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czechestowa;7838900:
I don’t think that one should ever conceive a habit as some kind of shield against the evils of the world. A habit is part of a tradition.
I wear a habit, because it’s part of the Franciscan tradition for the men to wear a tunic with a hood and a cincture around the waste. However, interestingly enough, St. Clare did not bind Franciscan women to habits. She was rather flexible on that point. She did write about a habit, but then added that the superior had the right and obligation to decide what the sisters were to wear and that she (the superior of the house, not Clare) should consider, individual persons, climate, customs, work and what was practical. This was pretty revolutionary for the 13th century. Here is this young Abbess telling the superiors of her daughter houses, “Our habit is to be a tunic with a chord and a veil. But, if you think it’s better to wear something else, because of persons, climate, customs, practicality and the nature of your work, you’re free to make that call.”
What we have a rather interesting scenario. Franciscan men were expected to wear the tunic, hood and chord. Franciscan women were encouraged to wear it, but were given explicit permission not to wear it. What I always found most interesting in Clare’s writing is that she includes the consideration of persons. In other words, the superior was to take into consideration what the sisters wanted to wear or not wear. To this day the Franciscan women come in all manner of dress. Franciscan men have a lot of variations on the same theme, a tunic, with a cowl and a chord. We have variations is color, length, size of the cowl, cut, style – some are more modern than others. For example the Third Order Regular Franciscan Friars wear a very French looking habit. The Conventual Franciscan Friars wear a habit that looks very much like the Augustinian habit, but with a chord instead of a belt. The Observant Franciscans (OFM) wear the most popular Franciscan habit, because they are the largest Franciscan obedience. Yet, their habit is not the original design. The Franciscans of the Renewal wear the habit the most closely resembles the original habit worn by Francis. Their habit is long to the floor. Francis’ habit was knee-length.
My own brothers, we wear a knee-length habit for work, but we wear trousers, which is not allowed by the rule. You’re not supposed to wear anything under the habit. Most friars do not wear anything under it, unless it’s very cold or they’re older men who get sick very easily. Even then, there are variations on the tradition. You try to stay as close as possible, always keeping in mind the vision of the founder. As I said, Franciscan women, keeping in mind Clare’s vision, run the spectrum from no habit to a very Carmelite looking habit as worn by the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, which is very far from the habit worn by St. Clare. The good thing is that when Mother Angelica and St. Clare meet, St. Clare will not say a word about the habit, because Clare gave Mother Angelica permission to use her discretion.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
But in the end, how they are dressed is unimportant, and I am prepared to join any Order where God calls me to be. Their faith, their devotion, and their works of mercy–this is what inspires me so much to want to be a sister as soon as possible (as soon as I finish school and pay back my loans). I think a habited sister with the right faith can relate to a plain clothes person just as well and a plain clothes sister with the right faith can have an amazing religious presence just as well.
