<em>A concerned Catholic</em>: I was told that Pope Francis, at the Synod last year, circulated a paper which, among things, advocated the abolition of clerical dress. I think this is a brilliant idea, long overdue, which will help eliminate divisions between priests and lay people. When do you think it will happen?
<em>Chaplain</em>: The Synod was the opportunity to air a great many ideas and grievances. Many of these are unlikely to see the light of day unless firmly rooted in Catholic teaching and practice. You raise, however, an interesting question. What is the reason for bishops, priests and deacons adopting a distinctive dress code? As far as we know, the garb of Jesus and His apostles was indistinguishable from that of their contemporaries. Why should it be any different for the clergy today?
The Church’s Code of Canon Law obliges clerics “to wear suitable ecclesiastical dress”. It does not specify what this might be. That is a matter of local custom and guidance. For most of the Western world, this will be the clerical suit or cassock. Above all, the priest is distinguished by the clerical collar.
If we think this prescriptive or unhelpful, we might consider the analogous situation of the police officer. If a child has gone missing or we have witnessed a crime, we want to find a representative of the forces of law and order promptly; we need them to be visible and accessible. The emergency services wear a uniform precisely for that purpose. The clerical collar is the uniform of the priest, identifying him as a man of God, available for those who wish to call upon his time and ministry.
This is not simply a theoretical proposition. If I may, I will give a couple of practical examples. Twice during my priestly life, I have been stopped by complete st rangers – once in a church, the other time on the street. On both occasions, the stranger said something very similar: “Father, I am thinking of killing myself. Can I talk to you?” On both occasions, I spoke to them of God’s profound love for them. I attempted to point them in the direction where help might be found. Whether my words had any effect, I have no idea. I hope so, and I prayed for them. I have little doubt, however, that they would not have approached me had I not been identifiable as a priest. Those incidents alone convince me of the necessity of clerical dress.
A less sombre example: two priests were in a Roman piazza enjoying their pasta and vino. One was in clerical dress, the other was not. A young couple interrupted their dinner. Addressing the priest in the collar, the couple explained that they wanted to marry, but felt there was an impediment to this. Having patiently listened to their circumstances, the priest was able to assure them there was no such impediment and advised them to contact their parish priest. After the couple departed, the priest in mufti berated his friend: their food was cold. That was the fault of his wearing the collar. A few moments later, the waiter arrived with a very good bottle of wine, compliments of the couple. That, said the other priest, was the advantage of wearing the collar. The more important point was that a couple in need received the pastoral advice they required.
The obligation to wear clerical dress is not absolute. The priest may choose not to wear the collar on holiday or his day off. Others may take a different approach, believing that priesthood is about radical availability at all times. In places of persecution, the priest may not be able to reveal his true identity in public. That was the case in Elizabethan England, where priesthood of itself was a capital offence. It is telling, however, that, if captured, the martyrs reverted to the cassock in prison, glad that they no longer had to conceal their priestly identity.
While in no way detracting from the lay vocation, of course, St John Paul II proclaimed the value of clerical dress and the religious habit as a sign and public witness to the world of their wearers’ identity and relationship to God. In an increasingly secular world the necessity and power of that sign is more important than ever. It is not uncommon for the laity to thank priests for giving that witness and encouragement.
In many ways, the clerical collar has the same message and purpose as the wedding ring. It is a sign that we are spoken for; that we are in a committed, permanent and exclusive relationship of love. Of course, there may be times when husband or wife legitimately removes their ring, but if they do so to disguise their covenanted relationship then something has gone amiss. Better when they are proud to wear the ring as a statement to the world of their loving fidelity.
Hopefully, we begin to see the point of clerical dress. It is the experience of the Church that the purpose of the Roman collar is that of bridge, not barrier.<br><br><em>Photo: Image by Gregory Dean/Shutterstock.</em><br><br><strong><strong>This article originally appeared in the June 2024 issue of the <em>Catholic Herald</em>. To subscribe to our award-winning, thought-provoking magazine and have independent and high-calibre counter-cultural Catholic journalism delivered to your door anywhere in the world click <a href="https://catholicherald.co.uk/subscribe/?swcfpc=1"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">HERE</mark></a>.</strong></strong>
