Should Women Cover Their Heads in Church?

[2WhomShallWeGo]

If covering one's head is out of "obedience to God" then why aren't all the fundamentalists ladies who believe in literal interpretation of the Bible doing so?

I have never seen fundamentalist ladies wearing hats to church.

As a funny aside, someone told me that the Sisters of Charity needed stadium seating in their churches so they wouldn't obstruct one another's vision (they wear the 'flying nun' habits.)

We are catholic.
Why are we trying to explain what we should do in terms of what fundamentalists do? I don't expect them to be right about anything. that they are on occasion is mere co-incidence not an indication of what truth is.

 

[2WhomShallWeGo]

I'm not sure how the idea that head coverings are merely a cultural idea can be reconciled with the quotations already given from scripture both by me and "the crazy catholic girl" I don't see how angels and God care about cultural stuff either. I'm not even saying that women should cover their heads just that the arguments given so far for why they don't have to here, would be better used to convince me of the opposite.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

We are catholic.
Why are we trying to explain what we should do in terms of what fundamentalists do? I don't expect them to be right about anything. that they are on occasion is mere co-incidence not an indication of what truth is.

There are Catholic fundamentalist, which is what I believe she is referring to.

Jim

 

[2WhomShallWeGo]

There are Catholic fundamentalist, which is what I believe she is referring to.

Jim

then I'll modify my post to:
We are catholic why are we trying to create sect in the church and why would we pay any attention to those who wish to?

The question isn't what this gu or that guy doing but what is church teaching, tradition and understanding

 

[dusky_tresses]

I don't know if anyone has looked into what Catholic churches outside the U.S. do, but in many Asian countries for instance, there is the expectation that when a woman is in church, her head will be covered. It's not a matter of a question-- that's just the way it is. Catholic women in Asia with headcoverings in church:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QfVWU-2pV...hawar,+Pakistan+on+Sunday,+April+12,+2009.jpg

For the record, I once read in a Catholic blog that before someone becomes concerned about covering their head in terms of outward appearance, their heart should be in it first.

 

[waving_palm_branches]

But that's not the point of a headcovering-- it's about being obedient to God, not being "made" to do something. No one can "make" us go to church, no one can "make" us kneel during communion, no one can "make" us pray, and no one can "make" us remain Catholics. WE choose to do those things. Just as wearing a headcovering during church and in prayer should be a choice to be obedient to God. We should be covering also out of personal conviction in an attempt to be obedient.



Tissues? What tissues? I've never seen tissues worn on heads in my entire life. How are headcoverings a distraction, when I've seen teenage girls walking into church with miniskirts, women wearing too-tight or revealing clothes, and many men wearing garish shirts during services? Yet no one thinks those are a distraction, not to mention immodest dress?

Ok, maybe my choice of words was wrong but the point is if it is a commandment, the Church would say so and they don't, read the Catecism on the issue.Yes, there have been women in the past who wore tissues on their head as a head covering just because they thought it was an obligation and they forgot their head covering so they wore the tissue not out of purity of heart but because they were just going through the motions. That's my point it shouldn't be about going through the motions it should be about wanting to do it and many women do it just because they think they have to, not just to be pleasing to God it puts the heart in the wrong place, so the practice is fruitless even if you do it every Sunday. Christ made the new covenant to cause the inward change in mankind that was slowly going to be brought on through the transition from the old covenant to the new covenant... It wasn't just about following laws but also where the heart is and who said that miniskirts and revealing clothing at mass was not distracting? I sure didn't. I don't do it and I don't think other women should either, but I don't see why everyone wants an all literal translation of the Bible when the Church and Bible truly teaches depending on tradition of the elders as well, which also means trusting their teaching regarding what is a true commandment, what is cultural, and what choices would be freewill but also sinful. My whole point is, not every practice is a commandment but can cause fruitfulness and not every action that is a commandment can cause fruitfulness in people because of where the heart is, so why, would this be a commandment, when Christ made it clear outward actions alone are not what causes purity but the heart also has to be there and some people culturally could not relate to this practice and therefore it would just be going through the motions. Though some practices are meant to be practiced and people do not relate to them due to sinful mindsets this particular action has been made obvious through the Church's words in the Catecism that is not a commandment and if you read the Catecism it becomes clear why, when bringing up culture and practices within culture why this is deemed cultural practice and the attitude within that culture or another can change the meaning.

 

[Fantine]

Would Jesus, who let Mary Magdalene wash his feet with her hair, really be more "pleased" if women wore hats to church?

Asked and answered.

 

[AMDG]

Would Jesus, who let Mary Magdalene wash his feet with her hair, really be more "pleased" if women wore hats to church?

Since it was the choice of the woman (like it was the choice of Mary Magdalene to wash His feet with her tears and dry them with her hair)...

 

[2WhomShallWeGo]

Would Jesus, who let Mary Magdalene wash his feet with her hair, really be more "pleased" if women wore hats to church?

Asked and answered.

I'm sure I'm not going to try and figure out what you think you are being obvious about.

My answer to that question would be probably yes He would. Especially as I don't think Paul and the disciples knew less about what Jesus would want then you or me for that matter. Paul does spell out what He thinks.

So far the arguements against head covering have been pretty lame. I started reading this thread some what unsure, but less so as this goes on.

 

[2WhomShallWeGo]

I am beginning to think this is about women who want to show off their hair. Rather than any rational idea on the part of any man or woman as to why they don't have too

 

[CreedIsChrist]

Would Jesus, who let Mary Magdalene wash his feet with her hair, really be more "pleased" if women wore hats to church?

Asked and answered.

you could see the answer in the Virgin Mary and the female saints, who were always covered. Secondly washing someones feet with your hair is showing extreme humility which Christ always taught.

 

[MKJ]

you could see the answer in the Virgin Mary and the female saints, who were always covered.

Really? All the female saints covered? The Virgin Mary covered in church?

 

[MKJ]

The CCC says that expressions of modesty vary depending on culture. And I think we can see even within the past 100 years in the West that this was the case. In 1910 many skirts that would be considered modest now would have been scandalous. (Wow! Ankles! How shocking!) And yet a person living in the middle of the Amazon jungle may be perfectly modest while completely naked.

Head coverings are common where hair is seen as a sign of sexuality. I think an interesting thing is in such contexts men also often have their own expression of this - they grow beards.

 

[2WhomShallWeGo]

I can be Modest and naked in western culture...

 

[MKJ]

I can be Modest and naked in western culture...

Sure, although in some contexts it might be rude, which is a totally different sin.

 

[CreedIsChrist]

The CCC says that expressions of modesty vary depending on culture. And I think we can see even within the past 100 years in the West that this was the case. In 1910 many skirts that would be considered modest now would have been scandalous. (Wow! Ankles! How shocking!) And yet a person living in the middle of the Amazon jungle may be perfectly modest while completely naked.

Head coverings are common where hair is seen as a sign of sexuality. I think an interesting thing is in such contexts men also often have their own expression of this - they grow beards.

head coverings are most common in areas that don't have as much western influence, like eastern europe. That is true about beards though. The beard is considered a "crown" of honor for the man, the same way long hair and a veil is a woman's crown.

Leviticus 19:27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

Leviticus 21:5 They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

 

[2WhomShallWeGo]

Originally Posted by 2WhomShallWeGo
I can be Modest and naked in western culture...

Sure, although in some contexts it might be rude, which is a totally different sin.

Like what sort of situation would it be modest but rude to be naked? I"m just trying to get a handle on what you are thinking of.

 

[MKJ]

Originally Posted by 2WhomShallWeGo
I can be Modest and naked in western culture...


Like what sort of situation would it be modest but rude to be naked? I"m just trying to get a handle on what you are thinking of.

I was joking a little. But immodesty requires that the person is actually trying to be immodest - trying to inappropriatly excite lust in himself or others, for example, or reveal what is private by nature. Nudity isn't necessarily always about those things. A person who was naked for some other reason would not be immodest.

As an example, I once saw a man weeding his front garden in the nude. I have no idea why he was doing that but I suspect he was not trying to be immodest - he was pretty focused on his gardening. But he was being rude by not considering that people on the street might not want to see his white flabbiness in all its glory - it was inconsiderate.

 

[RDJ]

With the way I have interpreted Corinthians 11:13-16, I would say no. "Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory for her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God."

 

[Fantine]

you could see the answer in the Virgin Mary and the female saints, who were always covered. Secondly washing someones feet with your hair is showing extreme humility which Christ always taught.

Well, if we want to follow the fashion trends of the first century, I'm game. But what's good for the goose is good for the gander...

Wear sandals and robes, grow your hair down to your shoulders, stop shaving, and take a bath once a month in the river.

At that time I will be happy to don a veil for church.