Head Coverings

[bmullins]

In a few movies that I’ve seen, it shows Jesus with a Jewish head covering that he puts over his head during prayer. I’ve also seen images of Rabbi’s wearing them. Now I understand why some women wear a chapel veil (mantilla). I am just curious why the Jewish custom is there and why we as Christians have no similar custom. (Unless that is why some of the clergy wear the little white caps?)

Is there a similar tradition among Catholic men?

(Here are some images of what I am speaking of)

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)

 

[Sam_777]

Restore that custom , start wearing such clothes you and your family, indeed I like head covers for both men and women, let us all start wearing such beautiful clothes which at least protect our bodies from some lustful eyes…

 

[bmullins]

Restore that custom , start wearing such clothes you and your family, indeed I like head covers for both men and women, let us all start wearing such beautiful clothes which at least protect our bodies from some lustful eyes…

I’d be happy to go around in a robe that covered me completely and a cloak with a hood for wind/storms etc. I think though that others might think me daft or odd. (Not that I should care what others think, but I don’t want to make people think that Catholics are strange either. My family already thinks I’m crazy for joining the Church.)

 

[Spencerian]

Hi.

In a few quick searches in the time I have, I cannot find very much on when such traditions occurred or ceased as a mass practice in early Christianity. There is some speculation I can share.

In your first photo, you see a young man and an older one, both wearing *phylacteries *(prayer boxes worn close to the body in specific places during certain prayer, containing a small scroll with Scripture written on them) but only the older man’s head is covered.

In Judaism, it appears that covering one’s head while in public may have served a practical as well as religious purpose. One, in the hot areas of the Middle East, the sun was quite intense and head coverings helped in shading you. But Jewish teachers appeared to have their heads always covered in public (such as the artwork that shows Christ in synagogue) as a sign of respect towards God, in keeping a formal bearing rather than an informal, uncovered head.

We still have head coverings in Catholic circles but only at the higher clerical levels. A skull cap similar to the Jewish yarmulke is worn by bishops, cardinals and the Pope frequently. For the bishops and cardinals, it is red in color, and white for the Pope.

As for the laity of early Christianity, it seems that this may have been a practice that just faded away. Perhaps men covering their heads in early Christianity drew too much attention to their oppressors or those who did were discouraged for fear of Judiaizing Christian practice.

You can see a Catholic priest’s thoughts on it in this link.

 

[jilly4ski]

I’d be happy to go around in a robe that covered me completely and a cloak with a hood for wind/storms etc. I think though that others might think me daft or odd. (Not that I should care what others think, but I don’t want to make people think that Catholics are strange either. My family already thinks I’m crazy for joining the Church.)

Actually, I would disagree with Sam’s recommendation. Michelle Arnold recently answered a question about Catholics wearing these shawls. She says on this thread.

Generally speaking, no. Jews consider wearing the tallit to be a privilege reserved to Jews alone. Just as it would be inappropriate for a Jewish man to use a Catholic priest’s chasuble for his own private prayer, so a Catholic man (or woman) should not presume to appropriate a tallit for non-Jewish use.

I otherwise don’t know the answer to why the practiced changed.

 

[Ladygem]

In the first picture, it looks like the younger man is wearing a yamulke, but it blends in with his dark hair.

 

[Jesus_123]

+The teaching below from the **Blessed Holy St. Paul **reveals the change for Christian men in regard to the Jewish tradition of men covering their heads . . . remember also that Jesus was a Jew while here on earth . . . these changes for members of the **Body of Christ **came about through His holy death on the Cross, resurrection, and ascension into heaven . . .

The Holy :bible1: Bible
I Corinthians 11:1-10

[1] Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ. [2] Now I praise you, brethren, that in all things you are mindful of me: and keep my ordinances as I have delivered them to you. [3] But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of **Christ **is God. [4] Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered, disgraceth his head. [5] But every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered, disgraceth her head: for it is all one as if she were shaven.

[6] For if a woman be not covered, let her be shorn. But if it be a shame to a woman to be shorn or made bald, let her cover her head. [7] The man indeed ought not to cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man. [1 Corinthians 11:7] [Latin] [8] For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. [9] For the man was not created for the woman, but the woman for the man. [10] Therefore ought the woman to have a power over her head, because of the :angel1: angels :angel1:.​

. . . all for Jesus+
. . . thank You Sweet Spirit of our Holy God+
. . . thank you Blessed Virgin Mary our Mother+
. . . thank you Blessed Holy Mother Church+​

 

[bmullins]

If we take that to be binding then it would be binding on both sexes. So if we see it as a custom only, it’s not binding on men to no longer pray with their heads uncovered? Much the same as it’s not binding on women to pray with them covered (though permissible.)

 

[Jesus_123]

If we take that to be binding then it would be binding on both sexes. So if we see it as a custom only, it’s not binding on men to no longer pray with their heads uncovered? Much the same as it’s not binding on women to pray with them covered (though permissible.)

:bible1: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but **my words **shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35​

+*In all charity and peace . . . *

Eternal :bible1: Scriptural teachings . . . *such as these from St. Paul in **I Corinthians ***. . . which are recorded clearly in Sacred :bible1: Scripture . . . cannot . . . be brushed aside as a “custom only”. ** There is deep spiritual significance for the good of mankind dwelling within these holy eternal teachings and truths . . . even as in all Sacred :bible1: Scripture . . . Centuries upon centuries upon centuries of Catholicism have upheld these holy ** Christian ** :bible1: Scriptural ** practices within the Church . . . To this day the custom for men to uncover their heads in church and at prayer is almost exclusively practiced by the majority or Christians . . . and . . . in particular . . . headcoverings for women were **Catholic Canon Law **enforced until the middle of the last century . . . *only within the last lax 60 to 70 years of poor catechetics have these teachings been ignored and forgotton and allowed to fall to the wayside *. . . though there are still many women around the world who are graced by the ***Sweet Spirit of our God ***to humbly cover their heads in humble obedience to Sacred :bible1: Scripture and have experienced sweet and very real blessings in regard to this holy practice . . . and in some countries abroad it is still the rule for Church attendance rather than the exception . . . There are also many women on this forum board that the Lord has graced with particular guidance to cover their heads during the Holy Prayer of the Mass and prayer who have shared their experiences with us here . . . and as has been noted many times here at CAF . . . for any woman to go into an audience with our Holy Father in Rome . . . headcovering is required in the presence the Pope . . .

. . . all for Jesus+
. . . thank You Sweet Spirit of our Holy God+
. . . thank you Blessed Holy Mother Mary our Guid+
. . . thank you Blessed Holy Mother Church+
. . . thank you Blessed Holy St. Paru+​

 

[bmullins]

I don’t disagree with what you said. I do think head coverings can be a blessing. But I don’t think you can use Jesus statement that HIS words will not pass away to indicate that Paul’s word’s are binding on the church in the same manner. Otherwise the church would be in error by permitting women to enter the presence of the Eucharist without covering their heads?

 

[Jesus_123]

. . . :coffeeread: . . . CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH

Article 2 - THE TRANSMISSION OF DIVINE REVELATION

81
Sacred Scripture is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit.

Article 3 - SACRED SCRIPTURE

104
In Sacred Scripture, the Church constantly finds her nourishment and her strength, for she welcomes it ** not** as human word, "but as what it really is, the Word of God."

In the sacred books,
the Father who is in heaven
comes lovingly to meet his children,
and talks with them.

:bible1: “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand …” Psalms 139:17-18b​

:bible1: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8​

:bible1: “So shall **my word **be that goeth forth out of **my **mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which **I **please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto **I **sent it.” Isaiah 55:11​

:bible1: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but **my words **shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35​

:bible1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1​

"And the
Word
was made flesh,
and dwelt among us,
and we saw his glory;
the glory as it were of the
only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth."
John 1:14
:bible1:

. . . all for Jesus+
. . . thank You Blessed Lord+
. . . thank You Sweet Spirit of our Holy God+
. . . thank you Holy Mother Mary+
. . . thank you Holy Mother Church+​

 

[KathleenGee]

The Code of Canon Law of 1983 replaced the former, and no mention is made regarding women having to wear head coverings at Mass.

But I personally am drawn to wearing the veil again, so are a few other women.

 

[Publisher]

I have attended a “conservative/plain Friends meeting”…the men wore their “Quaker clothes” and hats and the women wore very simple long full dresses and their head covering…which for the most part looked much like the Brethren or Amish head coverings.

Only when vocal prayer was offered did the men remove their hats.

 

[Sam_777]

I’d be happy to go around in a robe that covered me completely and a cloak with a hood for wind/storms etc. I think though that others might think me daft or odd. (Not that I should care what others think, but I don’t want to make people think that Catholics are strange either. My family already thinks I’m crazy for joining the Church.)

 

[GaryTaylor]

I still see women who wear head coverings in the CC. Obviously there are those who show up ready for the beach also.

However if you are their regular you will see the group of women who follow this tradition closely and always have.

As to the men I do not know where history and seperation occur. The Holy Land in many regards has not changed much, very different in the West for sure.

 

[Sam_777]

I still see women who wear head coverings in the CC. Obviously there are those who show up ready for the beach also.

…

Yes, I have noticed that during the Mass in my few vacation visits to the west, it seems they forgot this quote from the Bible:

*(1 Timothy 2:9, NLT):
“And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.”
*

 

[Busy_bee]

+The teaching below from the **Blessed Holy St. Paul **reveals the change for Christian men in regard to the Jewish tradition of men covering their heads . . . remember also that Jesus was a Jew while here on earth . . . these changes for members of the **Body of Christ **came about through His holy death on the Cross, resurrection, and ascension into heaven . . .

The Holy :bible1: Bible
I Corinthians 11:1-10

[1] Be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ. [2] Now I praise you, brethren, that in all things you are mindful of me: and keep my ordinances as I have delivered them to you. [3] But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of **Christ **is God. [4] Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered, disgraceth his head. [5] But every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered, disgraceth her head: for it is all one as if she were shaven.

[6] For if a woman be not covered, let her be shorn. But if it be a shame to a woman to be shorn or made bald, let her cover her head. [7] The man indeed ought not to cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man. [1 Corinthians 11:7] [Latin] [8] For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. [9] For the man was not created for the woman, but the woman for the man. [10] Therefore ought the woman to have a power over her head, because of the :angel1: angels :angel1:.​

. . . all for Jesus+
. . . thank You Sweet Spirit of our Holy God+
. . . thank you Blessed Virgin Mary our Mother+
. . . thank you Blessed Holy Mother Church+​

I’m about to sound strange, but i’ll allow it.
Now, just where did St. Paul get this idea of his first, that woman was MADE FOR THE GLORY OF MAN?
Second, that a man covering his head shames his creator;
Third, that a woman’s hair is to be covered otherwise she disgraces her head (man). I’m sorry, but it makes no sense at all to me and the fact that it is used as abasis for convincing me about the use of veils and head coverings makes me annoyed.
In my country, the argument for women not wearing trousers is that the bible says that women should not wear men’s clothing! Hello! At that time there were no trousers, so how are trousers for men exclusively and skirts for women only if they were wearing gowns?
See, it’s these sorts of arguments that get me upset.
Can someone give me a GOOD reason why the church expects women and not men to have their heads covered?

 

[Busy_bee]

…

Yes, I have noticed that during the Mass in my few vacation visits to the west, it seems they forgot this quote from the Bible:

(1 Timothy 2:9, NLT):
“And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.”

That I agree with. Modesty, simplicity. However, I don’t see the need to cover one’s hair as stemming from the bible.

 

[Busy_bee]

:bible1: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but **my words **shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35​

+*In all charity and peace . . . *

Eternal :bible1: Scriptural teachings . . . *such as these from St. Paul in **I Corinthians ***. . . which are recorded clearly in Sacred :bible1: Scripture . . . cannot . . . be brushed aside as a “custom only”. ** There is deep spiritual significance for the good of mankind dwelling within these holy eternal teachings and truths . . . even as in all Sacred :bible1: Scripture . . . Centuries upon centuries upon centuries of Catholicism have upheld these holy ** Christian ** :bible1: Scriptural ** practices within the Church . . . To this day the custom for men to uncover their heads in church and at prayer is almost exclusively practiced by the majority or Christians . . . and . . . in particular . . . headcoverings for women were **Catholic Canon Law **enforced until the middle of the last century . . . *only within the last lax 60 to 70 years of poor catechetics have these teachings been ignored and forgotton and allowed to fall to the wayside *. . . though there are still many women around the world who are graced by the ***Sweet Spirit of our God ***to humbly cover their heads in humble obedience to Sacred :bible1: Scripture and have experienced sweet and very real blessings in regard to this holy practice . . . and in some countries abroad it is still the rule for Church attendance rather than the exception . . . There are also many women on this forum board that the Lord has graced with particular guidance to cover their heads during the Holy Prayer of the Mass and prayer who have shared their experiences with us here . . . and as has been noted many times here at CAF . . . for any woman to go into an audience with our Holy Father in Rome . . . headcovering is required in the presence the Pope . . .

. . . all for Jesus+
. . . thank You Sweet Spirit of our Holy God+
. . . thank you Blessed Holy Mother Mary our Guid+
. . . thank you Blessed Holy Mother Church+
. . . thank you Blessed Holy St. Paru+​

See you said it your self: custom! We observe it as a custom!
I believe that God wanted the writings and actions of the apostles to serve as a guide to Him and not as a rule to mindlessly follow.

I don’t think it is a matter of virtue to cover one’s hair, so I don’t see how one merits blessings from that. Perhaps it is the obedience that is the virtue and not the act. I don’t think a woman iss right or wrong not to cover her hair. She would be wrong to distract others with her hair or dressing, though.

How can a woman be asked not to enter the church or receive communion because she forgot her scarf? (Or head covering as you call it) For goodness’ sake it dosn’t put you in or out of a state of grace!

Please give me a GOOD reason why it is the church’s tradition that women and not men should have their heads covered. I’m sorry, but St. Paul’s reasoning only makes sense if I am a Jew and I lived in his day. It was customary. The custom in my country is for BOTH men and women to cover their heads and it’s not like the women have long hair that could possibly cause distraction. (We are Africans).

I cover my hair at mass, but not for any of the reasons I have heard so far on this thread.
Does the church have a definite stand on the why of head coverings?
The fact that it is a custom is not sufficient reason to encourage it. Tell me why it is to be applauded and encouraged that a man not cover his head and a woman should cover hers. I don’t think it disgraces God or the man or whoever.

 

[ltwin]

I think what has to be realized is at the time Paul was writing, a woman’s hair was thought to be apart of her genitalia. Not to be too graphic, but their were common medical opinions that hair in women had a role in sexual function, a counterpart to the male testicle. This case is made by Troy W. Martin in “Paul’s Argument from Nature for the Veil in 1 Corinthians 11:13-15: A Testicle Instead of a Head Covering,” Journal of Biblical Literature Spring 2004 vol. 123 no. 1, page 75-84.

Essentially the argument is that when Paul says “For her hair is given to her for a covering” in 1 Cor. 11:16, the Greek word translated as “covering” was commonly used in literature to refer to male testicles. Thus, the verse could be read, “For her hair is given to her for a testicle.” Thus, it is shameful for men to have long hair because it resembles the female.

In other words, Paul was simply saying to cover your private parts. At least that is what some scholars argue.