Seriously, we finally connect. I don’t understand Anime and I don’t understand your and Walking Home’s postings. So maybe I just don’t understand a lot.
I consistently give examples to counter your accusations and characterizations, and it doesn’t matter a whit. You decided early on to pigeon-hole me and that’s fine.
I point to charity, to love of God, to holiness (see reference to today’s Gospel) and I end up being hit left and right by you and Wanderer. I really don’t care. I know my theology very well.
We are all called to holiness, and we’re called to cooperate in the salvation of all souls.
A woman above admitted to dressing for effect, and this is no surprise. My wonderful wife has read these postings and she tells me I am on target.
Dear Edward H,
Cordial greetings and a very good day. Thankyou for your excellent posts, dear friend, which are bang on target and fully in accord with traditional Catholicism, even if they are out of sync with the neo-Catholic orthodox mindset.
Our Church has always taught that indecent attire is unbefitting of those who profess godliness. Here is what Pope Benedict XV said in more sober and God fearing times when immodest clothing was not tolerated:
“One cannot sufficiently deplore the blindness of so many women of every age and station. Made foolish by the desire to please, they do not see to what degree the indecency of their clothing shocks every honest man and offends God. Most of them would have formerly blushed for such apparel as for a grave fault against Christian modesty. Now it does not suffice to exhibit themselves on public thoroughfares; they do not fear to cross the threshold of churches, to assist in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and even to bear the seducing food of shameful passions to the Eucharistic Table, where one receives the Heavenly Author of Purity” (
Sacra Propediem, 1921).
These words have an incredible contemporary ring to them and are even more pertinent to our own morally degenerate age. The fact that they would be brushed aside as bordering on ‘prissy Puritanism’ is just indicative of the siesmic shift in the opinion of the faithful and the impact of neo-Catholic orthodoxy.
What is very noticeable in this and other debates upon this topic is the amount of sophistry and fallacious reasoning that men will resort to in order to justify the wearing of immodest vesture. Notwithstanding this deplorable laxity, our Church in both the Catechism and Sacred Scripture has spoken quite unambiguously upon this issue:
“Modesty is decency.
It inspires ones choice of clothing” (CCC, para. 2523).
"Modesty inspires a way of life which makes it possible to resist the allurements of fashion and the pressures of prevailing ideologies (CCC, para. 2523).
"Women should adorn themselves modestly and sensibly in *seemly aparrel *(St. Paul, I Tim. 2: 9).
(all added emphases mine).
Surely if words mean anything at all, the above citations are quite plain enough. How can mini-skirts, low-cut garments revealing cleavage and bikini’s fall under the heading of “seemly aparrel”? To quote Pope Benedict XV again, such indecenct clothing “shocks every honest man and offends God”.
Moreover, it should be observed that the word ‘modesty’ in the St. Paul passage above denotes a sense of shame and a godly recoiling from trespassing the boundaries of propriety. Thus it is manifestly obvious, irrespective of cultural considerations, that a woman’s clothing must be expressive of an interior modesty and a devout sober outlook upon life. In other words, a Catholic outlook that is thoroughly consistent with good taste and decency. It is really quite that simple.
Finally, it is quite evident nowaday’s that many Catholics have an inadequate grasp of basic moral theology because they seemingly have little, if any, awareness of concupiscence or evil desire. As a consequence of the Fall man is fundamentally flawed and now has a propensity to sin. Therefore are viewpoint is likely to be awry and ridiculously idealistic, unless we reckon with the issue of lust and the vicious strength of evil desire within us all, men and women. As long as mankind has to contend with the presence of evil desire, it must take steps to reduce its potency and that will always entail the doning of modest attire. This is our duty as professing Catholics, as well as being a basic act of charity towards our fellow sinful brethren.
Warmest good wishes,
Portrait
Pax
