Why do many priests refuse to wear chasuble?

[stpetric]

I have seen 1 principal priestly celebrant not wear the chasuble exactly 1 time. It was 107 inside of the church.

I hate the heat – give me fall, winter, or spring over summer any day. Yet, celebrating without the chasuble is not supposed to be done. So when I was ordained I had a very light silk chasuble made, in green since that’s what gets used most in summertime. Plus, on very hot days I strip down to the minimum modesty demands under the alb. Between those two steps, all but the very hottest days are reasonably comfortable.

 

[japhy]

I know at least one priest (a parish pastor) who I have seen celebrate Sunday Mass without a chasuble on several occasions. I also know another priest (a parish pastor) who often wears his stole over his chasuble on weekdays. I’ve never gotten around to asking them about it.

 

[FrDavid96]

I know at least one priest (a parish pastor) who I have seen celebrate Sunday Mass without a chasuble on several occasions. I also know another priest (a parish pastor) who often wears his stole over his chasuble on weekdays. I’ve never gotten around to asking them about it.

The stole over the chasuble used to be a licit option (at least in the US) for a short time. That has since been abrogated and the stole must be worn under the chasuble–but many priests simply “never got the email on that one” and some still do it out of habit (not necessarily by intention).

Since many vestments were made that way (and continue to be) it’s easy for priests to misunderstand and think this is still licit.

 

[malphono]

… Also, the Syriac Rite Catholic Churches may use a cope or a chasuble. The latter is a latinization. Several of the Syriac churches refer to their divine worship service as the Mass when speaking in English, including the Chaldean and Maronite Catholic Churches. I doubt it is what the OP was encountering, but being aware of it may reduce future confusion as these churches de-laitinize and also become more evident due to media and internet presence.

Slight correction. The Syriac Churches do not use a cope. It is called a phaino and, while it does resemble a cope to the naked Western eye, it differs most notably in that it does not have the flat residual hood (more commonly called a “flap”) on the back. I cannot speak for the Chaldeans or the Syro-Malabars, but the Maronites have officially abandoned use of what I call the “gift of Rome” *(see below) i.e., the Roman-style chasuble (mainly fiddlebacks but gothic styles were not unknown). Further, the Syriac Church itself never used Latin-style chasubles, nor has the Syro-Malanka Church.

• I say “gift of Rome” for a very particular reason that I will not go into here, but just so there’s no misunderstanding, I will say that I am and have always been opposed to the use of western-style vestments anywhere in the Oriental Churhces.

 

[gym33karate]

i have never seen a priest not wear one while saying mass or even coming out to help distribute commumion they always seem to wear it at my parish

 

[Joannm]

i have never seen a priest not wear one while saying mass or even coming out to help distribute commumion they always seem to wear it at my parish

The chasuable is not requred for those priests simply coming out to assist with communion. Even at masses where there are many concelbrants, I believe it is only required of the principle celebrant. At our large diocesan liturgies, only those priests in the sanctuary (and there could be upwards of 20) wear the chasuable. The others wear alb and stole.

 

[acadian]

Sometimes I have seen our priests will not wearing a chasuable for school Masses that are celebrated inside the school gym.

Once when traveling, we attended a Sunday Mass in Kentucky. The priest wore an alb with a rainbow-colored stole and a sister of St. Joseph gave a report on their missions as the homily. The church was filled to capacity with many young families with small children and seemed to have a vibrant community. My friend and I kept glancing at each other wondering if we were in the right place.

Nothing like attending Mass somewhere else to make you appreciate home. Those are the only times I’ve seen a priest celebrate Mass without a chasuable.

 

[Aramis]

The chasuable is not requred for those priests simply coming out to assist with communion. Even at masses where there are many concelbrants, I believe it is only required of the principle celebrant. At our large diocesan liturgies, only those priests in the sanctuary (and there could be upwards of 20) wear the chasuable. The others wear alb and stole.

If the concelebrants are few, they are required by the GIRM to wear chasubles when concelebrating.

 

[Andreas_Hofer]

I’ve encountered two main reasons offered by priests for not wearing the appropriate vestments:

1. They are too hot, too cumbersome, etc., so I don’t need to wear them. If the heat is going to pose a serious health risk, okay, but usually this is no more than a lame, unfounded excuse.
2. They somehow think that wearing the vestments appointed by the Church for the liturgy are ostentatious, unbecoming a humble priest who has matured past all of that dress-up blah, blah, blah. Pretty Protestant sounding attitude to say that merely wearing the vestments is too showy, if you ask me.

Bottom line, the celebrant, as has been shown, needs to be fully vested.

 

[Lazerlike42]

1. They somehow think that wearing the vestments appointed by the Church for the liturgy are ostentatious, unbecoming a humble priest who has matured past all of that dress-up blah, blah, blah. Pretty Protestant sounding attitude to say that merely wearing the vestments is too showy, if you ask me.

Actually, the entire thing is the antithesis of humility and betrays in the priest the thought that his individual self in some way matters. The priest celebrating Mass does so in persona Christi, as well as in the name of the Church. What he wears has absolutely nothing to do with him, whether he be worthy, humble, showy, poor, or otherwise. Rather, it has to do with who he represents.

That said, I can’t ascribe some lack of humility or exagerrated sense of self importance to all priests who would offer this reason, as some may be genuinely humble and genuinely not believe the Mass to be about them, but rather confused about other things. Nevertheless, it is an ironic reason to offer.

 

[benedictgal]

The chasuable is not requred for those priests simply coming out to assist with communion. Even at masses where there are many concelbrants, I believe it is only required of the principle celebrant. At our large diocesan liturgies, only those priests in the sanctuary (and there could be upwards of 20) wear the chasuable. The others wear alb and stole.

Yes, I saw this when I went to St. Louis two months ago and assisted at Mass at the new Cathedral. Two additional priests came out in choir dress and a deacon also came out in choir dress. The EMHCs assisted with the distribution of the Precious Blood.

 

[bkovacs]

In my previous parish, the priest only wore chasuble on Sundays and feast days. I supposed he thought that the chasuble was too flashy to use for ordinary weekday Masses, and that it was a way to indicate solemnity. I never asked him about it, however.

In my current parish, there are four Franciscan priests, and of them only the parish priest uses chasuble - and only when he is the main celebrant on Sundays and feast days. The others never wear chasuble at all. What could be the reasons for this? That it is too warm to wear both Franciscan habit and chasuble? That not wearing a flashy chasuble better reflects the poverty of Franciscans?

Whatever the reasons may be, I always become somewhat let down when priests do not wear chasuble at Mass. A beautiful chasuble really helps to express the solemnity and sacredness of the Mass. Who ever said that it was optional?

Liberal Theology and practices!. My only answer.

 

[Rose_Maniple]

I too have noticed the aversion of religious priests to the chasuble. At the monastery where I am an associate, stole over habit is typical. The women’s religious community in my diocese has only one priest among their ranks, and I’ve seen her celebrate Mass in cassock-alb and stole.

I’m not entirely sure what’s “liberal” about omitting the chasuble. I am relatively theologically “liberal” but it’s not a practice of which I approve.

 

[Aramis]

I too have noticed the aversion of religious priests to the chasuble. At the monastery where I am an associate, stole over habit is typical. The women’s religious community in my diocese has only one priest among their ranks, and I’ve seen her celebrate Mass in cassock-alb and stole.

I’m not entirely sure what’s “liberal” about omitting the chasuble. I am relatively theologically “liberal” but it’s not a practice of which I approve.

if they have a female priest, they are not Catholic!

 

[Cathryn]

It is not up to a priest to decide whether he will wear a chasuble or not at Holy Mass. He is in the person of Christ on the altar, and is required to follow the rubrics of the Catholic Church. He’s not there to do his own thing.

 

[bkovacs]

It is not up to a priest to decide whether he will wear a chasuble or not at Holy Mass. He is in the person of Christ on the altar, and is required to follow the rubrics of the Catholic Church. He’s not there to do his own thing.

Most NO priests today would disagree with you Cathryn. Most NO priests know nothing of tradition.

 

[Ahlman]

Most NO priests today would disagree with you Cathryn. Most NO priests know nothing of tradition.

I would rather put it like this: “Many priests today, like in former times, would disagree with you. Many priests know nothing of tradition.”

What is an “NO priest”, really?

 

[bkovacs]

I would rather put it like this: “Many priests today, like in former times, would disagree with you. Many priests know nothing of tradition.”

What is an “NO priest”, really?

A priest who only knows post Vatican 2!. Mainstream!.

 

[Milliardo]

With the heat and humidity in the Philippines, they are probably trying to avoid heat stroke.

I think priests here in the Philippines are given a dispensation not to wear the chausible, just as they are given dispensation here to wear white cassock instead of black.

 

[Justin1224]

In all my years attending mass. I was baptized at 41 months. and then started attending mass faithfully when I was 8 with my gram, I would sometimes go to mass with her on weekdays at a small chapel in the rectory basement. For weekday mass our priest would only wear a alb and stole for weekday mass and then on weekend in the church he would wear a chasuble, So I thought it was the norm that chasuble are only worn for Sunday mass, and then only an alb and stole for weekdays. A new priest that was assigned to our parish in 1993 would often not wear a chasuble for Sunday mass, just an alb and a stole, mostly in the summer.