Priests with Tattoos?

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Are there any rules against priests having tattoos? Is it right for a priest to have a religious tattoo such as a religious phrase or prayer in Latin or a picture of a saint? I don’t mean anywhere visible, just on the chest or arm or something. As long as it dosen’t cause vanity and serves to remind them of their mission as a priest, I think it could be a good thing. I might enter the seminary after graduation, I was thinking about getting a tattoo and that got me thinking if the two might conflict. Thoughts?

Pax Vobiscum
 
If you get one you are wise to have done in a spot you can hide it

It is a huge fad right now, but remember ,fads all die out…and your stuck with this, so take your time deciding
 
I do not know about now, nor can I quote any official statements on this, but I know someone who had tattoos on both arms in his youth and when his vocation to the priesthood was discerned the Bishop insisted that he had them sugically removed.I guess this was in the 70s.
 
If we were severely disciplined in a present day all-boys Catholic high school for not shaving and prohibited from getting piercings and tattoos, I doubt priests would be encouraged to have tattoos. Clerical clothing is a good enough reminder of their mission a priest.

No offense, but I personally wouldn’t trust a priest with a tattoo as a first impression. Now, if the priest got the tattoos at a previous time (e.g., while in the military, etc.) then maybe it won’t be so bad.

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JPUSC said:
If we were severely disciplined in a present day all-boys Catholic high school for not shaving and prohibited from getting piercings and tattoos, I doubt priests would be encouraged to have tattoos. Clerical clothing is a good enough reminder of their mission a priest.

No offense, but I personally wouldn’t trust a priest with a tattoo as a first impression. Now, if the priest got the tattoos at a previous time (e.g., while in the military, etc.) then maybe it won’t be so bad.

http://www.famemagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/priests1.jpg
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As much as I love tattoos, I agree with JPUSC.
 
I think most priests with tattoos probably got them when they were younger, and let’s face it, most young people do something foolish and lasting at some point. If that’s the worst that they did, it’s really nothing to sniff it, though it probably looks odd. As a kid, I knew a priest who’d been a Marine and helped a Navy chaplain during the week: in the summer, if he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, you couldn’t ignore the Celtic cross on his right arm. He was kind of a lovable if rough-and-tumble Irish guy from a big, South Boston family, so it fit well with his tough-guy-with-a-heart-of-golf image.
 
Matrix_Refugee said:
I think most priests with tattoos probably got them when they were younger, and let’s face it, most young people do something foolish and lasting at some point. If that’s the worst that they did, it’s really nothing to sniff it, though it probably looks odd. As a kid, I knew a priest who’d been a Marine and helped a Navy chaplain during the week: in the summer, if he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, you couldn’t ignore the Celtic cross on his right arm. He was kind of a lovable if rough-and-tumble Irish guy from a big, South Boston family, so it fit well with his tough-guy-with-a-**heart-of-golf **image.
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He plays golf too? :rotfl:
 
JPUSC said:
If we were severely disciplined in a present day all-boys Catholic high school for not shaving and prohibited from getting piercings and tattoos, I doubt priests would be encouraged to have tattoos. Clerical clothing is a good enough reminder of their mission a priest.

No offense, but I personally wouldn’t trust a priest with a tattoo as a first impression. Now, if the priest got the tattoos at a previous time (e.g., while in the military, etc.) then maybe it won’t be so bad.

http://www.famemagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/priests1.jpg
Click to expand...
I agree with you about not trusting and first impressions. One church I went to had a priest with a couple of facial piercings and a go-tee (so??). It was interesting… >.>
 
forever_always said:
I agree with you about not trusting and first impressions. One church I went to had a priest with a couple of facial piercings and a go-tee (so??). It was interesting… >.>
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Are you sure it wasn’t Judas Priest? :rotfl:

http://metal-monarchy.buzznet.com/large_judas-priest.jpg

Anyway, I was thinking…tattoos are meant to be seen, no matter where you put them. If it was meant really just for yourself, wouldn’t a mental picture suffice?

A priest already has many outward signs to remind him of his vocation - his consecrated hands, his clerical clothing, his crucifix, his poverty (for those belonging to a community), the fact that he lives in a rectory, etc.

Also the fact that a priest has to say Mass and do the prayers of Liturgy of the Hours a few times a day would also be clear reminders of his mission and duty to serve Christ.
 
I don’t think I would care either way. I’m not going to judge a priest based on how he looks – well, if he is a long haired hippy type, I might.

But a few tattoos? No worries.
 
I wouldnt be put off by it at all. In fact I can see it as a sign of faith, and dedication. I have a Tattoo of the crucifixion on my back to remind me that no matter where I go He is with me and to live my life the way he wanted when he died for me. I now bare his cross forever on my back, the cross that he bore for me and for all of us.

There was a parish priest in my chuch once who had a chi roe on his arm reminding him of rev. 1:8 “… I am the begining and the end…”. And St. Thérèse de Lisieux wore a picture of the holy face of jesus over her heart, a tattoo is just a step up, A permament depiction of faith, love and praise.
 
Tattoos on a priest (or anyone else) wouldn’t bother me one bit. IMOHO, it would be quite shallow to judge a priest based on the fact that he had tattoos.

As far as I know, it’s not against the Catholic faith to get a tattoo.
 
I’m all for people being themselves, yes even priests. The code for doctors used to be very conservative (less so in the States from my limited observations) but causes barriers dealing with certain people. Having lots of stereotyped bland inoffensive production line priest just reinforces the image of churches generally being fuddy-duddy places IMO. I remember Goth medical students at med school (toned down from what they might have been admittedly, but still recognizably Goths). On the other hand I stopped wearing my earring when I went on the wards.
 
I like the idea of a rough-and-tumble priest. Like Ft. Lange of Notre Dame’s past:

 
JPUSC said:
If we were severely disciplined in a present day all-boys Catholic high school for not shaving and prohibited from getting piercings and tattoos, I doubt priests would be encouraged to have tattoos. Clerical clothing is a good enough reminder of their mission a priest.
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You weren’t allowed to get piercings? In my Catholic high school you just weren’t supposed to wear the piercings in school.
 
Rence said:
Tattoos on a priest (or anyone else) wouldn’t bother me one bit. IMOHO, it would be quite shallow to judge a priest based on the fact that he had tattoos.

As far as I know, it’s not against the Catholic faith to get a tattoo.
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I find it extremely shallow to judge anyone based on the fact that they have tattoos. In fact I find it to be completely opposite of the behavior of a true Christian. I have tattoos and each one has significance and is special to me. I am glad you brought up the point of how truly shallow judging someone for having tattoos is. 👍
 
saintejeanne said:
I find it extremely shallow to judge anyone based on the fact that they have tattoos. In fact I find it to be completely opposite of the behavior of a true Christian. I have tattoos and each one has significance and is special to me. I am glad you brought up the point of how truly shallow judging someone for having tattoos is. 👍
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Hi saintejeanne,
I disagree with you completely and here are the two reasons why.
  1. I, personally, do not like tattoos. They signify an attachment to the cult of the body. To argue for tattoos on the basis of their long-standing occurrence through human history is not a valid argument; as it can equally be argued that other primitive ritualistic practices have lost favour and, I believe, in time, tattoos will go the way of said rituals. The reason it has not already long died out is because people do not see it as harmful. But they are harmful by association. Indeed the secularised world would encourage us to bedeck our God-given bodies with inked scratchings because of the pagan view that said bodies are mere hunks of meat.
  2. It is perfectly right that a priest should not sport tattoos because of the aforesaid cult of the body connection. There is direct Catechetical instruction on this.
    Your attachment to Christ should be “written” on your heart; not plastered over your skin as though you were an attention-seeking human billboard!
    God Bless,
    Colmcille.🙂
 
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