Church Attire: Shorts

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Me too! I grew up wearing t-shirts and jean shorts though, so this is an improvement…

I cringe every time I think about wearing Beavis and Butt-Head T’s to mass circa 1994…
 
I think longer shorts are okay. Like to the knee.

Booty-boom-boom shorts are strictly out.
 
Francis said:
how would you dress before an important person? like your boss,or President,principal imp events ,just do the same,well that’s for humans,how would you conduct yourself before the heavenly court before the angels and saints ?

[Matthew 7:12 So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
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Loud-living-dogma said:
I think in general it would be a good idea if people would follow St Peter’s Basilica visitors’ rules, which I believe is that one should cover the shoulders, cover the knees. Maybe people can’t do that 100% of the time, but it doesn’t seem unreasonable.
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The OP couldn’t find long pants to wear (on vacation, I think) – this is not a case of discussing what is preferable, but what is actually allowed. Should he wear shorts? Or should he not go to mass?

I would think the answer is completely obvious – GO TO MASS!!! 😃 👍
 
My family lives in Florida. Shorts and sandals are common there. That said, given the looks I got when I wore a graphic T-shirt, that was a bit too much, even with pants and shoes. (I flew in on the red-eye flight and attended Mass on the way to my parents, since I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to later. I didn’t get a chance to change so just wore what I wore on the flight.)
 
I’m usually the organist at the Sunday mass I attend, but this morning we had to change our schedule for a family event, and I was able to sit in the pews at a different parish.

We were headed to the park directly after mass, and it was a hot day here, so I put on my shorts and sports jersey. I told my son there was no way I could go to mass like that, so I put a skirt on over my shorts, and a lightweight pullover sweater over my jersey.

My son was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I told him that I was going to judge my own attire and wear what I deemed was appropriate. I was NOT going to judge his choices. He’s fourteen and still goes to mass willingly and devoutly – no small feat as his dad (my ex) is a fallen-away Catholic! Shorts, long pants, t-shirt, sweater – just get to mass and give thanks to God for all those who are in the pews with you! :+1:t4:

Judge your own attire. Don’t judge the attire of others.
 
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Gertabelle said:
The OP couldn’t find long pants to wear (on vacation, I think) – this is not a case of discussing what is preferable, but what is actually allowed. Should he wear shorts? Or should he not go to mass?
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theCardinalbird said:
(that’s the only kind of pants I could find right now)
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theCardinalbird said:
I found long pants 😃
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theCardinalbird said:
I got a nice shirt with a collar and Kaki pants 😃
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theCardinalbird said:
I went to mass with long pants and a white polo shirt 🙂
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I was saying, on how we should conduct our-self during mass, that said ,we should not be a cause of sin to others or a stumbling block to others,going for mass and causing other to sin doesn’t help in anyway does it? Jesus warns of of that .

Matthew 18:6 “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes!
Gertabelle said:
I was NOT going to judge his choices
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Gertabelle said:
Judge your own attire. Don’t judge the attire of others.
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am sorry you took it that way,one should not judge other Mathew 5:1-5,but here we cannot dress as we like, since its a holy mass and we have to be mindful of others too,with a good disposition of charity and modest, so that we should not be a cause of sin to others.i partly agree with you, one should be prudence since mass in important sacrifice and at the time of emergency or any other situations where its not possible to ware them, i guess Jesus is merciful.

James 5:19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, 20 you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
 
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A few years ago, the priest at my holiday home (beside the beach) used to preach vehemently “please no shorts or beach attire at mass”…and little by little, people between 16 and 40 stopped going to mass.

Now he just preaches “no short shorts or spaghetti straps, but please come to mass”…and now slowly, the younger ones are coming back. 🙂

So yeah, I guess going to mass is heaps more important than attire, just don’t go “indecent” would be my opinion.
 
theCardinalbird said:
Is wearing shorts (that’s the only kind of pants I could find right now) acceptable at mass?
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I’ve worn shorts to Mass many times but I’ve recently felt moved not to do it anymore.

There is no canon law against shorts.
 
In my place, shorts are very common in summer months. Practically everybody wears one. So it is not uncommon that they also wear one to mass. In general, we should be reasonably attired in attending mass as not to draw unwanted attention. The attire depends on the culture and places as to what is deemed acceptable or not. Some cathedrals would impose on dress code, some do not.
 
kgmlg said:
A few years ago, the priest at my holiday home (beside the beach) used to preach vehemently “please no shorts or beach attire at mass”…and little by little, people between 16 and 40 stopped going to mass.

Now he just preaches “no short shorts or spaghetti straps, but please come to mass”…and now slowly, the younger ones are coming back
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Anyone who would refuse to go to Mass because they have to wear long pants does not deserve to receive the Eucharist.

To the OP: As far as attire goes, a good rule of thumb is this: Would you wear that to a job interview? No? Then don’t wear that to Mass. Church is a holy place, the Eucharist is a holy thing. To receive Jesus, you should be wearing better-than-normal clothes, not something you would wear to the mall.
 
BoomerangToo said:
Anyone who would refuse to go to Mass because they have to wear long pants does not deserve to receive the Eucharist.
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I do not agree in the least, but I do think anyone who shames others like this to have their own issue.

If, as this thread started off, all one had was shorts, then the answer is clear. Catholic teaching obligates Mass attendance, not Mass attendance in pants, so going to Mass in shorts would be required, as it is still a step above going without any but a shirt.
 
That may be so, but Jesus came for the lost mate, not the righteous. And the lost….well, we should want them back, any which way we can get them back. If long pants is more important than the Eucharist, then they may stay lost forever.

I don’t deserve to receive the Eucharist either, not because of my attire, but because I am a sinner. If Jesus can say, “that’s ok kgmlg, I still love you even if you constantly mess up”, who are we to judge whether the other person in shorts is one Jesus wants or not?
 
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I am in a situation where I have had to go to mass straight from work or on my way to work. sometimes in the past my work clothes were not the best I could wear. In those instance I would still go to mass and just sit in the back and try not to draw attention to myself.
 
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