What's the Church's stance on facial hair? (On men)

[drafdog]

Hastrman,
I have NEVER grown a beard although I have had one for over 37 years. I simply refrain from shaving the beard that is already there.

Matthew

 

[AngelicDoctor]

No, there’s no stance on it. But I do have a priest friend who’s bishop has a no facial hair policy in his diocese. He said it’s either vanity or laziness and neither is a good virtue for a priest.

I’m not discouraging, just thought it was a funny story.

I have heard of this as well, and I am not sure about it… Some men just like beards, it keeps their face warm in the winter. One could argue that shaving can be motivated by vanity.

Why do religious so often have beards (such as Franciscans–I am thinking of Fr. Benedict Groeschel’s order of Franciscans who work with the poor)… trappists, as well?

Beards also have a rich history among the saints… and look at the prominence of beards among priests and religious within the Eastern church. (This might be a good question to post on the Eastern Christianity thread though it could set off a volley of polemics about other things)

 

[AngelicDoctor]

incidentally, I think beards are cool, and I would grow one except that I am experiencing an odd case of Male Pattern Facial Balding… in some places on my face, hair will no longer grow. I am thinking about suing the manufacturer of the electric razor I used to use.

 

[archangel]

Just for fun…

*“How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them!..For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest–a sign of strength and rule.” St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.275 *

 

[Yerusalyim]

How many pieces of Catholic art have you seen where Jesus is clean shaven?

Actually, some of the very early stuff out of the Catacombs show Christ without a beard.

There was a time not too long ago where facial hair of any type was frowned upon for priests.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses in the US are considered spiritually weak and marked as bad associations if they have facial hair.

 

[Nino]

Just wondering. Does the Church even have a stance?

 

[Nino]

“stance’ means position…in many ways the Church is strict…like an oak trees stance…in some ways it goes and flows with the wind like a reed…the RCC has lasted for 2000 years because it quite easily and common sensibility (!) is only concerned with one thing…leading we mere mortals towards ultimate Truth…now if you were to ask…'how many angels can sit on the head of a pin?” now thats different…a true challenge to our faith…happy trails…Nino

 

[DanteAlighieri]

How many pieces of Catholic art have you seen where Jesus is clean shaven?

Actually…enough to make me wonder. I can’t remember the names of many such works, but I’ve seen a number of paintings and mosaics that depict Christ as beardless in numerous churches in Europe. I found a site that says that this was the normal way to depict Christ until the Shroud of Turin was discovered, but I don’t know how authoritative it is.

Most notable is Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement, above the altar in the Sistine Chapel.

Here is a detail showing a closeup of Christ in that painting.

Peace,
Dante

 

[AngelicDoctor]

Just for fun…

*“How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them!..For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane. But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest–a sign of strength and rule.” St. Clement of Alexandria, 2.275 *

Archangel, Thanks for this quote–this is great.