What priestly vestments do you prefer to see priests wear as Mass celebrants?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Duesenberg
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
My favorite Friar only wears Hawaiian shirts…he has heard my confession, and even performed my wife and my convalidation in Hawaiian shirt sans habit…and no stole.
I’m sorry to hear that. The stole is the outward sign of the priest’s authority. I don’t know why any priest would skip donning at least a stole while performing a convalidation? Perhaps he only wears stoles at sacrificial liturgies? In any event if I had to go through a convalidation, I would hope the priest was suitably attired/vested.
 
I like those because I can actually tell it’s a dalamatic. So many dalmatics look like chasubles today. It has caused friction in my parish.
 
It’s an outward sign but not source of priestly authority. Priestly authority is bestowed by God through the Bishop, not through liturgical garments.

There is no fault in preferring the priest wear a stole, but the stole is not going to make any sacrament the priest administers any less or any more efficacious.

Grace flows from God, not from a piece of cloth…the stole is a sacramental, but it is not the sacrament.
 
It’s an outward sign but not source of priestly authority. Priestly authority is bestowed by God through the Bishop, not through liturgical garments.

snip
THANK you. Very much (added for 16 characters)

D
 
Is this a serious response Duesenberg? If you believe it is, I will ask a Jesuit Priest this weekend.

If not, please say so.
 
I wonder if they could make rip stop nylon vestments? Tactical vestments for chaplains🤔
 
Whatever is meaningful to the priest, and reminds him of his sacred office and duties. I’d prefer a Franciscan priest, so a Tau would be nice, but otherwise it doesn’t matter. Honestly, I’d love to see it more common for Christians to wear the tallit, but as it is it would be confused with a priestly vestment. Perhaps our priests could wear something more akin to the Levites, though the breastplate would probably have to be changed.
 
Clean vestments that, even if the parish is poor, have been well mended.

Aside from that as long as the rubrics are followed it is all good.
 
We were, of course, there for the Mass. But the way one’s priest looks adds to or detracts from the message being delivered.

Our former priest who passed away 7 months after his retirement looked good in every kind of vestment. I don’t know the official name of the type of vestments he wore each week. But he looked very regal in them especially the weeks he wore green and rose colored vestments.
 
It’s an outward sign but not source of priestly authority. Priestly authority is bestowed by God through the Bishop, not through liturgical garments.

There is no fault in preferring the priest wear a stole, but the stole is not going to make any sacrament the priest administers any less or any more efficacious.

Grace flows from God, not from a piece of cloth…the stole is a sacramental, but it is not the sacrament.
Priests should always wear a stole when administering the sacraments. Wearing an aloha shirt alone would be inappropriate. Stoles are so important that many priests carry a pocket stole, should they need to hear an impromptu confession and are not near a confessional – where a purple stole is always available. Yes, it does make a difference.

In fact, one has to wonder why any priest would choose not to vest to celebrate the Mass?
 
Last edited:
We were, of course, there for the Mass. But the way one’s priest looks adds to or detracts from the message being delivered.

Our former priest who passed away 7 months after his retirement looked good in every kind of vestment. I don’t know the official name of the type of vestments he wore each week. But he looked very regal in them especially the weeks he wore green and rose colored vestments.
That’s all very true. There’s also the issue of what would motivate a priest to celebrate any sacrament not suitably (not “expensively” or “ornately”) vested? Is it a tacit statement of defiance? Are they just not willing to make the modest effort? What’s behind their actions?
 
Whatever is meaningful to the priest, and reminds him of his sacred office and duties. I’d prefer a Franciscan priest, so a Tau would be nice, but otherwise it doesn’t matter. Honestly, I’d love to see it more common for Christians to wear the tallit, but as it is it would be confused with a priestly vestment. Perhaps our priests could wear something more akin to the Levites, though the breastplate would probably have to be changed.
That’s a very interesting comment. For many years I have donned a tallit (a gift from a rabbi) while praying in churches before Mass. It helps me to focus and it helps to quiet people around me, without me saying a word. Along with my missalette, prayer book, MP3 player and rosary, my tallit is part of my “Mass kit.”
 
Near in mind i am speaking of sacraments outside the Mass, which could include confessions, Eucharist, matrimony (ie, convalidation).

Simple question, considering use of “should” instead of “must”…is it your opinion or is it a canonical requirement that a stole be worn by the priest administering sacraments outside the Mass?

And, I’m not saying it is not canonical, but because so many “little ones” frequent this website seeking answers, we should use this opportunity for catechesis, by providing a source reference.

If it is not a canonical requirement, you may feel a Hawiaan shirt is inappropriate, but it is not illicit, and certainly does not make the sacrament invalid.

If it is your opinion that it inappropriate, that’s fair enough, but you must accept that nobody is obligated to share your opinion or mine.
 
Near in mind i am speaking of sacraments outside the Mass, which could include confessions, Eucharist, matrimony (ie, convalidation).
By definition “the Eucharist” is the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Some incorrectly view “the Eucharist” singularly to be the Blessed Sacrament under the appearance of bread and that’s not really accurate. I don’t know why any priest would hear a confession without a stole – unless it was totally impromptu and he didn’t have access to one.
Simple question, considering use of “should” instead of “must”…is it your opinion or is it a canonical requirement that a stole be worn by the priest administering sacraments outside the Mass?
The Church requires a priest to wear a stole while administering sacramanets like Holy Communion and extreme unction – although not doing so does not invalidate the sacraments. The more important question is why would a priest not wear a stole and/or other vestments depending on the sacrament as required by the Church if they were available? Is he trying to make a statement? Does he just not want to make the minimal effort?
If it is not a canonical requirement, you may feel a Hawiaan shirt is inappropriate, but it is not illicit, and certainly does not make the sacrament invalid.
It’s not the presence of an aloha shirt that’s wrong. It’s the lack of a stole and in some cases other vestments as required by the Church depending on the sacrament. Whether or not certain behaviors would invalidate a sacrament is only one important measure. Following the Church’s requirements is also extremely important. I would contend that hearing a confession sans stole (unless one was truly not available) is indeed “illicit.”

A priest is indeed obligated to follow what the Church directs, even if not doing so does not invalidate a sacrament. Your comment from an earlier posting
It’s an outward sign but not source of priestly authority. Priestly authority is bestowed by God through the Bishop, not through liturgical garments.
is true, but it’s not an excuse for a priest to ignore requirements from the Church – like wearing a stole while hearing confessions.
 
Last edited:
@Duesenberg, I don’t know how that last quote came out attributed to me, to just to keep things straight, Hereiam actually wrote it, in #30.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top