Do Catholic Clergymen Cut Their Hair Short?

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ChristinFilms88

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Hello, all,

This is my first post here and I’m excited to be part of the forum. I’m a filmmaker with a Catholic background and I often use Catholic visuals and themes in my films.

I’m currently making a film where one of the characters is a Catholic clergyman in modern-day America (San Diego to be exact). Would his hair have to be short or any specific kind of length/style? If he has longish hair, would he have to cut it? (The actor is willing to if necessary). Any answers you can give would be immensely appreciated! We will be shooting the film very soon.

Thanks everyone,

Matthew
 
There are no regulations re: hair for secular priests. short, long, mustache, beard… Personal preference.

Some orders may have such requirements, not sure.
 
A friend of mine went into Seminary with very long (but not effeminate) hair.

It wasn’t long before it was rather short.

I’d say a priest would normally be expected to have what would generally be thought of as a ‘conservative’ haircut, although I’ve never heard of any rules that forbid one type of haircut over another. Notwithstanding tonsures of old, of course!
 
Thanks for the answers everyone! I appreciate that. So the conservative look is more just in accordance with church fashion trends rather than any formal rules? If someone has longish hair, maybe they’d just slick it back or something to blend in with the clergy?
 
ChristinFilms88 said:
Thanks for the answers everyone! I appreciate that. So the conservative look is more just in accordance with church fashion trends rather than any formal rules? If someone has longish hair, maybe they’d just slick it back or something to blend in with the clergy?
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I’ve never seen a priest with long hair or a trendy “style”. I’m guessing they just go for the shortish, “conservative” cut because anything else is “not humble”.

I mean, how weird would it be for Father to be late for Mass because he was having a bad hair day? 🙂
 
Hahaha! That’s a very good point indeed about priests not having “bad hair days” 🙂 But what if he’s a clergyman, not a priest?
 
Oh I mean if someone works in the clergy but is not a priest. Say he’s studying in the priesthood or is a deacon, etc.?
 
Just to help you with your terms: someone who is “in-training” to be a priest is usually called a seminarian, and if he has been ordained a deacon he is in the diaconate. Some seminarians are deacons, but not all deacons are seminarians, by the way.
 
Ohhh I see, thank you all for helping me with those terms…so if someone is a “seminarian”, do they work in an actual church? And might they wear clergy robe attire? Or is that reserved for the higher-ups?

And re: church “fashion trends”: Haha good point 🙂 But I’ve observed that some churches tend to have different “styles” than others, if that makes sense? For example the Catholic Church in my neighborhood tends to have people who dress in upper-middle class clothes, fancier jewelry, etc. versus some other churches that have a more relaxed dress code, etc.
 
ChristinFilms88 said:
Ohhh I see, thank you all for helping me with those terms…so if someone is a “seminarian”, do they work in an actual church? And might they wear clergy robe attire? Or is that reserved for the higher-ups?

And re: church “fashion trends”: Haha good point 🙂 But I’ve observed that some churches tend to have different “styles” than others, if that makes sense? For example the Catholic Church in my neighborhood tends to have people who dress in upper-middle class clothes, fancier jewelry, etc. versus some other churches that have a more relaxed dress code, etc.
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See my post in your other thread for some more clarification.

The way seminarians dress depends on which diocese they are in. In my diocese they usually dress as priests do, such as wearing clerical shirts or a cassock, especially when doing “official church duty.” In some places they only wear clerical attire when in a church. In other places they can wear whatever they wish until they are ordained.

As a “former” Californian, I’m guessing San Diego is a bit looser on the rules for seminarian dress. Why not check out the website of the Diocese of San Diego at take a look at their section for seminarians? You might find some info.

Here is San Diego’s website: sandiegovocation.org

And here is the vocations website from my diocese, which seems to be a bit better: arlingtondiocese.org/vocations/
 
Seminarians do not work for the church, but then neither to priest (in the sense that they are employed). Priest are “co-workers” with the bishop. They do not get paid for the work they do, per se, but rather are given a stipend to allow for their living expenses.

Seminarians do not get paid a stipend, they may however get a small allowance. They are basically students.

Sometimes seminarians are seen in clerical dress (particularly in more traditional places) however they have no requirement to wear clerical dress.
 
ChristinFilms88 said:
And re: church “fashion trends”: Haha good point 🙂 But I’ve observed that some churches tend to have different “styles” than others, if that makes sense? For example the Catholic Church in my neighborhood tends to have people who dress in upper-middle class clothes, fancier jewelry, etc. versus some other churches that have a more relaxed dress code, etc.
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Those would be secular trends among the laity, not “Church fashion trends”. Much like you would observe the same sorts of fashions in grocery stores in one part of town versus those in another. Neither could be said to be the “Grocery Store Chain Fashion Trends.” 🙂
 
Fr_Michael_Grac said:
Seminarians do not work for the church, but then neither to priest (in the sense that they are employed). Priest are “co-workers” with the bishop. They do not get paid for the work they do, per se, but rather are given a stipend to allow for their living expenses.

Seminarians do not get paid a stipend, they may however get a small allowance. They are basically students.

Sometimes seminarians are seen in clerical dress (particularly in more traditional places) however they have no requirement to wear clerical dress.
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There is a requirement in many places for the seminarian to wear clerical dress once he becomes a candidate(such as in Rome), and this can happen in nearly any year of formation.

The american students who study in Rome, for example, are already candidate by the time they arrive.
 
Theophorus said:
There is a requirement in many places for the seminarian to wear clerical dress once he becomes a candidate(such as in Rome), and this can happen in nearly any year of formation.

The american students who study in Rome, for example, are already candidate by the time they arrive.
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Perhaps, but that is a local requirement, or the requirement of their bishop, it is not a part of Canon Law, thus it is quite different from the obligation of a priest to wear clerical clothing.
 
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