St Mary’s Basilica in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of Kerala’s Catholic Church last week issued a circular asking believers — especially women and young men — in the parish to follow a dress code in keeping with the spiritual atmosphere while visiting the church. Certain over-zealous rights activists have termed the circular as an indication of the Catholic Church returning to the Dark Ages and trying to enforce stringent conservatism on the faithful, but this does not have any serious bearing as far as believers are concerned.
According to the vicar of the basilica, the decision reflected the need for a spirit of morality among the congregation as concerns were being raised from believers themselves over increasing levels of obscenity and indecent dressing in the church. The circular asked female worshippers to avoid wearing tops, tights, shorts and other dresses that allowed exhibition of body parts. It also asked women to cover their hair with nets or shawls and those who wear sari to use its pallu for the same purpose while participating in holy mass. Young men were asked to avoid “freaky” dresses while entering church.
Nothing wrong with enforcing propriety
People who respect others’ rights in spiritual matters cannot term these instructions as indications of stringent conservatism. Women receiving the Holy Eucharist were required to cover their sleeves earlier but the Church does not follow this system anymore. Dress codes — informal as well formal — have always been prevalent in several churches across Kerala and other States, and these have nothing to do with individual freedom when seen from the believers’ point of view. Places of worship of almost all religions have such codes.
In most Hindu temples of Kerala, white dhotis are the prescribed attire for men who are not supposed to wear shirts, and women should not be wearing ‘modern’ dresses, which in some cases even include the churidar-kurta, the common attire of women in north India.
Visitors to churches of historical importance — like St Mary’s Basilica in Ernakulam and St Francis Church at Fort Kochi — would agree that not all those who enter them are dressed in a way that is suitable for places of worship. Such visitors are mostly tourists who do not often find it either necessary or convenient to change out of their beach wear while visiting churches.
The rector of a Goa basilica — where dress code was made compulsory for worshippers recently — had once complained that tourists came to his church in just their swimming suits. Such libertine dressing in a place where piety and spirituality are considered as ultimate could be highly embarrassing to those who come there to pray and could thus defeat the very purpose of the existence of that place.
According to the vicar of the basilica, the decision reflected the need for a spirit of morality among the congregation as concerns were being raised from believers themselves over increasing levels of obscenity and indecent dressing in the church. The circular asked female worshippers to avoid wearing tops, tights, shorts and other dresses that allowed exhibition of body parts. It also asked women to cover their hair with nets or shawls and those who wear sari to use its pallu for the same purpose while participating in holy mass. Young men were asked to avoid “freaky” dresses while entering church.
Nothing wrong with enforcing propriety
People who respect others’ rights in spiritual matters cannot term these instructions as indications of stringent conservatism. Women receiving the Holy Eucharist were required to cover their sleeves earlier but the Church does not follow this system anymore. Dress codes — informal as well formal — have always been prevalent in several churches across Kerala and other States, and these have nothing to do with individual freedom when seen from the believers’ point of view. Places of worship of almost all religions have such codes.
In most Hindu temples of Kerala, white dhotis are the prescribed attire for men who are not supposed to wear shirts, and women should not be wearing ‘modern’ dresses, which in some cases even include the churidar-kurta, the common attire of women in north India.
Visitors to churches of historical importance — like St Mary’s Basilica in Ernakulam and St Francis Church at Fort Kochi — would agree that not all those who enter them are dressed in a way that is suitable for places of worship. Such visitors are mostly tourists who do not often find it either necessary or convenient to change out of their beach wear while visiting churches.
The rector of a Goa basilica — where dress code was made compulsory for worshippers recently — had once complained that tourists came to his church in just their swimming suits. Such libertine dressing in a place where piety and spirituality are considered as ultimate could be highly embarrassing to those who come there to pray and could thus defeat the very purpose of the existence of that place.
