Should altar servers be allowed to wear the Roman collar in the US within the context of the Mass?

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In many cultures (e.g. most of Western Europe including Italy), lay males engaged in liturgical ministries (e.g. as servers, cantors, choir members, etc.) routinely wear the Roman collar along with the cassock/surplice (or cotta) combo. It makes sense because after all, a priest’s “garment of authority” is his stole. However wearing the Roman collar (except for seminarians in some cases) while engaged in a liturgical ministry has not been common in the US – although there is no prohibition, it varies from location to location.

Do you think lay male altar servers should wear the Roman collar if they are wearing cassock and surplice while serving the Mass?
  • Yes, it completes the outfit.
  • No, it might confuse or anger some people.
  • Yes – it might provide a good teaching moment.
  • Only if the male is 18 years of age or younger.
  • It really depends on the parish setting.
  • Whatever the cognizant pastor wishes.
  • Whatever the local ordinary wishes.
  • It truly makes no difference to me.
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I would say yes when only males are serving. I mean, if they are already wearing cassocks why not go the full nine yards. But the problem is when both males and females are serving. Do we give the males the collar and not the females? Do we give the women the collars as well (I would say a BIG no-no)? I think, at least in America, it wouldn’t work unless it was Nebraska where only males serve Mass.
 
Entwhistler said:
I would say yes when only males are serving. I mean, if they are already wearing cassocks why not go the full nine yards. But the problem is when both males and females are serving. Do we give the males the collar and not the females? Do we give the women the collars as well (I would say a BIG no-no)? I think, at least in America, it wouldn’t work unless it was Nebraska where only males serve Mass.
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Good points. At the National Basilica, male servers wear the cassock/surplice combo, while female servers wear albs in the same Mass. This stems from the cassock/surplice being priestly garb on loan to male altar servers, while the alb is the baptismal garment of all Catholics.
 
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In most dioceses in the U.S., ordained permanent Deacons are not permitted by their bishops to wear the Roman Collar. Hardly seems appropriate for lay servers to do so.
 
Mattapoisett64 said:
In most dioceses in the U.S., ordained permanent Deacons are not permitted by their bishops to wear the Roman Collar. Hardly seems appropriate for lay servers to do so.
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Outside of the Mass they are (sometimes) not allowed to. If a deacon was serving as an MC or server in a big Mass, I have no doubt the Roman collar would be required were he wearing a cassock and surplice.
 
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You are incorrect. Last I knew, 70% of U.S. dioceses do not permit their deacons to wear the collar. That’s a lot more than “sometimes not allowed to.” In my diocese at least, when deacons serve as MC, they vest as a deacon with alb and stole. Once a man is ordained, he is not normally asked to “dress down” on the altar.
 
Mattapoisett64 said:
You are incorrect. Last I knew, 70% of U.S. dioceses do not permit their deacons to wear the collar. That’s a lot more than “sometimes not allowed to.” In my diocese at least, when deacons serve as MC, they vest as a deacon with alb and stole. Once a man is ordained, he is not normally asked to “dress down” on the altar.
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You’re wrong. Watch a Mass on TV from any large venue – the National Basilica, Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, wherever, and the MC (almost always a priest or deacon) will be wearing a cassock, surplice and Roman collar.

I don’t know whether your 70% is correct, but even if it is and even if it was 95%, my “sometimes” comment is 100% accurate.
 
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I have to agree with the other poster. Permanent Deacons in my diocese are not allowed the Roman collar. Transitional Deacons, who are mostly still seminarians, do wear the collar. I would guess most of the Deacons at the National Basilica are still in seminary.
 
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There is no answer among the choices given that corresponds to my thoughts. I would say that it could cause confusion, but I would be absolutely baffled if it were to cause anger in anybody. Why would somebody get angry about such a thing?

If a change were to be made, I would assume it would be accompanied by appropriate education so that confusion would be minimized.
 
One of the choices is (emphasis added):

“No, it might confuse or anger some people.”
 
Duesenberg said:
One of the choices is (emphasis added):

“No, it might confuse or anger some people.”
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Those are two very different reactions in one choice. Combining the two into one response makes little sense to me, as the poll will not give the information that you are seeking. I was not willing to give a response that did not allow me to separate confusion, a normal reaction to something new and different, and anger, which would be completely out of place.
 
Deacon Jeff, can you enlighten us as to the reasoning behind this?

I would think that both a transitional and a permanent deacon would have the same requirements, as a deacon is a deacon. Is it the “seminarian” thing?
 
Thanks @(name removed by moderator)!

May God continue to bless you in your ministry.
 
Indeed. That’s not all dioceses however. Permanent deacons (who care to), wear Roman collars here.
 
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Roman collars on the laity within the liturgy are common in Europe. I think it looks far better:
 
They look like roman collars to me and that’s really all that matters – what they look like to observers.
 
My husband is a permanent deacon and in our diocese may wear a roman collar for all liturgical events
 
He is always vested properly of course. Learning how to do that was part of his formation
 
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