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.
Agreed. I wonder if some of our high schoolers will ever learn how to dress? All of the lay positions (Eucharistic ministers, Cross bearer, offeratory bearers, greeters, etc.) are taken by high schoolers at our 6PM Sunday Mass.I suppose it isgood to get them involved, but it is disgraceful to see what they are wearing when they show up to work. I really don't know how their parents allow them out of the house that way.
The nun was only enforcing what she saw as a rule as to how to present oneself to the Bishop. I was embarrassed because I had not been raised Catholic and I did not already “know” the rule. LOL. The embarrassment was my own doing.
Start with a hair ribbon or just a little doily pinned up in your hair. Do you have long or short hair? You can easily create something to put in your hair if it's long and you put it up. Something along the lines of a scrunchy, only a little more lacey. And with a pretty pin in it. There are lots of little things you can wear, and then just gradually edge towards a mantilla or a hat.
Getting used to the idea is the main thing.
BTW. It had not come up before, although I had been a practicing Catholic for a few years already, because in those days we received Communion at the rail and our hands were always hidden under a rail cloth when the Priest put the wafer on our tongues and the server held the paten under our chins to catch any stray crumbs.
And that is why you should continue to dress for Him each week when you go to Mass.
4" heels! Oh my!
Well, I was about 25 at the time. No more! LOL. But I only mention the heels because that nun nearly knocked me off of them when she grabbed my wrist! :)
Surprised nobody told you that in Confirmation class . . . sheesh, somebody always forgets something!
I didn't cover my hair until after we were married. It's a slight point of dissension whether Steve "requested" or "suggested" that I cover my hair (I remember it as a request, he remembers it as a suggestion). I felt very conspicuous at first, and I'm still in the minority. When I attend Mass in the DC cathedral, I'm generally a minority of one. No one has ever said a word about it, though I sometimes get odd looks from children, who then whisper to their mothers. If anyone ever does have a negative comment, my response is pre-planned: "My husband prefers it."
If you think it's the right thing to do, just do it.
Well, I just guess it was because I took my classes in Berkeley. You know how THEY are.../s
(I only went to California once - for a friend's wedding, back in the 70's. A lot of folks out there seemed rather peculiar, but I wasn't there long enough to get a read on things generally . . . < g >)
I almost always wear a hat or scarf for Mass. Nobody else wears a scarf or veil, except the traditionally-dressed Ethiopian ladies, but hats aren’t that unusual here in the South.
If you don’t want to be “devoutly” conspicuous, try a hat. If you see anyone looking at you, you can assume they’re admiring the hat and wishing they had one. And if anyone says anything, you can say, “Thanks! My husband (mother, sister, daughter, the cashier at Penney’s) said it looked cute!”
My family and I put our hands behind our backs (if we’re not holding a brother), so that Father or the minister of communion can’t possibly be confused by our hands.
Lord knows the black Baptist ladies LOVE their Sunday hats, at least in the South.
My main objection is that the uncovering is like the rest of the whole abandonment of long standing practice in favor of the trendy, Reforming what aim to shock people tend, instead, to offend.
Perhaps, you are more knowledgeable than I, whereas I wasn’t alive in either the 1960s or 1970, I cannot comment on how the change came to be, I can only comment on how they appear now.
Great hats! I live in the South and I love seeing the ladies wearing their hats on Sundays. It just seems so - well, festive. Really and truly Sunday.
When I lived in New York (where older black ladies still wear hats on Sundays) there were women in Harlem who had little “home haberdashery shops” in their apartments where they specialized in designing and making these hats.
That’s a point. The priests have gotten used to me by now, I guess. In any case, I remember that children were always told when they pressed their palms together to keep their hands pointing upwards and not to let them droop - because you wanted them to point in the direction you wanted to go!
Ladies, you may not be able to see all the names I have posted this comment to, but there are 10 of us (at least on this thread) who wear some type of headcovering:
Sashula
afraidfortherepublic
Diana in Wisconsin
Knitting a Conundrum
k omalley
tob2
nina0113
tax-chick
AnAmericanMother
and me, nanetteclaret
I personally prefer hats on Sunday or Holy Days, and chapel veils for weekdays or when travelling.
We are all part of Our Lady’s Hat Society! Remember at Fatima, she said that people would wear fashions which would displease Our Lord. When you make an effort to go before Him in the Blessed Sacrament with your head covered, I believe that you are obeying the words of Our Mother and showing respect, love, and humility before Jesus. He is, after all, God. And while He may be our Friend, He’s not our buddy. Covering our heads is an outward and visible sign that we are inwardly and spiritually acknowledging that He is God and we are not. Remember, the ancient Israelites knew that if someone looked on the face of God, he would die. They were shocked that Moses did not die, but his face was shining after his encounter with God on Mt. Sinai. The least we can do is cover our heads and acknowledge that He is the God of all creation.
If anyone asks you why you cover your head at Mass, it is because Jesus is present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Blessed Sacrament. Mass is not a fellowship meal, it is an encounter with God. We also cover our heads because the angels are present at Mass. (I Cor. 11:10)
Ah, good old egalite. Vatican II: when the French Revolution was embraced by the Church.
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