Do you tend to discount (or be somewhat dismissive) of priests/nuns who wear "civilian" clothes?

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ora_pro_nobis said:
Good grief! What is this obsession with dress codes? What priests and nuns should wear, what women should wear on their heads at Mass, bare arms, jeans, logo t-shirts, and I don’t know what else.

Surely it is up to the individual priest or religious what they wear, and they know when to dress appropriately or not. As to thinking less of a priest for not wearing a collar, well, that’s just ridiculous! Isn’t their job hard enough without having to deal with the fashion police?
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amen!
 
Leopard said:
Accepting that this may be true, why should we presume that any cleric or religious who does not wear clothing deemed correct by you, for reasons deemed good by you, is doing so for reasons of fear or sloth? Why is it our business to speculate about their reasons at all?
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I grew up in the 70’s when nuns and priests started becoming more relaxed and stopped wearing their clerics and habits. In my opinion this led to some of them leaving the priesthood and convents, some to get married too. There was alot of scandal. The priests are required to wear clerics when on duty unless they are helping with something that requires work, or another type of clothing. I also know of women who are really attracted to their priest especially when they see him dressed like a civilian. I love seeing the priests in their clerics because I see them as our spiritual fathers here on earth, they are holy and are Persona Christi at the mass and in confession. When they do not wear the priestly attire I feel sad because I cannot see that they are a priest.
 
ora_pro_nobis said:
Surely it is up to the individual priest or religious what they wear, and they know when to dress appropriately or not.
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Actually, it’s not up to the individual priest or religious what to wear.

The diocesan bishop (for diocesan priests), the congregations for religious, canon law, and the comments of John Paul II et al. are what determine what is acceptable dress for priests and religious.
 
Take a look at these nuns who run 4 miles every day… In their full habbits.

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Watch the vid on youtube: Nuns On The Run
 
What should a nun wear: an inexpensive dress off the rack, even if secular, that is relatively inexpensive and in accordance with the vow of poverty?

Or the traditional habit–and I can assure you that the garb of holy poverty is VERY expensive.
 
Leopard said:
Choice of attire does not constitute denial of faith.
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i see from you join date you haven’t been on Catholic Answers long enough to realize that to many here… it does. 😛

sad, really. i feel bad for those that feel that way.
 
bpbasilphx said:
What should a nun wear: an inexpensive dress off the rack, even if secular, that is relatively inexpensive and in accordance with the vow of poverty?

Or the traditional habit–and I can assure you that the garb of holy poverty is VERY expensive.
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You have mentioned that before and I see it as a false dichotomy.

In seminary I had a three cassocks - two off the rack, one made to measure - and the total for all three was $300.

I have a hard time believing that an order could not design and wear a habit that fit in with their vow of poverty. I have a harder time believing this is the true motivation for most that have abandoned the habit.
 
When I first saw this post I thought it was a joke. Now I see that not only is it serious, but the majority are dismissive of religious that wear regular clothing?!?

Don’t our clergy have enough problems without getting on them for how they dress? I’m sorry, but this is just crazy.
 
bpbasilphx said:
What should a nun wear: an inexpensive dress off the rack, even if secular, that is relatively inexpensive and in accordance with the vow of poverty?

Or the traditional habit–and I can assure you that the garb of holy poverty is VERY expensive.
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To make the argument based on cost is fallacious. Why not just strip all of our beautiful churches too?

Regardless…since you brought up the issue of cost…

The orders who wear habits typically make them themselves. Where would they buy them anyways? JC Penny? They view the manufacture of their habits as a spiritual exercise. A habit helps to define who they BECOME, not just clothes that they happen to wear. (This is also why so many change their names.)

Besides, if you wear the same-looking habit every day, you’re not going to care about variety or what’s in style or not this season. You’ll only need several habits and you’d replace them when they wear out. Sounds pretty inexpensive to me.
 
bpbasilphx said:
What should a nun wear: an inexpensive dress off the rack, even if secular, that is relatively inexpensive and in accordance with the vow of poverty?

Or the traditional habit–and I can assure you that the garb of holy poverty is VERY expensive.
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We have two orderes of sisters in our area.

The ones from Hungary started under the Nazis and continured under communism; so a conventional habit was impractical. They wear conventional clothing in white or beige with a large silver badge. I know some of them scavange the thrift shops.

The Vietnamese ones wear a conventional blue habit. Each sister makes her own with such help as she can beg from more skilled associates. I doubt that a few yards of material and a pattern can be that expensive.
 
TMC said:
Now I see that not only is it serious, but the majority are dismissive of religious that wear regular clothing?!?
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The Church views the issue of religious garb seriously. Why shouldn’t we? :confused:
TMC said:
Don’t our clergy have enough problems without getting on them for how they dress?
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How does abandoning their religious garb solve their problems? :confused:
 
lepanto said:
How does abandoning their religious garb solve their problems? :confused:
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I have no idea if it dressing in “civilian” attire solves some problems for them, but it is not an “abandonment” for them to do so. I am just trying to avoid adding to their problems. Enforcing the disciplines of their orders are up to their superiors, not me. Some posters on this thread have said that going in public without religious attire was an denial of faith, and other outrageous accusations. Any one of those religious could leave their orders tomorrow and go get secular jobs - but they stay to serve us and God. And some would have the laity running up to Sister Mary in the Walmart and asking her where her habit is? I won’t judge them for what they wear, Lord knows I have much greater problems of my own to answer for.
 
TMC said:
I have no idea if it dressing in “civilian” attire solves some problems for them, but it is not an “abandonment” for them to do so. I am just trying to avoid adding to their problems. Enforcing the disciplines of their orders are up to their superiors, not me. Some ***posters on this thread ***have said that going in public without religious attire was an denial of faith, and other outrageous accusations…
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SOME posters, not all. Don’t meld all the arguments together to declare them all invalid.
 
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