Priestly Attire

  • Thread starter Thread starter Momof9
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
What it boils down to is the difference between SACRED and SECULAR. A priest who wears casual clothes is abandoning the sacred to identify with the secular. He is denying what he is supposed to be. He is disguising himself, hiding his identity. This is to be guilty of crypsis and more, since growing secularism is what is wrecking the Church…
 
Why do some priests wear those cool looking black robes? Like the one Keanu Reeves wore in The Matrix. Is that a specific Order? By the way, a lot of priests don’t wear their garments outside of the church because some people will attack them either physically or verbally.
 
When a priest or a nun wear their clerical garb in public, it is a wonderful witness to the laity. It gives me a warm, secure feeling when I see a priest or a nun in a public setting. I makes me extra grateful for these wonderful people who gave up so many wordly things in order to help us reach Heaven.

God Bless!
 
I am more accustomed to meeting reverends or ministers in mufti than a Catholic Priest.

I don’t like seeing a Catholic Priest out of uniform if he is acting in any official capacity.
 
As a convert, I really appreciate religious attire. I came into the Church in a parish with a totally non-Traditional priest. He spent one day in a black suit with a Roman collar in the 12 years I was in that parish. He often wore T-shirts and shorts under his Mass vestments, sometimes with the T-shirt logos showing through the vestments. He came to Mass with bedhead and eye-buggers. A Protestant neighbor saw him at the wall-paper store in sandals, shorts, and a tiny T-shirt that rode up over his belly cussing at the clerk. She commented that he needed a wife to make sure he didn’t leave the house looking so dreadful! She was really uncertain that he was a man of God until she checked with me to verify the man she had seen was really my priest.
The next parish I attended had two priests that wore priestly attire everyday. Their black cassocks and Roman collars looked so dignified. I only saw one of them in a T-shirt once. We were having a cleaning day to prepare our newly remodeled church for the Bishop’s blessing. The priest wore a T-shirt with “Treat me as you would the Pope.” printed on it. I thoroughly enjoyed his sense of humor and understood his dressing down for the occasion of scrubbing away construction grime. These men in priestly attire always attracted attention in our community where Catholics are in the minority. Their personal dignity commanded respect. I have no doubt priestly attire can draw attacks, so can having more than 3 children. Offer it! (I also love that line.) Isn’t it nice that we can have opportunities to suffer for our Faith?
 
Having more than 3 kids can provoke attacks? Ahh… The society we live in. By the way, if a priest gets physically attacked, does he have the right to defend himself or is he not allowed to fight back? Just asking, because I’ll be a priest(hopefully)one day.
 
What does it mean to treat a priest like a person instead of as a priest…is the behavior just a little less respectful or what? …so if he’s not dressed like a priest is the conversation different? the choice of entertainment? what changes?
I hope for the sake of the seminarians I know who plan to wear clerics, that people will treat them like persons…friendly and open and honest in their relationships with them …no false fronts because of their clothes, and the respect of a Christian for another Child of God who needs love and support-
-a post implied that the priest should avoid cassocks because “estimates” are that 50 to 80% of priest are homosexual. Is that the level of conversation and discussion that we can expect here?
I like it when a priest wears clothes that indicate his vocation… such priests seem to be comfortable and willing to be recognised and called on as laborers in His Church-- no qualms about their masulinity… or their purpose in life.

I guess Mom and Dad taught us to treat all persons respectfully because of our self-respect
 
Defensor Fidei:
In Going my way, Bing even took time out from the priestly garb.
Click to expand...
I love that movie! It’s one of my favorites! Officer McCarty drags Fr. Fitzgibbons (Barry Fitzgerald) back to the church after he tries to run away:

McCarty: If you want my advice, you’ll go inside, tell them you’ve been a bad boy and you’re sorry.

Fr. Fitzgibbons: And if you want my advice, you’ll come to church on Sunday, say you haven’t been to Mass in ten years, and you’re sorry.
:rotfl::rotfl:

Hard to believe Hollywood actually respected the Church at one time.

And yes, I prefer a priest to dress like a priest. I’ve been blessed in my life by having a lot of good men in Roman collars helping me over the years. God bless 'em all. :gopray:
 
Like the words Holy and Sanctified which mean “set apart” for God, the Priest’s Attire are a visible representation of how he is set apart for the work he is to do. He is not just like every other person. He has a special duty, and a critical job to do.

Read in the book of 1st Timothy how Paul extols Timothy to be of very high honor and character etc (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=61&chapter=4&version=31).

The clothes are just a part of this whole package…

Wayne
qandablog.typepad.com/
 
For all of you that voted the first answer saying “they aren’t priests without it” are wrong. a priest is a priest regardless of what they wear. True it is an excellent witness when priest wear their garb and I prefer it myself. It helps me really identify them out in public.
 
A little late on this thread, but just to comment:

In the military, we were evaluated as to our “bearing”, how we stood, how conducted ourselves, how clean our uniforms, how pressed. “Bearing” was also considered in civilian wear.

Is he a priest in his bearing? Some priests could wear gunny sacks, and you’d still KNOW they are priests. Others could run around in full vestments, not just cassocks or clerics, and people would be convinced they missed Halloween, because here are some guys in costume as priests.

Please do not insist priests wear clerics when at golf. I don’t want ambulance after ambulance heading out to the course when the sun stroke hits priests, sweltering in black shirts. We have enough of a priest shortage without that! 😉 And no black polo shirts, either.

When priests are assisting in certain parish functions in order to set a good example of humble service, such as the night at the local homeless shelter’s kitchen or working alongside their brother KCs fixing the working poors’ cars, they should be able to wear something they can get grubby. Having been in the Navy and having worn a uniform very similar to clerics (winter working blue, which is really black, long-sleeved, and attracts heat and dirt), I can attest that clerics have no place in the kitchen or under the lift. No, an apron will not do. The dirt and grime will get around the apron.

When priests go on vacation, and that means VACATION not change of venue, they should be able to dress apropriately, but choose to avoid clerics. How will get they get any rest on vacation when every sinner in the place/ on the ship/ at the resort suddenly feels the need to confess/ get counseling/ etc.? A retreat house or monastery is NOT a vacation, and does not fall under the clerics ban.

If a priest is out running or at the gym, maybe somebody can market clerical sweats. 😉
 
i dont mind what the attire of priests as long as it is in proper place and of proper occassion. i dont want to see a priest wearing collar with black suits on a hot summer day.

As long as during mass and other church activities he will be recognised (for his attire) by the people.
 
I once had a priest explain in a homily the fact that he always wears the Roman collar and clerical garb because “You never know when someone might need a priest”. He even offered a little story that affirmed his, and my, belief that a priest should present himself as such in public.

He told me he was on vacation (don’t remember where) and wore his Roman collar and was walking around, sightseeing. He decided to check out the cathedral of whatever town he was in. As he was walking down the aisle a man stopped him and spoke with him for about 45 minutes. The man talked about how he had lost his faith when his wife died. The priest was able to console him and even heard his confession right there.

I’ve also had a seminarian tell me a similar story that happened to him while he was wearing the collar and, while he couldn’t perform the duties of a priest, could provide the counsel of a good Catholic.
 
40.png
OutinChgoburbs:
A little late on this thread, but just to comment:

In the military, we were evaluated as to our “bearing”, how we stood, how conducted ourselves, how clean our uniforms, how pressed. “Bearing” was also considered in civilian wear.

Is he a priest in his bearing? Some priests could wear gunny sacks, and you’d still KNOW they are priests. Others could run around in full vestments, not just cassocks or clerics, and people would be convinced they missed Halloween, because here are some guys in costume as priests.

Please do not insist priests wear clerics when at golf. I don’t want ambulance after ambulance heading out to the course when the sun stroke hits priests, sweltering in black shirts. We have enough of a priest shortage without that! 😉 And no black polo shirts, either.

When priests are assisting in certain parish functions in order to set a good example of humble service, such as the night at the local homeless shelter’s kitchen or working alongside their brother KCs fixing the working poors’ cars, they should be able to wear something they can get grubby. Having been in the Navy and having worn a uniform very similar to clerics (winter working blue, which is really black, long-sleeved, and attracts heat and dirt), I can attest that clerics have no place in the kitchen or under the lift. No, an apron will not do. The dirt and grime will get around the apron.

When priests go on vacation, and that means VACATION not change of venue, they should be able to dress apropriately, but choose to avoid clerics. How will get they get any rest on vacation when every sinner in the place/ on the ship/ at the resort suddenly feels the need to confess/ get counseling/ etc.? A retreat house or monastery is NOT a vacation, and does not fall under the clerics ban.

If a priest is out running or at the gym, maybe somebody can market clerical sweats. 😉
Click to expand...
Good point. Although I love it when Priests wear the appropriate clothes, they shouldn’t be constantly judged if they don’t. Well meaning people can be self-righteous sometimes.
 
I’ve never seen my priest without a full-lenght cassock, collar, and big cloth belt thing. In fact, he does everything in said cassock, even sleep. It’s amazing.

He also frequently plays volleyball with us after Mass-- fully dressed in a cassock with long sleeves and the collar, in hot southern summers, no less, and always deserving of the utmost respect.

Anyway, I think the priestly attire is most necessary for a priest. He is set aside for God alone by virtue of his ordination, and, as such a consecrated soul, he must act like it, and must always retain the dignity associated with his holy vocation.
 
I had a cousin that was a Priest, (he has since passed on), I never, ever saw him when he wasn’t wearing his Roman Collar, not even once. Even on vacation he would show up wearing it. When I was younger I asked him why he didn’t wear regular clothes, (he was about 15 years older than me). Well, if looks could kill, he stared at me for about a half a minute and then thundered…“these are my regular clothes.” I loved that man and had great respect for him and I knew by his tone that I had not pleased him much. He was about the same age as my oldest brother and I asked him if he wanted to borrow a pair of his short pants and a shirt, he just shook his head and said, "no, I do not, thank you for asking, but this is all you are ever going to see me in so you might as well get use to it. I did.

On the other side, we had another close friend that became a Priest and he would wear “regular clothes” on vacation, I thought he looked odd w/o his Roman Collar, but he was the most Christ like person you would ever meet, and if someone was broke down on the road, he would pull over and help them, he was kind to everyone and even though they didn’t know he was a Priest, he still did, and acted like it too.
 
My priest, who was also my latin teacher, sometimes wheres casual clothes. When we walked by the rectory, he was sometimes outside hanging around, and wearing jeans and a t-shirt. When he taught our class, he would wear the uniform, because we were all in uniform, and its only fair. A couple weeks ago we went to Boston for the end of the year trip, and he told us to wear stuff close to our uniform, and said he was too. Well, he didn’t, and it was funny because nobody in boston thought he was a priest. Sometimes at special masses he wears the cassok, and when my class was in the sacristy (sp?) we kept calling him “Neo” “Morpheus” or “The Exorcist”, and then he’d go around pretending to be those people. It was really funny. Also, there is a seminarian, and when hes not in the uniform he looks like one of our classmates, and he plays pranks, only on me, by locking me in the basement late at night in my school. it doesn’t really matter what they wear in public, its how they act, and they should only be made to wear the stuff in church or at events that are formal, etc.

~Aileen
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top