Posted on 05/22/2007 6:24:41 PM PDT by NYer
ROME, MAY 22, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.
Q: A friend of mine told me that according to the Scriptures a woman should cover her head in the presence of Our Lord (holy Eucharist/during Mass). In our churches this is not practiced. Can you please write and tell me as to how and when the practice of women covering their heads came to an end, or is it that we are doing something which is not proper? -- J.M., Doha, Qatar
A: The Scripture text referred to is probably 1 Corinthians 11:4-16:
"Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered brings shame upon his head. But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings shame upon her head, for it is one and the same thing as if she had had her head shaved. For if a woman does not have her head veiled, she may as well have her hair cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should wear a veil. A man, on the other hand, should not cover his head, because he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; nor was man created for woman, but woman for man; for this reason a woman should have a sign of authority on her head, because of the angels. Woman is not independent of man or man of woman in the Lord. For just as woman came from man, so man is born of woman; but all things are from God.
"Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head unveiled? Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears his hair long it is a disgrace to him, whereas if a woman has long hair it is her glory, because long hair has been given (her) for a covering? But if anyone is inclined to be argumentative, we do not have such a custom, nor do the churches of God."
A full treatment of this text is beyond the scope of this column. But we may say that this passage contains some elements that have perennial theological value and others which reflect transitory social mores which apply only to the specific time and place of the Corinthians.
For example, during the course of history there were times when it was common for men, and even clerics, to wear their hair long; and none felt that St. Paul's words considering the practice a disgrace applied to them.
Likewise, liturgical norms tell bishops to keep their skullcaps on during some of the prayers during Mass, and they may use the mitre while preaching, without falling under St. Paul's injunction that this practice brings shame upon his head. The norms, however, do ask him to remove his head covering for the Eucharistic Prayer and when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed.
Apart from bishops, and some canons, custom still dictates that all other men should uncover their heads in church except for outdoor Masses.
During St. Paul's time it was considered modest for a woman to cover her head, and he was underscoring this point for their presence in the liturgical assembly.
This custom was considered normative and was enshrined in Canon 1262.2 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law alongside the recommendation that men and women be separated in Church and that men go bareheaded. This canon was dropped from the new Code of Canon Law promulgated in 1983, but the practice had already begun to fall into disuse from about the beginning of the 1970s. Even though no longer legally binding, the custom is still widely practiced in some countries, especially in Asia. It has been generally abandoned in most Western countries even though women, unlike men, may still wear hats and veils to Mass if they choose.
Sociological factors might also have been involved. The greater emphasis on the equality of man and woman tended to downplay elements that stressed their differences.
Likewise, for the first time in centuries, not donning a hat outdoors, especially for men, ceased being considered as bad manners, whereas up to a few years beforehand it was deemed unseemly to go around hatless.
This general dropping of head covering by both sexes may also have influenced the disappearance of the religious custom.
A timely topic, as usual.
Yeah, and when women show up without head coverings someone plops a kleenex on their heads. That’s better than not having any covering? I think not. Just another in a long list of why I’ve quit the Catholic Church.
I had this very same ???? reading the Bible/Adult Catechism class and I remember as a child the head coverings.
The answer given to me was Vatican 1972 (right year?) when the Mass went to English, the nuns lost thier habits and the gloves and head coverings were no longer required. (short answer)
Personally? I find a lacy mantilla to be absolutely lovely. And I wish women would wear hats to church as well.
We always "dressed up" for Church as a sign of being somewhere special when I was a kid; and even more so during the Holidays.
And we were boring, white-bread Lutherans!
All the women had their heads covered.
I assume this is still the practice.
I suppose everyone can find reasons if they look hard enough for them. On a scale of 1 to 100, this is -5.78, however.
Apparently you didn't read the article all the way through. The majority of Catholics no longer wear head coverings, even though we once did pre VCII. To leave the Catholic Church over wearing a head covering in reverence and respect for God, is a very flimsy excuse. I'm guessing your quibble is far deeper than that. You are always welcome home.
“Yeah, and when women show up without head coverings someone plops a kleenex on their heads. That’s better than not having any covering? I think not. Just another in a long list of why I’ve quit the Catholic Church.”
oh c’mon.
Sure it’s silly and can make a person roll their eyes, but everywhere you go there’s going to be some sort of silliness.
I see the same types from all different types of denominations - “Look at me! I’m holier than you!” - and they have different ways of expressing that sentiment, but we shouldn’t allow it discourage us from practicing our faith.
I think a show of reverence for God is simply innate in humans if they are allowed to express it. It is akin to Catholics who still genuflect or kneel to receive the Eucharist rather than strictly stand in line as one would at the Dairy Queen. I applaud those women and their overt show of Faith!
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“Impetuous!”
-Michaleen O’Flynn, the “Quiet Man”
And I agree whole-heartedly. I was just amazed to see it, though I've never seen it since in any other Protestant denominational church.
A GREAT movie. I just bought it on DVD.
I fervently agree! I don’t have the DVD but I have a great deal of the dialog memorized.
It is tough to beat a comedy starring John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Ward Bond, Victor McLauglin and Barry Fitzgerald (plus the Irish Players) in a movie directed by John Ford.
And it has all of Ireland as the backdrop...sigh!
LOL - Classic!
Now that's just silly.
Gain some perspective for Pete's sake and come on home.
And donate a box of doilies and bobby pins for the ladies (they had two of them in the narthex when I was a kid -- and that was for Episcopalians!)
There is nothing in the Pauline Epistles that says headcoverings were cultural. He doesn't say it applies to the Greeks (Cortinthians) and not to the Romans or the Jews when it comes to headcovering, but to all; he doesn't say in his days but maybe not tomorrow. He is very careful to specy if something is not the Lord's commandment but his own judgment (1 Cor 7:6, 25).
Bottom line is: headcovering was removed for social, faddish, politically correct reasons, making the scriptures fit our man-made norms rather than the other way around.
In Orthodox churches outside of North America, the separation of men and women and headcoverings for women are still largely observed. In America, it is largely ignored. That says a lot.
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