Since when has faithful submission of mind and will to the mind of the Church become someoneās āopinionā (as in: you could be right, you could be wrong)?
Nowadays there seems to be āno canonical or moral obligation for women to wear a veil in the churchā. So, what are we to say about the past twenty centuries? Were all those women wrong? Was the Church wrong in imposing a canonical obligation on this matter? Did the practice withhold rather than increase grace ex opere operantis?
Moderator note:
Please refrain from teaching what the Church does not teach nor Church law require. Itās OK to say that one has a certain opinion. Just make sure that the reader knows that the Church disagrees with you or least does not support your opinion. This helps the reader choose.
When a priest or any theologian recommends to confess often, we donāt react by saying: hey, thatās your opinion. We donāt reply that current Church Law only requires us to confess once a year. We easily acknowledge the wisdom behind the practice of frequent confession. Also when some good book recommends confession even if we are not conscious of mortal sin, we donāt react by saying: thatās your opinion, confession is only for mortal sins. Sure, when I say we should confess often even if not conscious of mortal sin, that is my opinion, but it is found in Church teaching, and the Church does not disagree, but supports that opinion. Which is the only reason I hold it.
So when it comes to veils, what did I teach that was āmy opinionā, that the Church does not teach, does not support, or disagrees with? ā
Ladies should always wear veils in Churchā¦this practice was never abolishedā.
I didnāt say they must. I didnāt say itās an obligation. I speak of a devotional practice, not of a canonical obligation. I donāt like the legalistic approach to things. It was written into the 1917 Code of Canon Law, Canon 1262, that women must cover their heads ā āespecially when they approach the holy tableā, which is exactly what I mentioned. Sure, the Code is no longer in force, but the new Code did not say that women should NOT wear a headcover. In fact, this practice is centuries, even millennia older than the 1917 Code of Canon Law, and it has no reason to cease with the 1917 Code of Canon Law just because Church Law no longer āimposesā it (!).
One can take this further (moderator may want to step in if I am messing up here) and read Canons 27-28 of the 1983 (and current) Code of Canon Law:
<<Custom is the best interpreter of laws. nless the law makes express mention of them, it does not revoke centennial or immemorial customs>>
Since the 1983 Code of Canon Law makes no mention of the immemorial custom of women wearing a veil in Church, it did not abolish this practice! All it does is refrain from imposing it! So I reaffirm what I said: women should wear a veil at least during Holy Mass, because this practice (or custom) was never abolished. It is a good, pious practice.
I could quote Scripture, a very controversial and so-not-modern-day Scripture: <<
The man indeed ought not to cover his head: because he is the image and glory of God. But the woman is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man [c.f. Genesis 2-3]. For the man was not created for the woman: but the woman for the man. Therefore ought the woman to have a power over her head, because of the angels. Doth it become a woman to pray unto God uncovered? But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor the Church of God, now this I ordain: not praising you, that you come together, not for the better, but for the worse>>. No matter how many times we re-read this Scripture and re-affirm that it does not impose a moral obligation, it is still clear in its symbolism, and our Catholic culture today more than ever needs a refreshing review of our orthodox beliefs on manhood and womanhood, for which the veil only assists.
The veil, of course, comes from the Old Covenant practice of veiling the Sancta Sanctorum, the Holy of Holies, and was carried into the Liturgy by the practice of veiling the Sacred Vessels and Tabernacle, and was carried into popular piety by veilingā¦women! Women who are in a sense in the image of She who became the living Holy of Holies by bearing Christ in her womb.
But since today there seems to be āno moral or legal obligationā for women to wear a veil in Church, the readers may chose. I am merely stating my opinion here.
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