Not very nice…we should all be on “the same team”, right?
I think you might be seeing a lack of charity where none is intended, simply a statement of preference.
This is an interesting topic, and perhaps the moderators want to move this thread, but
this site does say many things well… edited for length)
A Nuns Habit
Peter and Paul Ministries
These are actual statements nuns have given for not wearing a habit and Peter and Paul Ministries responses:
…
Excuse Vatican II said we should take the habit off in favor of secular clothes.
Response Nowhere in the Council documents does it say that the priests and religious should dispense with religious habits, and it never said that habits should be the street clothes of the common man. Vatican II stated that habits are to be an outward sign of consecration. They need to be simple, modest, poor, becoming, and needed to be changed if they were unhealthy or not suited for today’s needs. Pope Paul VI and John Paul II both have told priests and religious that they must wear their religious habit, but many have chosen to ignore the Papacy and the Second Vatican Council.
“The religious habit, an outward mark of consecration to God, should be simple and modest,poor and at the same becoming. In addition it must meet the requirements of health and be suited to the circumstances of time and place and to the needs of the ministry involved. The habits of both men and women religious which do not conform to these norms must be changed.” Perfectae Caritatis17
Excuse The secular world and media has long portrayed nuns with their habits as uneducated stupid and dumb individuals. They drew pictures of them in ways that mocked them and made jokes at their expense.
Response Throughout history nuns have been educated, as a matter of fact the first female university president in history was a nun. Many orders of nuns have done nothing but educate Catholic youth and a Catholic education has always been seen as excellent even by the secular society.
Excuse People mocked, ridiculed and made fun of them when they where in there habits. Children would say, “hey, look at the big penguin walking down the street”.
Response Christ was ridiculed. John the baptist was ridiculed. The 12 apostles chosen by Christ were ridiculed.
Excuse It has been commonly observed that adults and especially children felt uncomfortable by the sisters in habit.
Response Do policemen or firemen take off their uniforms so people will feel more comfortable around them? Nuns are not to blend in. The habit is a symbol of their commitment to Christ. In their effort to blend in they have disappeared.
Excuse It is true that habits are an out word sign of religious consecration. But simply because one wears a habit does not make them holy. You can be holy inwardly in your heart without having to wear the habit.
Response Yes, one can be holy with out a habit. Can you imagine if the pope came out to speak to the people without his white cassock or the Notre Dame football team decided not to wear their gold helmets. People would throw a fit! This excuse is a cop out.
Excuse In fact a habit is something as simple as the common crucifix we sisters all wear over our secular cloths as well as the ring we all wear on our finger. This common crucifix and ring is our outward sign of religious consecration and community. It has become our new habit.
Response Prostitutes and rock stars wear crucifixes and religious rings. Does this mean they are part of a religious community?
Excuse Young women won’t want to join our community if we wear the habit.
Response Every order that has taken off the habit is dying because no young women want to join their order. As a matter of fact the orders that wear the habit are growing and thrive two examples are Mother Teresa Sisters of Charity and The Dominican Sister of Nashville.
