Proper Dress and Behavior for Catholic Men

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We dress nice for dates (first three ones anyway) and job interviews and business events and funerals and weddings because these are human things, human events. Humans have a need to appear “nice” and “respectable” in front of each other in some settings (probably stemming from ancient tribal customs, etc.). But unless you are in in church only to see and be seen by others, how you dress seems irrelevant or at best, trivial.

And as for high and low cultures, the createst civilizing force on earth (after women generally) was the Roman Empire and the cultural influences that were swept up into its mighty flood, including Christianity, Greek and Jewish thought, and a host of other influences too numerous to go through here. Were it not the the RE, there would be no Catholic Church. 😉
 
Agripa said:
We dress nice for dates (first three ones anyway) and job interviews and business events and funerals and weddings because these are human things, human events.
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No, it’s a sign of respect.
Agripa said:
But unless you are in in church only to see and be seen by others, how you dress seems irrelevant or at best, trivial.
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See comment above.
Agripa said:
Were it not the the RE, there would be no Catholic Church. 😉
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Correction: Were it not for Jesus Christ there would be no Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has thrived in every culture and certainly did not require the Roman Empire in order to exist. But that really is a topic for another thread, not this one.
 
**Archbishop Capalla on Mass Dress Code **
acatholiclife.blogspot.com/2008/06/archbishop-capalla-on-mass-dress-code.html
MANILA, Philippines - A Catholic bishop on Wednesday said that “freedom of expression” should not be used as an excuse for some churchgoers who continue to ignore a “dress code” inside the church.
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Davao archbishop Fernando Capalla said it is foolish to invoke personal freedom in the choice of dress for liturgical functions.
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“We have to admit that, while living in society, our personal freedom is limited by the rights of others. And if we want to live in peace and harmony with others we have to observe certain proprieties of behavior,” he said in a statement on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines website.
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Capalla said the dress code is a sign of propriety and reminded all Catholics in the archdiocese that liturgical functions require decent and simple attire.
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According to him, he issued the reminder not because he took offense felt insulted, but he is simply concerned about order and propriety in human relations.
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“This applies to both ministers and the faithful and there are liturgical guidelines to this effect,” he said.
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“I am only supporting what the home, the school, and social and civic institutions are supposed to be doing on this matter,” he added.
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Capalla said that in the celebration of the Eucharist, which the Church considers a solemn occasion, churchgoers are required to be in their decent attire.
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“Everyone should be able to dress up simply and decently even not elegantly for Mass. (But) to come to Mass in short pants or jogging pants would be out of place and can be very improper and unbecoming (behavior). Short pants are for the person’s privacy or sporting occasions, so are the jogging pants. Beach wear and working outfits are not for the solemn and sacred celebration like the Mass,” he stressed.
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Dress, Demeanor, Discipline
Show how We Value Holy Mass
by Bishop Robert Vasa
Several years ago I had the opportunity, while visiting Washington, DC, to observe the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. I was so struck by the simple, deliberate elegance of the ceremony that I stayed for extra minutes simply to watch the young man march to and fro with that same simple, deliberate elegance.
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I have reflected repeatedly on the Arlington experience as it relates to what we do in our Catholic Churches. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the most significant event in the world. As the priest and ministers enter the church and proceed down the aisle, there is not the expectation that they imitate the guards at Arlington, but it would be most appropriate to do so. The guard at Arlington processes solemnly in front of a tomb of national significance, and he is rightfully dignified. Every altar in every Catholic Church has eternal significance and deserves a regard greater than that demanded by the national tomb.
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I am not advocating a religious solemnity devoid of joy or humanity, but it appears that Arlington may have something which the Catholic Church needs. The dignity manifested by the guard points towards and accentuates the dignity of the place. Silence is observed at the National Tomb. Silence is a sign of respect for the place and the meaning of the place. Silence is appropriate and enforced vigorously there. Order is enforced there.
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As I stood watching the guard making his seemingly routine and non-variable march, he suddenly broke out of line two steps at an angle to his right. He removed the rifle from his shoulder, held it in his hands, and said very forcefully, “Stay behind the barrier!” A couple of seconds later, he repeated the command, at which a woman who had crossed into forbidden territory to get a better picture retreated to the area reserved for visitors. He then returned to his line and resumed his march. No apology, no explanation; the sign said “No Trespassing”; what part of “No” was not understood?
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The trespass onto sacred secular soil was deemed unacceptable. The dignity of the place demanded order and an observance of that order. Once again, I do not advocate this kind of rigid, cold enforcement, but the dignity of our churches needs to be fostered and preserved. The dignity of this sacred place will be lost as the sacredness of the area around the tomb would quickly be lost, if there is not a decided effort to preserve it.
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Several years ago, the Holy Father reinstituted a dress code for the churches of Rome, his diocese. No one in shorts or sleeveless shirts was to be admitted into the church building.
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An American sense of rights and freedom rebels against such rules, calling them absurdities. Yet it was done and it was enforced. Tourists who had traveled across an ocean to see a church were turned back at the door unless they were properly attired. This was only to visit a church while no other liturgical action was going on. The Holy Father saw a need to institute a policy aimed at restoring, in a very concrete way, a proper sense of reverence for the house of God.
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I have often heard the argument that the administrators of churches should be pleased to see that people come, regardless of how they are dressed. The other side of that is that people need to demonstrate in word and deed the proper disposition and attitude. I am certain the American people would be rightfully chagrined if the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were to show up in plaid shorts, a tank top and half-laced tennis shoes. It is hard to imagine that he could have a proper interior attitude to the job at hand were he to come to “work” dressed like that.
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Our liturgy is a sacred “work”. How we come to that work is probably as important as the fact that we come. We must recognize that we come to church for sacred work, sacred worship. This demands a decorum commensurate with the dignity of the work to be done. Even if that “work” is to utter a private prayer, it still demands an appropriate decorum.
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The soldiers at Arlington know the sacredness of the work which they do. Their dress, their demeanor, their discipline all speak of their recognition of that sacredness. Seeing them is a source of pride for me.
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I am proud of what they represent, proud of the values which their discipline bespeaks, proud of the country which at heart still knows that honor and fidelity are worth defending.
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For these values people live, and for these values people give their lives. The dress and demeanor of these troops says that they truly honor and respect the life and death of those represented at the Tomb of the Unknown.
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Catholics likewise need to know the sacredness of the liturgical “work” which they do. Their dress, their demeanor, their discipline, ought all to speak of their recognition of that sacredness.
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Seeing the dress and demeanor of Catholics in Church ought to be a source of pride. They ought to manifest a genuine respect for Jesus present, as well as for the values of the Catholic Church. For these values, saints, declared and not declared, gave their lives; for these values each Catholic must be willing to dress in a fashion which shows recognition and respect.
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Bishop Vasa, a native of Lincoln, Nebraska, was made bishop of the Diocese of Baker, Oregon, in 1999.
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adoremus.org/11-00-vasa.html
 
Come on…what is this about people. Surely we should not be judging others by the clothes they wear or the clothes they do not wear. My father for example likes dressing smartly to mass because that is the way he dresses mostly. I like t shirt jeans and a pair of sparkling white trainers (UK) sneakers (USA). Surely we have more pressing issues than proper dress. Everyone should wear what they feel comfortable in. 🤷
 
pilling79 said:
Come on…what is this about people. Surely we should not be judging others by the clothes they wear or the clothes they do not wear. My father for example likes dressing smartly to mass because that is the way he dresses mostly. I like t shirt jeans and a pair of sparkling white trainers (UK) sneakers (USA). Surely we have more pressing issues than proper dress. Everyone should wear what they feel comfortable in. 🤷
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As I said…
DavidPalm said:
But now there is a large segment of Catholics who are pretty much fine just aping our secular and increasingly low culture, rather than looking to our venerable Catholic heritage to inform our attitudes even to such things as clothing and manners.
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As long as you’re comfortable. After all the Holy Mass is “all about people”, eh?
 
Perhaps for an older bachelor, it is easy to dismiss convenience and comfort.

But because I am a mother, sometimes business casual pants versus formal wear is the difference between making it to Mass on-time and being late or not making it at all. I have yet to find a maternity ball gown at my local thrift store.

As I have said, try stepping into my (low-heeled, rubber-soled) shoes before you make a decision about who should and should not be allowed in the door of the universal Church.
 
damooster said:
So jeans are allowed in Rome?
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Thats got to be tough for the Italians - such a trend setting fashion sense found in Rome, versus the immigrant black trousers and thick black shoes and smock dresses out in the sticks.

But knowing how European Catholics compartmentalize matters of faith versus matters of the daily life quite neatly, I am sure they will adopt to the dress up edict with the elasticity for which they are famous!!

My Italian roommate in college once told me we American Catholics get far too hung up on all sorts of stuff they don’t think twice about - he reminded me of the convenience of good, honest weekly confession, followed by 6 days of enjoyable debauchery!!! 👍
 
DavidPalm said:
I’d like to get back to you on this one.

Okay, I have an honest question, not trying to be a dork. Modest I can understand, there’s a moral issue there. But why neat and clean? If it really, truly doesn’t matter how we look on the outside, then why must it be neat and clean? If the answer is because dirty and tattered wouldn’t be honoring to God, then perhaps we’ve started to find some common ground.
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To me neatness and cleanliness is something that everyone can acheive AT THEIR OWN LEVEL, which is not for me to judge. Even if someone showed up dirty and tattered, I would not tackle them in the aisle and turn them out. I would not even comment to my husband about it.

I’m sure we have lots of common ground. I never said that it doesn’t matter what we wear to Mass. I cringe every time I see altar servers with jeans and sneakers sticking out of their cassocks. I’m sure people cringe when they see my pants and snow boots. And I’m sure people cringe, in turn, at them for not wearing an Armani suit.

That is my point. Who draws the line? I feel that if there is a line to be drawn it should be drawn by the Magisterium. Do you really think it’s an oversight that they haven’t?
 
Why is wearing jeans, t shirt and trainers deemed as low culture. I dress that way because it is comfortable. It is refreshing to see tradition kept up in the church and I mean no disrespect but dress sense should not be disriminated against and no the mass is not about the people and it is certainly not a time to judge as Matthew 7 states “Do not judge or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you”.

I don’t wear these clothes to disrespect God. I wear them because I love God because he has provided me with a choice and I choose trainers over shoes anyday. :cool:

Stay cool God Rules!
 
pilling79 said:
Why is wearing jeans, t shirt and trainers deemed as low culture.
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Not low culture, in general (quite a number of very cultured people wear jeans and trainers). The idea is that the things appropriate for casual lounging are not the things appropriate for Mass.
pilling79 said:
I dress that way because it is comfortable. It is refreshing to see tradition kept up in the church and I mean no disrespect but dress sense should not be disriminated against and no the mass is not about the people and it is certainly not a time to judge as Matthew 7 states "Do not judge or you too will be judged.
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So you believe that the wish to preserve a dress code out of reverence to God is judgmental?
pilling79 said:
I don’t wear these clothes to disrespect God. I wear them because I love God because he has provided me with a choice and I choose trainers over shoes anyday. :cool:
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God provides us all with choices, which isn’t to mean that both options are equally meritorious. One can, after all, still make a very bad choice. 😉

Whomever it was earlier in this thread (I think it was David Palm) that said dressing for Mass is about reorienting ourselves was dead on. We must stop thinking about what we desire in relation to God or other people and instead begin desiring to do what God would require of us as a small token of reverence for all the mercy and graces that He continuously bestows on us.

In light of that, putting on those dress shoes starts to become a very easy thing indeed. 😉
 
;)🤷:eek:I love the lack of individuality - black, navy blue and grey. lol

a bit of colour would be nice:D:thumbsup:😦
 
Say we had a Pope who liked trainers and jeans. Would it be ok then to make the choice to wear such items. Trainers are a bad choice in your eyes not in the eyes of God. I cannot believe I am discussing this (lol). God Bless you all and good night.
 
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