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Clerical
Dress / Appearance / Comportment
Also See:
Priests (Topic Page)
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"From among the Israelites have your brother Aaron, together with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, brought to you, that they may be my priests.
For the glorious adornment of your brother Aaron you shall have sacred vestments made. Therefore, to the various expert workmen whom I have endowed with skill, you shall give instructions to make such vestments for Aaron as will set him apart for his sacred service as my priest. These are the vestments they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a brocaded tunic, a miter and a sash. In making these sacred vestments which your brother Aaron and his sons are to wear in serving as my priests, they shall use gold, violet, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen."
(Ex. 28:1-5)
"Can.
669 §1 As a sign of their consecration and as a witness to
poverty, religious are to wear the habit of their institute,
determined in accordance with the institute's own law." (1983
Code of Canon Law)
"The
religious habit, an outward mark of consecration to God, should be
simple and modest, poor and at the same becoming. In addition it
must meet the requirements of health and be suited to the
circumstances of time and place and to the needs of the ministry
involved." (Second Vatican Council)
"'Watch and pray', mindful that your hands touch those things which
are most holy, that you have been consecrated to God and are to
serve Him alone. The very habit which you wear, reminds you that
you should live not to the world, but to God. Therefore, trusting
in the protection of the Virgin Mother of God, generously make
every effort to preserve yourselves 'clean, unstained, pure and
chaste, as becomes the ministers of Christ and the dispensers of
the mysteries of God.'" (Pope Pius XII, "Menti Nostrae",
1950 A.D.)
"What
sad effects would not arise if that gravity of conduct which
belongs to the priest, should be in any way lessened; if he should
yield with lightness to the charm of every novelty; if he should
deport himself with pretentious indocility towards his superiors;
if he should lose that weight and measure in discussion which is
so necessary, particularly in matters of faith and morals."
(Pope Leo XIII, "Fin Dal Principio", 1902 A.D.)
"Let
them, however, have it always present to their minds that the
priest even in the midst of his people must preserve intact his
august character as a minister of God, being as he is placed at
the head of his brethren. Any manner whatever, in which he employs
himself among the people, to the loss of the sacerdotal dignity,
or with danger to the ecclesiastical duties and discipline, can
only be warmly reproved." (Pope Leo XIII, "Fin Dal
Principio", 1902 A.D.)
"We
also enjoin that bishops as well as clergy take pains to be
pleasing to God and to humans in both their interior and exterior
comportment. Let them give no offence in the sight of those for
whom they ought to be a model and example, by the excess, cut or
color of their clothes, nor with regard to the tonsure, but
rather, as is fitting for them, let them exhibit holiness. If
after a warning from the bishops they are unwilling to change
their ways, let them be deprived of their ecclesiastical
benefices." (Second Lateran Council)
"Can.
2379 Clerics who, against the prescription of Canon 136, do not
wear ecclesiastical habit and clerical tonsure are to be gravely
warned; but if a month passes from the warning without results,
[then] as to minor clerics the prescription of the same Canon 136n
§ 3, is observed; but major clerics, with due regard for the
prescriptions of Canon 188, n. 7, are suspended from the orders
received, and if they notoriously go to a sort of life alien to
the clerical state, [then] unless, once again being warned, they
recover their senses, after three months from the final warning
they are deposed." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
"Among
the various faults of clerics and prelates this one has especially
taken root, namely that many of them despise an appearance of
ecclesiastical decency in their dress and delight in what is
unbecoming. They seek to conform to the laity and they exhibit
outwardly in their dress whatever they are thinking in their
minds. Therefore, with the approval of this sacred council, we
renew and order the careful observance of all the laws currently
in force regarding the clothing, tonsure and habits of clerics, as
to both shape and color, and their hair-styles and the style and
uprightness of their lives. These laws have been heeded far too
little by both the secular and the regular clergy." (Council
of Constance)
"Now, however, as you know, nothing
instructs others more in piety and the service of God than the
lives and example of those who have dedicated themselves to the
divine ministry. Therefore labor so that all who are called to the
vineyard of the Lord, mindful of their proper vocation and office,
abstain entirely from things forbidden to clerics and from things
that are not proper for them. Then they may be an example for the
faithful in word, in their dealings with others, in love, in
faith, and in chastity. They must wear a clerical habit
appropriate to their order and dignity, and they must perform
their ministry piously and reverently. Further they must
administer to the faithful, with fitting piety and reverence, the
holy sacrament of the Eucharist. With it all true justice begins;
or if already begun, is increased; or if already lost, is
recovered. They should be devoted to prayer and study, especially
sacred studies, and under your guidance let them zealously serve
the salvation of souls." (Bl. Pope Pius IX, "Nemo Certe
Ignorat", 1852 A.D.)
"You
are already aware that among priests, especially those less
equipped with doctrine and of less strict lives, a certain spirit
of novelty is being diffused in an ever graver and more disturbing
manner. Novelty is never in itself a criterion of truth and it can
be worthy of praise only when it confirms the truth and leads to
righteousness and virtue. The age in which we live suffers from
serious errors indeed: philosophical systems which are born and
die without improving morals in any way; monstrosities of art
which even pretend to call themselves Christian; standards of
government in many countries which are aimed at the personal
interests of individuals rather than at the common prosperity of
all; methods of living and economic and social relations which
threaten honest men more than the cunning. From this it follows
almost naturally that there are not lacking in our times priests,
infected in some way by this contagion, who imbibe opinions and
follow a mode of life even in dress and the care of their person
alien to both their dignity and their mission; priests who allow
themselves to be led astray by the mania for novelty whether it be
in their preaching to the faithful or in combating the errors of
adversaries; priests who compromise not only their consciences but
also their good name and the efficacy of their ministry."
(Pope Pius XII, "Menti Nostrae", 1950 A.D.)
"And
forasmuch as, though the habit does not make the monk, it is
nevertheless needful that clerics always wear a dress suitable to
their proper order, that by the decency of their outward apparel
they may show forth the inward correctness of their morals; but to
such a pitch, in these days, have the contempt of religion and the
rashness of some grown, as that, making but little account of
their own dignity, and of the clerical honor, they even wear in
public the dress of laymen - setting their feet in different
paths, one of God, the other of the flesh; - for this cause, all
ecclesiastical persons, howsoever exempted, who are either in
sacred orders or in possession of any manner of dignities,
personates, or other offices, or benefices ecclesiastical; if,
after having been admonished by their own bishop, even by a public
edict, they shall not wear a becoming clerical dress, suitable to
their order and dignity, and in conformity with the ordinance and
mandate of the said bishop, they may, and ought to be, compelled
thereunto, by suspension from their orders, office, benefice, and
from the fruits, revenues, and proceeds of the said benefices; and
also, if, after having been once rebuked, they offend again
herein, (they are to be coerced) even by deprivation of the said
offices and benefices; pursuant to the constitution of Clement V
published in the Council of Vienne, and beginning Quoniam, which
is hereby renewed and enlarged." (Council of Trent)
"Since
he who abandons the dress proper to his order, and puts on other
clothes and wears them in public, without a good reason, renders
himself unworthy of the privileges of that order, we ordain by the
present constitution that any cleric wearing striped or variegated
clothes in public, without a good reason, is automatically
suspended, if he is beneficed, from receiving the revenues of his
benefices for a period of six months. If however he does not have
a benefice but is in sacred orders below the priesthood, he
becomes automatically disqualified for the same period from
obtaining an ecclesiastical benefice. The same penalty applies to
other clerics having the tonsure yet wearing such clothes in
public. He who holds a dignity, a parsonage or another benefice to
which the cure of souls is annexed, as also any other priests and
religious, whose outward garb should reveal their inner integrity,
who without reasonable cause wear such clothing in public, or
appear thus with a woollen band or linen cap on their heads, are,
if beneficed, automatically suspended for a year from receiving
the revenues of their benefices. Such other priests and religious
are also disqualified for the same period from obtaining any
ecclesiastical benefices... To this penalty
we add that clerics, especially those with benefices, may not wear
in public chequered, red or green boots." (Council of Vienne)
"There
is nothing that continually instructs others unto piety, and the
service of God, more than the life and example of those who have
dedicated themselves to the divine ministry. For as they are seen
to be raised to a higher position, above the things of this world,
others fix their eyes upon them as upon a mirror, and derive from
them what they are to imitate. Wherefore clerics called to have
the Lord for their portion, ought by all means so to regulate
their whole life and conversation, as that in their dress,
comportment, gait, discourse, and all things else, nothing appear
but what is grave, regulated, and replete with religiousness;
avoiding even slight faults, which in them would be most grievous;
that so their actions may impress all with veneration. Whereas,
therefore, the more useful and decorous these things are for the
Church of God, the more carefully also are they to be attended to;
the holy Synod ordains, that those things which have been
heretofore copiously and wholesomely enacted by sovereign pontiffs
and sacred councils - relative to the life, propriety of conduct,
dress, and learning of clerics, and also touching the
luxuriousness, feastings, dances, gambling, sports, and all sorts
of crime whatever, as also the secular employments, to be by them
shunned - the same shall be henceforth observed, under the same
penalties, or greater, to be imposed at the discretion of the
Ordinary; nor shall any appeal suspend the execution hereof, as
relating to the correction of manners. But if anything of the
above shall be found to have fallen into desuetude, they shall
make it their care that it be brought again into use as soon as
possible, and be accurately observed by all; any customs to the
contrary notwithstanding; lest they themselves may have, God being
the avenger, to pay the penalty deserved by their neglect of the
correction of those subject to them." (Council of Trent)
"The
vestments of the ministers denote the qualifications required of
them for handling Divine things. And since certain things are
required of all, and some are required of the higher, that are not
so exacted of the lower ministers, therefore certain vestments are
common to all the ministers, while some pertain to the higher
ministers only. Accordingly it is becoming to all the ministers to
wear the amice which covers the shoulders, thereby signifying
courage in the exercise of the Divine offices to which they are
deputed; and the alb, which signifies a pure life, and the girdle,
which signifies restraint of the flesh. But the subdeacon wears in
addition the maniple on the left arm; this signifies the wiping
away of the least stains, since a maniple is a kind of
handkerchief for wiping the face; for they are the first to be
admitted to the handling of sacred things. They also have the
narrow tunic, signifying the doctrine of Christ; wherefore in the
Old Law little bells hung therefrom, and subdeacons are the first
admitted to announce the doctrine of the New Law. The deacon has
in addition the stole over the left shoulder, as a sign that he is
deputed to a ministry in the sacraments themselves, and the
dalmatic (which is a full vestment, so called because it first
came into use in Dalmatia), to signify that he is the first to be
appointed to dispense the sacraments: for he dispenses the Blood,
and in dispensing one should be generous. But in the case of the
priest the stole hangs from both shoulders, to show that he has
received full power to dispense the sacraments, and not as the
minister of another man, for which reason the stole reaches right
down. He also wears the chasuble, which signifies charity, because
he it is who consecrates the sacrament of charity, namely the
Eucharist. Bishops have nine ornaments besides those which the
priest has; these are the stockings, sandals, succinctory, tunic,
dalmatic, mitre, gloves, ring, and crozier, because there are nine
things which they can, but priests cannot, do, namely ordain
clerics, bless virgins, consecrate bishops, impose hands, dedicate
churches, depose clerics, celebrate synods, consecrate chrism,
bless vestments and vessels. We may also say that the stockings
signify his upright walk; the sandals which cover the feet, his
contempt of earthly things; the succinctory which girds the stole
with the alb, his love of probity; the tunic, perseverance, for
Joseph is said (Genesis 37:23) to have had a long tunic - talaric,
because it reached down to the ankles [talos], which denote the
end of life; the dalmatic, generosity in works of mercy; the
gloves, prudence in action; the mitre, knowledge of both
Testaments, for which reason it has two crests; the crozier, his
pastoral care, whereby he has to gather together the wayward (this
is denoted by the curve at the head of the crozier), to uphold the
weak (this is denoted by the stem of the crozier), and to spur on
the laggards (this is denoted by the point at the foot of the
crozier). Hence the line: 'Gather, uphold, spur on The wayward,
the weak, and the laggard.' The ring signifies the sacraments of
that faith whereby the Church is espoused to Christ. For bishops
are espoused to the Church in the place of Christ. Furthermore
archbishops have the pallium in sign of their privileged power,
for it signifies the golden chain which those who fought
rightfully were wont to receive." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor
of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the
Church")
Also
See: Holiness
/ Good Example [Pg.] | Duties
& Responsibilities of Priests | Priests
/ Priesthood [Pg.] | Good
/ Bad Priests [Pg.] | Against
Joking by Priests | Novelty
& The Clergy | Those
Too Indulgent Betray Their Ministry | Military
Service Ill Befits the Clerical State
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