Question: Is the Cassock obligatory in the EF?

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Mattjolley

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I’m just wondering. Is it obligatory for the priest to wear a cassock in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass? I’m thinking especially when it’s very hot outside, it may not be wise to wear too many ‘layers’? I guess the same question could be asked with regards to the Biretta, too.
 
Mattjolley said:
I’m just wondering. Is it obligatory for the priest to wear a cassock in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass? I’m thinking especially when it’s very hot outside, it may not be wise to wear too many ‘layers’?
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Priests are supposed to wear cassocks and other vestments while in church,regards of the language of the liturgy.

Wearing a cassock outside of church is optional, although it is common in some countries for priests to wear them in public- in other countries, its more common for the men to wear clerical type suits.
 
One of our EF priests took off his cassock sometimes when saying Mass in the heat of Southern August. He was older and sweated profusely either way but we didn’t want him to faint in the middle of Mass.

However, for most priests it would be a form of penance and mortification to wear multiple layers and be slightly uncomfortable.

The biretta was always used since that won’t add much difference heat-wise either way. Besides, who wouldn’t want to wear a funny hat any chance he gets?
 
All the priests at our parish wear a cassock for Mass, and most of the time out and about.
 
If a priest is a member of a religious order that has chosen the cassock as it’s habit, then there would be a religious obligation to wear a cassock.

Would a diocesan priest who celebrates the EF have any general obligation to wear a cassock, no. They would be under diocesan particular law, so if the local bishop has a mandate to wear the cassock, the priest would then, of course, be under obligation.
 
No, but then the priest has to wear an alb that’s solid and not sheer.

It’s always been custom that the priest’s individual legs are not visible (above the ankle-ish) during Mass
 
At my parish, our priests always wear their cassocks at mass EF or OF. One priest wears his cassock when out and about. The other sometimes wears his clerical suit. It depends on what he has to do that day.
 
I know of some priests who wear shorts under their Cassock (they hike up their black socks) and others who would never do that and only wear pants under a Cassock.

So that plays into it too.
 
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Do you mean obligatory COSSACKS?!

Good Heavens. Sounds kind of dangerous.
 
The cassock is not obligatory. Chasuble, alb and stole are, however, required.
 
I don’t think it’s obligatory.

I know that, for the summertime in some places, priests who wear cassocks wear a white cassock with black piping or lining on the seams and black buttons. I’m pretty sure the biretta is preferred, but not obligatory.
 
I’m not a priest but layers aren’t a problem. What is a problem is non breathable fabric. I live in the hot, humid South and I find a cotton undershirt with a loose fitting seersucker shirt to be far more comfortable than most polo shirts or T-shirts made to be worn by themselves. Likewise a pair of tropical weight wool slacks is far more comfortable for me than khakis.

So I don’t see a cassock or suit as being by themselves more or less hot. It all depends on the fabric.
 
Augustinian said:
Priests are supposed to wear cassocks and other vestments while in church,regards of the language of the liturgy.
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A minor quibble but the question wasn’t asked in relation to the language of the liturgy but the form of the Mass. As I’m sure you know the Ordinary Form Mass can be, and is often, celebrated in Latin in fact Latin is the official language of the OF Mass; all vernacular translations derive from it.

Maybe Latin is not heard too often in parishes but definitely is in monasteries and religious orders among other places. In fact one monastery of women near Montreal has recently switched to Latin for their OF Mass, every day (it used to be only a couple of days a week).
 
This doesn’t sound right. Cassock, Amice, Alb, Cincture, Maniple, Stole, Chasuble, and then the Biretta if available, though I have seen several priests offer Mass without one.
 
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I suggest you do that as I’ve never once seen a priest offer the Sacrifice of the Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite without any of those, except Biretta. What you mention may be the bare minimum in the Ordinary Form, even if not actually stated anywhere.
 
Certainly if one has all that, it should be used. But, if all a priest has is a chasuble, alb, and stole, I would assume it’s licit, even though un-ideal, to say Mass with just those 3 vestments.
 
The rules are from a time when nothing but those things would have been available. Essentially no rule pertaining to the Missal of 2018 applies to the 1962 Rite of Mass, unless it was already handed down from '62. Sure the Mass could be validly offered with a patch over one’s eye and parrot on the shoulder but it doesn’t mean it’s what’s called for.
 
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I’d bet you my life savings that perfectly licit Masses were offered during wartime by chaplains who had lost their cincture/maniple/amice in the havoc of war.

Again, it’s not ideal, but it is licit.
 
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