime. After all each time we enter the presence of the tabernacle are we not meeting with Christ?
Lynn-D

Are we not in Christ’s presence at ALL times? Are our bodies not the temples of the Holy Spirit?

If we feel the special need to dress up the best way we can when coming to church, why not at ALL times? Is God more concerned about our outward appearance in church than He is at other times?