Why do some women wear a veil or scarf on their head in Church?

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Elena321

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I’ve read that this isn’t a requirement for women and I’m assuming that’s the case as most of the women I see don’t wear one but why do some wear it?
Ie:what is the purpose and significance?
 
It has its roots in 1Corinthians11:

5 But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. (NASB)
 
Or it’s cold…or it goes with their outfit, or they are having a bad hair day. So many women, so many reasons…
 
In parts of Europe women will never enter a Catholic Church without covering their hair. We have a handful of older European women in our church who do the same.

When we visited the Holy Land recently I was required to cover my hair before entering the Church of Holy Sepulchre and the Church of the Nativity.
 
Thanks.What is the meaning though and why do only some women cover their head?
Eg:I come from a European Catholic background and no women cover their heads but I have seen a few in the multicultural church do it and I know that all Russian Orthodox women do it.
 
At my Cathedral in Aus, some women wear mantillas or scarves. Mostly they are from Asian countries, ie India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia. And Italian Catholics.

Its not a veil, never a veil. Only nuns veil. The origin of women covering their hair is from St Paul as Church soldier has written.

It was a requirement of the Church that women cover their hair, once. It is not a requirement today. I think it stopped being a requirement after Vatican 11. I could be wrong about when it was abolished as a rule.

My priest who takes the special Syro-Malabar Mass says its an Eastern thing these days, more common in Eastern and Asian countries.
 
i’ve forgotten how to provide links, but if you type in:
why veils-the symbolism of head covering
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you should be able to access a 23 minute sermon on YouTube

The veil signifies the dignity and beauty of Woman.
All sacred “things” are veiled, and a woman is a sacred vessel because life can be conceived and nurtured within her. She’s God’s way of propagating life.

If that sounds flowery, watch that video. Regardless, you should watch it.
There are other videos on the same subject, as well.

The link below MAY work:

youtube.com/watch?v=xnh4DchxfEw
 
There are many reasons people claim
  • it’s to have reverence before the Eucharist
    -modesty
    -woman are “sacred”
    -back in the days, unveiled hair probably meant that you are promiscuous? Or something to do with not being a woman of God…
    -a sign to show a woman’s submission
I don’t know which is the real reason (the reason why there is even a need to veil the head) but the last 2 seems likely. The rest seems like extra reasons to justify it, but not the main one, which is probably why it’s not a requirement.

Edit: the last reason i want to add is the “wrong” reason and might anger some (which i don’t get if you are not guilty of this) is that some women wear mantillas etc to come across as a pious woman. Which is why priests tend to advise women to think of their reasons to veil before doing so
 
Ah! - virtue signalling - the curse of our age…I was too polite to add it to my earlier list, but since you raise the subject, I agree absolutely.

Incidentally I wore a mantilla as a teenager in the sixties: having bought one in Spain I thought I looked rather lovely in it…
 
Elena321 said:
I’ve read that this isn’t a requirement for women and I’m assuming that’s the case as most of the women I see don’t wear one but why do some wear it?
Ie:what is the purpose and significance?
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Clement of Alexandria, Egypt about 190 A.D., from Clement, The Instructor, 3.12:

“Let the woman observe this, further. Let her be entirely covered, unless she happens to be at home. For that style of dress is grave, and protects from being gazed at. And she will never fall, who puts before her eyes modesty, and her shawl; nor will she invite another to fall into sin by uncovering her face. For this is the wish of the Word, since it is becoming for her to pray veiled.”
 
Gilly_flower said:
Ah! - virtue signalling - it…
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I’m sad that people would think this. I wear a veil to Mass. It most assuredly is not a signal to others that I think I am virtuous. Quite the opposite, in fact. For me, it is an act of humility and one small way I choose to worship and honour God. I have two middle school age daughters and I do not require them to wear a head covering. I grew up Evangelical and have only been Catholic around five years, but the smallest of humilities I can offer my God remind me of the Might and Mercy of God. There are one or two others who veil but I don’t think more or less of others for their choices. I feel called to wear it. I am weak and broken and desperately need God’s Mercy. I really can’t believe someone would think I’m ‘virtue signaling’; that makes my heart hurt but it is yet another humility to offer my Lord.
 
lifeandhope said:
I’m sad that people would think this. I wear a veil to Mass. It most assuredly is not a signal to others that I think I am virtuous. Quite the opposite, in fact. For me, it is an act of humility and one small way I choose to worship and honour God. I have two middle school age daughters and I do not require them to wear a head covering. I grew up Evangelical and have only been Catholic around five years, but the smallest of humilities I can offer my God remind me of the Might and Mercy of God. There are one or two others who veil but I don’t think more or less of others for their choices. I feel called to wear it. I am weak and broken and desperately need God’s Mercy. I really can’t believe someone would think I’m ‘virtue signaling’; that makes my heart hurt but it is yet another humility to offer my Lord.
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…I don’t think anyone is saying YOU are virtue signalling but there are women who do…unless I’m missing something…
 
lifeandhope said:
I’m sad that people would think this. I wear a veil to Mass. It most assuredly is not a signal to others that I think I am virtuous. Quite the opposite, in fact. For me, it is an act of humility and one small way I choose to worship and honour God. I have two middle school age daughters and I do not require them to wear a head covering. I grew up Evangelical and have only been Catholic around five years, but the smallest of humilities I can offer my God remind me of the Might and Mercy of God. There are one or two others who veil but I don’t think more or less of others for their choices. I feel called to wear it. I am weak and broken and desperately need God’s Mercy. I really can’t believe someone would think I’m ‘virtue signaling’; that makes my heart hurt but it is yet another humility to offer my Lord.
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I have been accused to my face of virtue signaling, and I don’t even cover my head all the time (EF Mass, in the presence of the exposed Blessed Sacrament, Good Friday, certain funerals).

Similar to you, I feel called to wear my mantilla (or, on occasion, a hat or a veil [covers entire face]) under certain circumstances as a gesture of humility. I assume that women who don’t cover their heads have been called to engage in other humble acts, so I don’t understand why my own motivations are second-guessed just because I’m doing something someone else doesn’t do.

To all women I know who cover, wearing a headcovering is not a comment of any sort on those who do not.
 
Since Christmas, I have been wearing a round doily to Mass (I also have a collection of crochet, tatting, and bobbin lace on my walls). Believe it or not, I did so as a result of a Mennonite woman’s challenge; I had no comeback to “It is scriptural.” For me, it is a signal to the priest that I receive on the tongue. So therefore it is a respect for the Eucharist.
 
lifeandhope said:
I’m sad that people would think this. I wear a veil to Mass. It most assuredly is not a signal to others that I think I am virtuous. Quite the opposite, in fact. For me, it is an act of humility and one small way I choose to worship and honour God. I have two middle school age daughters and I do not require them to wear a head covering. I grew up Evangelical and have only been Catholic around five years, but the smallest of humilities I can offer my God remind me of the Might and Mercy of God. There are one or two others who veil but I don’t think more or less of others for their choices. I feel called to wear it. I am weak and broken and desperately need God’s Mercy. I really can’t believe someone would think I’m ‘virtue signaling’; that makes my heart hurt but it is yet another humility to offer my Lord.
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If you are not guilty of this, no need to feel bad.

I know women who wear headcovering and the reason is to show respect to the Blessed Sacrament not to project a holier than thou attitude.
 
Vico said:
Clement of Alexandria, Egypt about 190 A.D., from Clement, The Instructor, 3.12:

“Let the woman observe this, further. Let her be entirely covered, unless she happens to be at home. For that style of dress is grave, and protects from being gazed at. And she will never fall, who puts before her eyes modesty, and her shawl; nor will she invite another to fall into sin by uncovering her face. For this is the wish of the Word, since it is becoming for her to pray veiled.”
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So, are you saying that women should wear a burkha and have their faces completely covered?
 
While the Clement of Alexandria quote is very interesting it, it should be noted that he was removed from the martyrology in 1586 and is no longer considered a saint by the Roman church in part because some of his teachings were a bit “suspect”.

I cover my head because I believe God told me to. It’s that simple. I can’t speak for others and don’t really ponder why others wear it (except when I see a woman wearing it with a low cut sleeveless dress…). As for the holier than thou thing. I don’t suspect that anyone I know who covers their head does so for that reason. I can attest that *most *of the ones I know who cover are pretty holy women.
 
Amator_Dei said:
I cover my head because I believe God told me to. It’s that simple. I can’t speak for others and don’t really ponder why others wear it (except when I see a woman wearing it with a low cut sleeveless dress…). As for the holier than thou thing. I don’t suspect that anyone I know who covers their head does so for that reason.
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Yes to the above.

It was the tradition of the Church for almost 2000 years; it is only in the last 4 decades or so that women in the US and many other places stopped doing it. St. Paul specifically says in I Corinthians that it is the custom in all the churches of God. Vatican II did not do away with it, contrary to popular belief. When Canon Law was revised in 1983, nearly 20 years after Vatican II, it did not mention women covering their heads one way or the other. Many (though not all) have taken Canon Law’s silence on the matter to mean that women are no longer required to cover their heads in church, and the practice had mostly fallen away by that time anyway, perhaps because women no longer often wore hats in general.

I think it’s a beautiful tradition and would encourage more women to do it; however, I would echo what others have said in that most women who wear a hat or headcovering do not do it to be “holier than thou,” and do not judge women who choose not to wear one. (I always hope it goes both ways and that people are not judging those of us who do wear one, but I do it anyway and try not to think about it.)
 
Sarcelle said:
If you are not guilty of this, no need to feel bad.

I know women who wear headcovering and the reason is to show respect to the Blessed Sacrament not to project a holier than thou attitude.
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That is exactly why I wear a head covering. I have a chapel cap and two small veils that belonged to my mother in her Catholic days. I wear the chapel cap when I am cantoring. I started doing it because it came to me during meditation before the Blessed Sacrament. It’s something that I do and certainly don’t want to send the message that I am “holier-than-thou” because I do it.
 
Amator_Dei said:
While the Clement of Alexandria quote is very interesting it, it should be noted that he was removed from the martyrology in 1586 and is no longer considered a saint by the Roman church in part because some of his teachings were a bit “suspect”.

I cover my head because I believe God told me to. It’s that simple. I can’t speak for others and don’t really ponder why others wear it (except when I see a woman wearing it with a low cut sleeveless dress…). As for the holier than thou thing. I don’t suspect that anyone I know who covers their head does so for that reason. I can attest that *most *of the ones I know who cover are pretty holy women.
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I agree completely and also cover.
 
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