Should people be allowed to wear shorts and sandals at Mass?

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Iohannes

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I see it all the time in Southern California where summers are hot. Does it no longer matter how we dress? Is a tie for men and chapel for women too traditionalist and pharisical? I no longer know? :rolleyes:
 
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Iohannes:
I see it all the time in Southern California where summers are hot. Does it no longer matter how we dress? Is a tie for men and chapel for women too traditionalist and pharisical? I no longer know? :rolleyes:
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I don’t believe a tie and/or hat is either “traditionalist” or “pharisical” – and neither one is required clothing for the laity.

That said, I think it’s a shame how some people dress for the Mass today. When someone tells me how hot it is in a place like SoCal, I think of all those who attend church in the Deep South with the high temperatures AND humidity.

I also think about the Passion of Jesus and what He endured…
 
People will dress up nice when they meet a human boss or interview yet when they go meet the Lord, they dress like they are going to the beach.
 
I wear a suit to Mass, and it certainly is not Pharisaical. I dress to show respect to God and to my fellow parishioners.

I used to hear that people should not have to dress up in the summer because it’s too hot. Then I visited an air-conditioned church and saw the same beach wear I saw in my own parish.

My signature says it all.
 
Or could people be allowed to wear shorts and sandals as a part of “inculturation”? After all, southern California is very informal, why not have a Mass that reflects the time and culture, plus it unless I am mistaken there is not anything in the bible or the GIRM that prohibits people dressing to Mass as if they are going to a beach or a wild party.
 
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severinus:
I wear a suit to Mass, and it certainly is not Pharisaical. I dress to show respect to God and to my fellow parishioners.

I used to hear that people should not have to dress up in the summer because it’s too hot. Then I visited an air-conditioned church and saw the same beach wear I saw in my own parish.

My signature says it all.
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But it is only discipline right and discipline can change right?
 
I don’t think sandals are necessarily disrespectful. I wear a ladies’ version of these (with socks):



At my Franciscan parish, the priest always wears sandals. 🙂

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severinus:
I wear a suit to Mass, and it certainly is not Pharisaical. I dress to show respect to God and to my fellow parishioners.

I used to hear that people should not have to dress up in the summer because it’s too hot. Then I visited an air-conditioned church and saw the same beach wear I saw in my own parish.

My signature says it all.
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What about those LifeTeen Masses? Can it be justified for the Teens to wear shorts, t-shirts and sandals to make it more relevent to the Teens?
 
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CarolAnnSFO:
I don’t think sandals are necessarily disrespectful. I wear a ladies’ version of these (with socks):

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/TaiChiPanther/Sandal.jpg

At my Franciscan parish, the priest always wears sandals. 🙂

Crazy Internet Junkies Society
Carrier of the Angelic Sparkles Sprinkle Bag
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I am talking about beach sandals, here in california beach sandals are popular? Can they be part of inculturation along with shorts and t-shirts?
 
It is interesting that this question arises. Approximately, two Sundays ago, I was performing my duties as an Extraordinary Minister of Communion. A young lady approached me with an outfit consisting of short shorts, a type of halter top with the belly exposed. I was quite shocked and I don’t shock easily. In retrospect, I can not but wonder if this dress is an outgrowth of the Shorts and Sandals crowd. Does anybody find it interesting that this type of dress and behavior normally takes place in middle class and upper middle class Parishes. I have been in poor Parishes where the dress may be simple but never immodest.

Bill Bradley
 
My mother never allowed shorts in church - but allowed jeans since my sisters and I were tomboys and getting us to wear a dress on a special occasion was a trial. However, we always dressed respectfully with a nice shirt/sweater.

I agree, some look as if they just roamed in off the streets, but I also know that outward appearances are a poor indicator of devotion. There have been times I’ve decided to go to daily mass after an especially long day, in shorts and sandals. There are other times when I wear a dress, and find myself distracted with my appearance and not paying attention.

As for allowed…It would hurt to be turned away when I’m seeking refuge and happen to be dressed “inappropriately”. But I also think proper dress should be stressed - out of respect for yourself and for the sacrament.
 
Female altar servers are supposed to wear sandals at my parish; and they usually do. So I don’t think that sandals are necessarily wrong.

However, shorts really bother me. To my understanding, shorts are in many places of Europe considered beach clothing; and to wear them in a church is very disrespectful and forbidden.

I think that women who wear shorts to Mass should be aware how it affects guys. When I’m at Mass, I always get inappropriately excited when I see all females my age walking down the aisle in skimpy shorts to receive communion. Too much flesh when I’m trying to focus on the Body of Christ.
 
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Madaglan:
I think that women who wear shorts to Mass should be aware how it affects guys. When I’m at Mass, I always get inappropriately excited when I see all females my age walking down the aisle in skimpy shorts to receive communion. Too much flesh when I’m trying to focus on the Body of Christ.
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Out of curiosity, does this apply to all shorts or just the really skimpy ones? 'Cause if it does apply to all :eek: I may never wear shorts again (even though I bike to work).
 
Sometimes when I see people with shorts and sandals (yes, I’ve even seen flip-flops) at Mass, I force myself to give them the benefit of the doubt, and try to reason with myself that they’ve probably just dropped in for Mass after a busy day at the beach.

(I live in So. California too.)
 
Peace be with you!

I wear shorts to Mass sometimes during the summer if it’s really hot or if I’m going somewhere directly from Mass and I don’t have time to go home and change first. But I don’t wear beach shorts or basketball shorts or anything like that; I wear khaki shorts or dark colored denim (often with a collared or button-up shirt). I don’t think I look disrespectful…and certainly I act respectful during Mass. Heck, look at the way Jesus and his apostles dressed all the time–old torn, dirty clothes, sandles. Not to say that I would wear my old dirty clothes to Mass, but Jesus cares more about what’s in your heart than whether your shins are covered. I always wear shoes, too; I don’t wear sandles to Mass.
But I am in agreement about the short shorts and revealing tops on the ladies. I see too many people who are simply dressed inappropriately at Mass.

In Christ,
Rand
 
Interestingly, on hot days, people will still dress very nicely for a job interview even if they will have to go to the beach next. But for Mass and our Lord, they dress like they are going to the beach, this is ok as inculturation?
 
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Iohannes:
I see it all the time in Southern California where summers are hot. Does it no longer matter how we dress? Is a tie for men and chapel for women too traditionalist and pharisical? I no longer know? :rolleyes:
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I wear leather sandals and my tau all the time to Mass. But then they are not Flip-Flops. We do remember the Flip-Flop Flap over the shoes when greeting the Presdent.
 
It is hard for me to say what is appropriate attire for Mass. What is in a person’s heart is most important. Sometimes I think a person’s attire reflects what is in his/her heart. But, I try not to make assumptions. For example, sometimes DH and I ride our bikes to Mass. We do it because it is good for our health and good for the environment… reasons that I think Jesus would approve. If we ride our bikes, we may dress more casually. I would hate for someone to think we were disprectful of the Lord because of that, when in fact we were trying to *honor * the Lord by our actions. So, I try not to make assumptions about others. But I must admit, it is hard. There are some things that I agree are just not appropriate under any circumstances, such as revealing clothing. But then again, revealing clothing is probably rarely appropriate outside of Mass either.
 
I think the only question that can fairly be asked about people’s attire at Mass is this:

Is it modest?

That’s it. If your personal take on it is that suits should be worn, then wear a suit. If you feel a mantilla is appropriate, by all means, wear a mantilla. Otherwise, I don’t feel that we should be concerned with what others are wearing. One obviously cannot help one’s feelings when one sees overtly immodest clothing (what if someone strolled in wearing a thong bikini?), but beyond that, it’s none of our business. I don’t wear shorts to Mass, only slacks and a shirt with a collar. If I see someone in jeans and a tshirt, I honestly don’t notice. If it’s a teen with his jeans pulled down to his knees, I notice. Why? It’s immodest and designed to call attention to the wearer.
 
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