www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Veils/Headcoverings

Andrew,

Diak had it right. Fr. Robert Fromageot, FSSP, Pastor of Saint Francis de Sales Tridentine-rite Parish, Mableton, Georgia.

I think veils are great! And no, ladies, it's not a superiority complex! They are quite frequent in traditional Latin communities. However, with your average Novus Ordo parish, you almost never see them.

What about in the EO, OO, and EC Churches? I'm sure it depends on the jurisdiction, but are veils a common thing?

Logos Teen

Dear Teen, it not only depends on the jurisdiction but also the parish. Greeks rarely ever wear them, OCA and Serbs are mixed, and the "cradle" Antiochians don't wear them but many of the former Protestants who converted through the Antiochians do.

Most of the more conservative jurisdictions like the ROCOR definitely do wear them.

A parish composed mostly of converts in a given mainline SCOBA parish might have more women that wear head coverings than others.

Mother Sharon's point is well-taken.

If anyone finds that veils create an atmosphere wherein attention is drawn more to a woman's beauty by use of the veil/headcovering, then the only logical conclusion is that they should not wear them.

I don't believe that to be the case for most of us men and women, Alex excluded.

"A woman's hair is her glory!"

In Christ,
Andrew

I remember wearing veils years ago. I would today if it were the norm. Wearing a veil made you feel that you were somewhere special and that your mind should be on God and prayer.
Denise

Well I have to say that I wore starched caps , and worse still starched ' army squares' for so many years that I have never had a hat or veil on my head since.

I have tried using a scarf in Portugese villages but it always slips off so I now just don't bother - like most folk in our Parish - I found that I was concentrating on trying to keep it on instead of Mass.

Anhelyna,

I can't keep anything shiny on - and I've never figured out how you are supposed to keep a mantilla on - at least without thumbtacks - not to mention the unavoidable feeling of being a kid playing "bride" in the curtains.

I also am a fat-head from a family of fat-heads, so very few commercially available types of headgear fit.

All this has led me to simply constructing my own. The scarves I tend to wear in church and often out (If people ask, I explain sweetly that I am a religious fanatic, and I drive with my windows open) are cut from cotton and/or poly/cotton voile. Very lightweight, entirely washable, crammable in pocket or purse, and not slick. A 5 minute run (three of those to find the right color spool, wind the bobbin and thread the machine) through the rolled-hem foot on the ol' sewing machine, and voila! A new schmatte. They're mostly plain soft colors, but I admit to having tie-dyed a couple of 'em.
Reminds me - I picked up a couple yards of a pretty patterned sheer cotton on sale last week. Gotta run up some headgear - tho' I'm not sure what will be left of this stuff when it comes out of the washer.

Best,

Sharon

Andrew,

They say our earliest memories never stop coloring our lives.

One of the reasons I don't wear hats often (aside from the aforementioned Titanic Head) is that I grew up in a synagogue where all the women covered their heads, and an awful lot of them wore hats that were meant to be SEEN. I think it's awfully easy to fall into the fashion show mentality.

Sharon

For the Coptic Church (OO), at the Church I go to about 1/2 wear head coverings during the Liturgy, and those who don't put them on when entering the Communion rooms for Communion. I think we're pretty liberal in this area compared to other Coptic Churches. No women receive Communion without wearing one. There's a stack of white cloths in the women's Communion room that people can use, and some people bring thier own, including some with pictures of Pope Shenouda on them.

In my OCA parish in the Diocese of the West, very few of the women wear headscarfs but those who choose are NEVER criticized for doing so. It is left up to each woman and nothing is ENFORCED and that I think is part of the beautiful economy of Orthodoxy.

What would be "part of the beautiful economy of Orthodoxy" is if it was enforced. We are not of this world. Therefore, we should act like it! This world is damn lets not be damned with it.

Did not Our Lord say "I do not come into the world to condemn the world" Our Lord came in the Incarnation out of Love and the world is not damned! How absurd! You are not God and cannot see into the mind of God to make these sorts of judgements especially over such unrelated things as headcoverings! How absurd to think Eternal Salvation depends on such things!

Brian,

You are wrong!

CopticOrthodox:

What are the "Communion rooms" you speak of?
Are they separate from the nave of the Church?

With Thanks,

Michael


For the Coptic Church (OO), at the Church I go to about 1/2 wear head coverings during the Liturgy, and those who don't put them on when entering the Communion rooms for Communion. I think we're pretty liberal in this area compared to other Coptic Churches. No women receive Communion without wearing one. There's a stack of white cloths in the women's Communion room that people can use, and some people bring thier own, including some with pictures of Pope Shenouda on them. [/QB][/QUOTE]

I agree with Brian. And do you notice none of the gal posters try to push their choices on other women either way. Now if they would just let us be in charge of ending the schism!

Nicky's Baba

Baba of Nicky,

Take charge, then! Reunion will be facilitated largely through laypeople, not the clergy. Methinks that all the laos, male and female/clergy and laity, has a pivotal role to play.

Logos Teen