Is it acceptable to wear a hat during Mass?

[Leopard]

…if your parish is like mine then women you don’t even know are going to rip your hat off of your head without saying a word…

I would advise these ladies against this. Any person who “rips off” any article of another person’s clothing uninvited may be charged with assault, if the object of this divestment is sufficiently annoyed to press charges. Furthermore, an offense committed against a man that would not have been committed against a woman may be construed as sex related offense. While it is improbable that these ladies might be charged or convicted of anything more serious than disorderly conduct, this could expose the parish to unwanted negative publicity and liability. It would be better, and possibly cheaper, if everyone would simply mind his or her own business.

 

[Debra_C]

Was it not also part of Catholic understanding that Women were to wear Veils or some form of headcovering?
Now, from my understanding, the teaching that men men should uncover their heads and women cover them when in prayer comes from 1 corinthians 11. however, having a woman cover her head during mass is no longer necessary, so should not the same apply to a man, that it is not required for him to have his head uncovered?

Keep in Mind, I could not allow myself to wear a hat in Church (and I certainly am one to wander about in a fedora), I could just never understand Catholic understanding on this matter, because it seems contradictory to itself (perhaps because Church teaching and human preference are intermixed in this subject?). I would very much like to be enlightened on this matter if anyone wishes to do so.

Some of us ladies cover our heads anyway.

 

[Debra_C]

Even as a gen x’er, I was taught that it was polite for men to remove their hats when indoors. I can’t say I understand or know the origins of the convention. However, as archaic as the idea may seem looking around at youth and young adults in restaurants and such today, the military still insists on it. When my husband served in the US Navy, so long as he was in uniform his hat was on outdoors and off indoors unless he was present to serve some specific sort of military combat function (such as actively defending a ship or fort, or, as is the case with the example of the Swiss Guard, standing official guard watch). So the tradition still stands in at least some places.

I think I would prefer to giving God extra respect than less. One can’t be too reverent toward the Almighty who created the universe and all within in it merely by saying the word, but yet was willing to become one of us and give Himself completely for our sake out of love for us.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Monks such as the Trappist, will keep their heads covered with the hood on their habit while in church, except during liturgies.

However, I think its a matter of respect to remove your hat when you enter a building, never mind a Church.

Nothing looks more ridiculous than a man with a baseball hat on backwards, sitting at a table in a restaurant.

BTW, Marines must remove their covers when entering into a building, unless they are under arms.

Jim USMC 1970-72

 

[TMC]

Nothing illicit or wrong about wearing a hat. It is strictly a cultural issue. Jewish men must keep their heads covered and an uncovered head is considered disrespectful. In our current society it would be rude to keep a hat on, but not wrong.

I think this is precisely correct. My advice would be to wear the hat to Mass, but remove it in the Church so that others don’t think you are being rude. Man up and admit you got a bad cut, not like it doesn’t happen to everyone from time to time. But if you keep it on, its not “wrong” just not polite in American culture.

 

[Mom_of_5]

The difference between a bad haircut and an acceptable one is only a few days for most men. Don’t worry about it, the hair will be back in a few days, in the mean time, just don’t recommend the barber to your friends.

Peace,

Mom of 5

 

[Woodstock]

It is a cultural custom in the US for men to remove their hats inside private buildings, especially churches. The social rules on when a hat may or may not be worn are very precise. Exceptions for health in the cold do not apply to well-heated buildings and exceptions for hats worn as part of a uniform do not apply to hats worn for personal appearances.

In any case, hats worn as part of a uniform are removed indoors. The Knights and Swiss Guard wear their hats appropriately inside the church only when acting as a Guard of Honor, Color Guard or Commander of same while in marching order or standing guard. All other uniform hats should be removed inside a church.

Here is a page on hat etiquette, and it specifically mentions men’s hats inside churches.

 

[Marauder]

Here is what I was told to do at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (I am an usher there) where everything is done “by the book”.

If a man comes in and just obviously forgot to take their hat off we are just to make some motion or just ask them to remove their hats.

If someones comes in wearing a head covering and we aren’t sure the reason we are supposed to approach the person and mention that “it is our custom to remove our hats within the church.” If the person is Jewish, Muslim, etc. or has a valid reason they can leave the head covering on.

The priest said that it is only a custom that men should not wear hats in church. We are supposed to “enforce” the custom in a charitable manner, but if there is a valid reason for a man to keep a hat on they can.

Besides that, I personally don’t think a bad haircut is a valid reason. Extreme cold, religious preference, uniform, etc. yes. Bad haircut or other “grooming” reasons, no.

 

[bpbasilphx]

As someone said on another forum here, you would not worry about what people think about you if you realized how seldom they actually do so.