Phillip. 19. Catholic.
I'm trying to follow God's will and striving to live a life of holiness. I live and blog with the conviction that we are all called to be saints.
Apologetics-a-thon #1 - If the Bible is a Catholic book, why does it condemn clerical dress? (Matthew 23:5-6)
TL;DW (too long; didn’t watch) - Jesus is not condemning clerical garb; he’s condemning hypocrisy. The Pharisees were talking the talk, while failing to walk the walk. The Church is clear that priests should be primarily recognizable by how they live, and secondarily by what they wear.
Canon 284: Clerics are to wear suitable ecclesiastical garb according to the norms issued by the conference of bishops and according to legitimate local customs.
1994 Directory for the Life and Ministry of Priests (source):
66. Obligation of Ecclesiastical Attire.
In a secularised and materialistic society, where the external signs of sacred and supernatural realities tend to disappear, it is particularly important that the community be able to recognise the priest, man of God and dispenser of his mysteries, by his attire as well, which is an unequivocal sign of his dedication and his identity as a public minister. The priest should be identifiable primarily through his conduct, but also by his manner of dressing, which makes visible to all the faithful, indeed and to all men, his identity and his belonging to God and the Church.
For this reason, the clergy should wear “suitable ecclesiastical dress, in accordance with the norms established by the Episcopal Conference and the legitimate local custom”. This means that the attire, when it is not the cassock, must be different from the manner in which the laity dress, and conform to the dignity and sacredness of his ministry. The style and colour should be established by the Episcopal Conference, always in agreement with the dispositions of the universal law.
Norms for clerical dress in the U.S. (source): In liturgical rites, clerics shall wear the vesture prescribed in the proper liturgical books. Outside liturgical functions, a black suit and Roman collar are the usual attire for priests. The use of the cassock is at the discretion of the cleric.
Matthew 23:5-7 - “All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’”
Matthew 23: read the entire chapter from the New American Bible
Liturgical Vestments: more about liturgical vestments from Fisheaters
Apologetics-a-thon: “If the Bible is a Catholic book…”
Howdy!
Olivier and I are competing in a friendly apologetics-a-thon. Every two days, we’ll each be posting a response to one of the questions below.
There is no prize, per se. The purpose of this is to develop our skillz as apologists extraordinaire, to build camaraderie between the two of us, and to help us critically think about and articulate our Catholic faith.
The theme of the apologetics-a-thon is “If the Bible is a Catholic book…” and the questions we’ll be addressing are:
- Why does it condemn clerical dress? (Matthew 23:5-6)
- Why does it teach against the adoration of Mary? (Luke 11:27-28)
- Why does it show that all Christians are priests? (1 Peter 2:5,9)
- Why does it condemn the observance of special days? (Galatians 4:9-11)
- Why does it teach that all Christians are saints? (1 Corinthians 1:2)
- Why does it condemn the making and adoration of images? (Exodus 20:4-5)
- Why does it teach that baptism is immersion instead of pouring? (Colossians 2:12)
- Why does it forbid us to address religious leaders as “father”? (Matthew 23:9)
- Why does it teach that Christ is the only foundation and not the apostle Peter? (1 Corinthians 3:11)
- Why does it teach that there is one mediator instead of many? (1 Timothy 2:5)
- Why does it teach that a bishop must be a married man? (1 Timothy 3:2, 4-5)
- Why is it opposed to the primacy of Peter? (Luke 22:24-27)
- Why does it oppose the idea of purgatory? (Luke 16:26)
- Why is it completely silent about infant baptism, instrumental music in worship, indulgences, confession to priests, the rosary, the mass, and many other things in the Catholic Church?
We hope you’ll follow us over the next month as we delve into the adventurous and exciting world of Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium to defend the Catholic faith.
Pax vobiscum.
”Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.” - Psalm 51:3
(via inmytsinelas)
