Wearing shorts to Confession

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UtahMaggie

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I really left this until the last minute. I’m leaving in about an hour to go to Confession and then going right to a birthday bbq. I’m planning on wearing shorts, nice ones, not jean shorts. Is this okay to wear to Confession? I remember going once as a child in shorts and when we were leaving, my sister said the priest told her next time to dress more appropriately. She was only about 8 or 9 so I think he should have talked to my mom instead.

Any help within the next hour would be appreciated.

Maggie
 
Go to confession, confess your shorts-wearing, and give the priest a laugh! I wore Birkenstocks to confession last week, and God punished my by having me run into my third grade teacher as I exited the church! I am all for modest dress, but don’t let anything interfere with confession!
 
If you use a confessional, he won’t know what you’re wearing.
Yet another good reason against face-to-face confession!

JimG
 
Are we running out of good topics for threads? Are we making mountains out of molehills with increasing regularity? Are we scrutinizing ourselves and others over tiny details, while missing the bigger picture? 🙂 :hmmm: :whacky:

Yes, I always confess behind a screen and on a hot day I might wear shorts. Hopefully the other, very small amount of people, mostly little old ladies, who frequent confession, are not offended. If they are busy judging my apparel instead of concentrating on their examination of their concience then they’d better confess that too! :cool:
 
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WhiteDove:
Are we running out of good topics for threads? Are we making mountains out of molehills with increasing regularity? Are we scrutinizing ourselves and others over tiny details, while missing the bigger picture? 🙂 :hmmm: :whacky:

Yes, I always confess behind a screen and on a hot day I might wear shorts. Hopefully the other, very small amount of people, mostly little old ladies, who frequent confession, are not offended. If they are busy judging my apparel instead of concentrating on their examination of their concience then they’d better confess that too! :cool:
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Actually, most now who demand respect to a Sacrament such as the Sacrament of Penance are NOT little old ladies, but twenty somethings and a 32 year old guy like me. Reverence IS part of the bigger picture. If we lack discipline in things that seem small, what makes us think we will have discipline in bigger things. To note that all is hey okay with going to confession in shorts, is quite simplistic. The Church, is NOT a democracy.
 
Do you pay attention to others going to confession? I try to ignore them myself. It seems very discourteous to even make eye contact let alone scrutinized their dress.

Unfortunately though, it is mostly elderly who go to confession, at least in my parish. Not too many folks who really need to go to confession ever go! It’s sort of an inverse ratio I think. The less sins you have, the more often you go to confession! 🙂
 
How other people are dressed is the LAST thing I’m thinking about…that’s between them and God. I usually have issues of my own that are taking up my time. The only one I have that stands out in my mind is an older lady who wears a veil.

dream wanderer
 
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Fortiterinre:
Go to confession, confess your shorts-wearing, and give the priest a laugh! I wore Birkenstocks to confession last week, and God punished my by having me run into my third grade teacher as I exited the church! I am all for modest dress, but don’t let anything interfere with confession!
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I did wear my shorts and mentioned it to the priest. He said it was just fine and in fact wasn’t wearing his collar! It was a hot and muggy day yesterday in Salt Lake so I didn’t want to be uncomfortable if it wasn’t necessary. As always, I’m glad I went. Thanks for your reply.
 
dream wanderer:
How other people are dressed is the LAST thing I’m thinking about…that’s between them and God. I usually have issues of my own that are taking up my time. The only one I have that stands out in my mind is an older lady who wears a veil.

dream wanderer
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Actually what stays in my mind is the reverence and knowlege of theology and the Church a YOUNG woman in her 20’ and 30’s as I see alll the time in my parish, who where the mantila=veil. the Veil was NEVER prohibited by V.II nor any other catholic document.
 
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WhiteDove:
The less sins you have, the more often you go to confession! 🙂
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Actually, White Dove, I think it happens the other way around - the more you go to confession, the fewer sins you’ll have! 😉

Betsy
 
I went to confession last night, and wore shorts, and took communion afterward too.

No one seemed to mind. I was dressed decently tho. They were nicer shorts with a sports shirt with a collar.
 
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WhiteDove:
Are we running out of good topics for threads? Are we making mountains out of molehills with increasing regularity? Are we scrutinizing ourselves and others over tiny details, while missing the bigger picture? 🙂 :hmmm: :whacky:

There seems to be too much of this going on…ie…having a few drinks, gambling in moderation, smoking…things that arent condenmed in the CCC, but yet people wanna apply pentacostal & fundie sentiments to them…

For the record…I go to confession in shorts if its hot out, and attend church in long pants…even JEANS as long as they are neat and clean. 😉
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I wore something quite interesting to confession last Sunday…my fussy infant. It is doubtful that Jesus would have turned me away or made me feel badly for what I had done. Jesus would have taken the wee one from my arms and cradled him. ( Father never batted an eye.)

In my opinion, it is not what is on the body.Rather,it is what is in your soul. The fact that this poster felt a certain amount of disdain over wearing the shorts speaks volumes to me.
 
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Anonymous:
The fact that this poster felt a certain amount of disdain over wearing the shorts speaks volumes to me.
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If you read my original post you will see that I mentioned I left it to the last minute. It was normally one of those things I would have called my mom and asked if she thought it was okay. (36 years old and I still ask my mom if what I’m wearing is okay.) I just needed some quick advice. I wasn’t doubting my faith, I wasn’t worried about what others were thinking, I wasn’t worried if it was addressed in the CCC. I simply needed some advice and mentioned that when we were children, the priest told my sister, who was in shorts, to dress more appropriately the next time she went to confession. Please don’t think that my originial post should speak volumes of anything other than needing some quick advice.
 
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JimG:
If you use a confessional, he won’t know what you’re wearing.
Yet another good reason against face-to-face confession!

JimG
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Great answer! I’m going this Saturday, and will probably wear shorts…I plan to use the screen.
 
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misericordie:
Actually, most now who demand respect to a Sacrament such as the Sacrament of Penance are NOT little old ladies, but twenty somethings and a 32 year old guy like me. Reverence IS part of the bigger picture. If we lack discipline in things that seem small, what makes us think we will have discipline in bigger things. To note that all is hey okay with going to confession in shorts, is quite simplistic. The Church, is NOT a democracy.
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I’m with you. First, there is the respect and reverence for the sacrament. Secondly, no one has mentioned if the shorts are cut-offs, short-shorts, walking shorts or what. Is there a halter-top involved? Third, as for myself, I wouldn’t wear shorts face-to-face with a priest or any other man who was not my husband but certainly not someone who has take a vow of celibacy. He is, after all, human.

Everyone is different I guess but I have only worn shorts in church on one occasion and that was when we were visiting West Point on vacation. It was not to Mass but just to see the beautiful chapel. I have to admit that I felt very self-conscious. ( I did cover my head though.)

So while I don’t spend a whole lot of time worrying about what the other guy is wearing, I do worry about what I am wearing. As for me, I’d rather go to the BBQ a little overdressed than show up at God’s house underdressed.

And, yes, I do think He cares how we look when we go to Mass. I think He does care about showing Him reverence. That’s why He taught us how to pray and and to glorify Him through our treatment of others.
 
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UtahMaggie:
I really left this until the last minute. I’m leaving in about an hour to go to Confession and then going right to a birthday bbq. I’m planning on wearing shorts, nice ones, not jean shorts. Is this okay to wear to Confession? I remember going once as a child in shorts and when we were leaving, my sister said the priest told her next time to dress more appropriately. She was only about 8 or 9 so I think he should have talked to my mom instead.

Any help within the next hour would be appreciated.

Maggie
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You betcha it’s okay to wear shorts to Confession!!

Whether “nice” shorts or jean shorts… even cut-off shorts… are all just fine!

As long as they’re not hotpants, that is. Give the poor guy a break!

It amazes me no end that people seem to think that what we (er… I) wear has anything to do with how much I respect the person I’m in contact with.

I’d wear shorts but my legs aren’t that great! 😛
 
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condan:
I’m with you. First, there is the respect and reverence for the sacrament. Secondly, no one has mentioned if the shorts are cut-offs, short-shorts, walking shorts or what. Is there a halter-top involved? Third, as for myself, I wouldn’t wear shorts face-to-face with a priest or any other man who was not my husband but certainly not someone who has take a vow of celibacy. He is, after all, human.

Everyone is different I guess but I have only worn shorts in church on one occasion and that was when we were visiting West Point on vacation. It was not to Mass but just to see the beautiful chapel. I have to admit that I felt very self-conscious. ( I did cover my head though.)

So while I don’t spend a whole lot of time worrying about what the other guy is wearing, I do worry about what I am wearing. As for me, I’d rather go to the BBQ a little overdressed than show up at God’s house underdressed.

And, yes, I do think He cares how we look when we go to Mass. I think He does care about showing Him reverence. That’s why He taught us how to pray and and to glorify Him through our treatment of others.
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It seems as if it’s all too easy to get REAL legalistic in a real hurry - like zero-to-sixty in 2.5 seconds.

Confession - indeed ALL sacraments - are about GRACE. Respect is in the heart. There IS such a thing as reasonableness. There IS such a thing as making a mountain out of a molehill. If we approach copnfession with the right heart and soul, what matters (and what happens) is absolution and the forgiveness of sins. Which is more important - the forgiveness of sins or attire chosen to satisfy someone else’s subjective sense of decorum. We cannot legislate taste.
 
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