Does the Catholic Church permit women to wear chasubles?

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GloriaPatri4

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Does the Catholic Church permit women to wear chasubles?

Our diocesan directress of the offfice of worship regularly wears what appeas to be a chasuble when participating at the Masses which our bishop celebrates. She is the only woman to do this in our diocese, that I know of. She usually walks with the other concelebrants (priests) towards the altar during the Processional and is seated in a prominant place near or in the sanctuary. I assume since she is doing this that it must be permitted. Has anyone else witnessed women wearing chasubles?

I could easily see how a non Catholic or a not so knowledgable Catholic would possibly think that the church is now ordaining women when they see a woman wearing a chasuble. Any thoughts on this?
 
Are you sure she isn’t just wearing an alb? That would be quite legitimate. A chauable is a priestly “Mass” garment (even the priest doesn’t ever wear it outside of Mass), and therefore would not be proper to a woman.
 
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chicago:
Are you sure she isn’t just wearing an alb? That would be quite legitimate. A chauable is a priestly “Mass” garment (even the priest doesn’t ever wear it outside of Mass), and therefore would not be proper to a woman.
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Doesn’t an alb usually has a cincture around it? This one doesn’t have a cincture. It doesn’t look like choir robe and it doesn’t look like an altar server alb. It looks just like the garb the concelebrants are wearing, if there is any difference at all it is very slight (unnoticeable).
 
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GloriaPatri4:
Doesn’t an alb usually has a cincture around it? This one doesn’t have a cincture. It doesn’t look like choir robe and it doesn’t look like an altar server alb. It looks just like the garb the concelebrants are wearing, if there is any difference at all it is very slight (unnoticeable).
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…could be a surplus… (the white pullover, overtop the alterservers black cassock)…
 
I think the only laypeople who should be vested in anything should be the Altar boys, wearing cassocks and surplices.
I know an alb is a liturgical vestment, but to me it’s too clerical for a layman to wear, even if it’s just a kid.
Only clerics should be sitting in positions of prominence around the Altar. Not laypeople
 
The Alb is just a white robe. It is the white garment proper to all the baptized. The presence or absence of a cincture does not make an alb into a different garment. A Chasuble is worn over the Alb, like a poncho, by priests or bishops celebrating Mass and should not be worn by one who is not a priest or bishop.
 
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GloriaPatri4:
The one she usually wears looks like this but plain, without the gold striped decoration going down the front.
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In which case, that is very, very wrong.

Not even a deacon can wear one of those.
 
It is my opinion that the woman mentioned in the original post is a member of N.O.W. It is very obvious that she is all " puffed up" about herself. She is a laywoman. Why would she want to stand out? Maybe she has something special going on with the priest, why not ask to find out?
 
Redemptionis Sacramentum: vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20040423_redemptionis-sacramentum_en.html

Chapter V

4. Liturgical Vesture
[121.] “The purpose of a variety of colour of the sacred vestments is to give effective expression even outwardly to the specific character of the mysteries of faith being celebrated and to a sense of Christian life’s passage through the course of the liturgical year”.[210] On the other hand, the variety “of offices in the celebration of the Eucharist is shown outwardly by the diversity of sacred vestments. In fact, these “sacred vestments should also contribute to the beauty of the sacred action itself”.[211]

[122.] “The alb” is “to be tied at the waist with a cincture unless it is made so as to fit even without a cincture. Before the alb is put on, if it does not completely cover the ordinary clothing at the neck, an amice should be put on”.[212]

[123.] “The vestment proper to the Priest celebrant at Mass, and in other sacred actions directly connected with Mass unless otherwise indicated, is the chasuble, worn over the alb and stole.”[213] Likewise the Priest, in putting on the chasuble according to the rubrics, is not to omit the stole. All Ordinaries should be vigilant in order that all usage to the contrary be eradicated.

[124.] A faculty is given in the Roman Missal for the Priest concelebrants at Mass other than the principal concelebrant (who should always put on a chasuble of the prescribed colour), for a just reason such as a large number of concelebrants or a lack of vestments, to omit “the chasuble, using the stole over the alb”.[214] Where a need of this kind can be foreseen, however, provision should be made for it insofar as possible. Out of necessity the concelebrants other than the principal celebrant may even put on white chasubles. For the rest, the norms of the liturgical books are to be observed.

[125.] The proper vestment of the Deacon is the dalmatic, to be worn over an alb and stole. In order that the beautiful tradition of the Church may be preserved, it is praiseworthy to refrain from exercising the option of omitting the dalmatic.[215]
 
Do you have a photo? Next time, please take a photo and post it here. I’m sure it would be interesting to forward to the Papal Nuncio. It would get an VERY interesting response.

Photos speak a thousand words.

Rich
 
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chicago:
Are you sure she isn’t just wearing an alb? That would be quite legitimate. A chauable is a priestly “Mass” garment (even the priest doesn’t ever wear it outside of Mass), and therefore would not be proper to a woman.
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Even when Mass is concelebrated only the main celebrant wears a chasuable.
 
Since when do our American bishops care about what the Church “permits?” It’s been my experience that if the bishop permits it in his diocese, then it is permitted. Period.

That whole “recognizing the authority of the Bishop of Rome” nonsense went the way of the dodo many moons ago. :rolleyes:

Let the little chicky have her fun dressing up like a girl priest. When the American schism is formalized she may even get her wish. :clapping:
 
Br. Rich SFO:
Even when Mass is concelebrated only the main celebrant wears a chasuable.
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With all due respect, do you have a source governing this? It certainly differs from my experiences. :confused:

(in fact, Redemptionis Sacramentum #124, quoted above, implies contraindication, no?)

tee
 
Br. Rich SFO:
Even when Mass is concelebrated only the main celebrant wears a chasuable.
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What about all the Papal Masses? All the Cardinals wore Chasubles.
 
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tee_eff_em:
With all due respect, do you have a source governing this? It certainly differs from my experiences. :confused:

(in fact, Redemptionis Sacramentum #124, quoted above, implies contraindication, no?)

tee
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I’ll check. I understood that the main celebrant vested in a chasuble and the concelebrants wore a stole over their alb.

I would not know about Papal liturgical protocol and ceremonial.
 
This is just a joke isn’t it?

Maybe the “lady” in question is just a visiting priest with long hair???

If it is a lady I hope she at least had the decency to wear a veil over her head while she was concelebrating.
 
Br. Rich SFO:
I’ll check. I understood that the main celebrant vested in a chasuble and the concelebrants wore a stole over their alb.

I would not know about Papal liturgical protocol and ceremonial.
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This is from RS
**
124. A faculty is given in the Roman Missal for the Priest concelebrants at Mass other than the principal concelebrant (who should always put on a chasuble of the prescribed color), for a just reason such as a large number of concelebrants or a lack of vestments, to omit “the chasuble, using the stole over the alb.”214 Where a need of this kind can be foreseen, however, provision should be made for it insofar as possible. Out of necessity the concelebrants other than the principal celebrant may even put on white chasubles. For the rest, the norms of the liturgical books are to be observed.

I know the Priests in our diocese all were asked to get a uniform simple white chasuble to wear when they concelebrated with the Cardinal at their meetings.

I have seen 3 Chasubles, and other priests in stoles and albs for a funeral Mass with many Concelebrants.**
 
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benedictusoblat:
Maybe the “lady” in question is just a visiting priest with long hair???

If it is a lady I hope she at least had the decency to wear a veil over her head while she was concelebrating.
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:rotfl: It’s good that we can laugh at ourselves, or this would be mighty depressing. 😉
 
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