Traditionally, in Christianity, women were enjoined to cover their heads, and men were instructed to remove their hat when praying or prophesying. Wearing a veil (also known as a head-covering) is seen as a sign of humility before God, as well as a reminder of the bridal relationship between Christ and the church. In 1917, it was made into a Canon law 1262.2 that a woman should cover her head and wear modest dress while attending holy rituals or if she is in the holy church The veil is also meant to be an external sign of a woman's interior desire to humble herself before God, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. As women, we are symbols of the Church - the Bride of Christ - and "the veil is meant to be a visible reminder of the perfect submission of the Church to the loving rule of Christ." "The veil is a visual sermon, ... a public proclamation before the Lord that He IS the Lord and that we love Him and that we are ready to obey him. It's a totally counter-cultural statement proclaiming obedience in the midst of a culture that is totally permeated with this attitude of 'I will not serve.'" The veil is a sign of the great dignity inherent to a woman, who has the potential to receive life within herself... both human life and the supernatural life of God. This is an important message the world needs to hear, now more than ever! The practice of women covering their heads during the Mass liturgy has its roots in biblical and canonical sources. It will be helpful to understand the historical and theological underpinnings that have shaped this tradition. The biblical basis for women covering their heads during worship can be traced to two primary passages: Genesis 24:64-65 and 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. Genesis 24:64-65: This passage recounts the story of Rebekah, who covered her head upon meeting Isaac, indicating her modesty and reverence in the presence of a future husband. Since women are icons of the Church and men of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 13), the practice of women covering their heads during worship properly reflects this relationship. 1 Corinthians 11:2-16: In this section, the apostle Paul addresses the issue of head coverings in the context of public worship. Paul asserts that men should pray with their heads uncovered while women should pray with their heads covered. He draws upon the theological concept of headship, emphasizing the hierarchical order between God, Christ, man, and woman. The covering symbolizes a woman's submission to this divinely established order. As we progress down in this narrative, let us keep in mind that although Saint Paul is the writer of this passage, the true author is God, who cannot deceive nor be deceived and thus not subject to temporal or cultural fads. The two biblical passages above allow us to see that the practice of women covering their heads during the Mass has been tied to several theological and symbolic interpretations: order and hierarchy; unity and communion; and modesty and reverence. Order and hierarchy: The theological concept of headship, as explained in 1 Corinthians 11, establishes a hierarchy of authority and submission. By wearing a head covering, women are seen to embrace their role within this hierarchical structure, acknowledging their place and function within the divine plan. Unity and communion: The practice of women covering their heads can also be seen as fostering a sense of unity and communal identity within the parish community. By adhering to a shared practice, women express their solidarity with one another and their commitment to the teachings and traditions of the Church. In 1 Corinthians verses 4-6, Saint Paul introduces the issue of head coverings: "Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head." Saint Paul argues that men (the ordained of whom would act in persona Christi) should not cover their heads while praying or prophesying because it dishonors Christ. On the other hand, women (who represent the Church) should cover their heads as a sign of submission to their husbands (who represent Christ) since this would maintain the proper order established by God. In verses 7-10, Saint Paul provides theological reasoning for his instructions: "For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels." Here, Saint Paul draws upon the creation account in Genesis to explain his argument. He states that man is the image and glory of God, while woman is the glory of man. This is the order of creation, where woman was made from man and for man. Saint Paul's use of "glory" emphasizes the complementary nature of men and women and their respective roles. The phrase "because of the angels" in verse 10 may puzzle many, but tying this passage with another in a letter by Saint Paul, to that to the Ephesians, may clarify the matter. First, it is clear that wherever God is, so are His angels, and thus, angels are definitely present during the Mass. We must remember that the fall of the angels was due to their rejection to serve creatures (the human race) significantly inferior to them. Thus, angels are supremely interested in the affairs of human beings as they are attentive to the proper functioning of God's created order. The helpful passage is in Ephesian 3:8-11: “To me, the least of all the saints, is given this grace, to preach among the Gentiles, the unsearchable riches of Christ, And to enlighten all men, that they may see what is the dispensation of the mystery which hath been hidden from eternity in God, who created all things: That the manifold wisdom of God may be made known to the principalities and powers in heavenly places through the church, According to the eternal purpose, which he made, in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The reference to “principalities and powers in heavenly places” is a way to refer to all the nine choirs of angels who through the Catholic Church and her liturgy come to know the “manifold wisdom of God”. In the liturgy both man and woman have a role to play in God's plan, which requires the practice of head coverings for women, emphasizing that it is a symbol of authority and submission. Angels perfectly execute the will of God, which includes maintaining the created order, and are “scandalized” (a more adequate word could not be found, since angels lacking concupiscence after having made their in alterable choice to obey God, are unable to sin) when women disturb the proper order of the due submission of women to men, as the apostle states. This is why women should cover their heads as a sign of submission and recognition to the established order precisely in the most sacred liturgy of the Mass, for the sake of the angels. Modesty and Reverence: Head coverings have often been associated with modesty and reverence before God. They serve as a visible sign of humility and acknowledgment of the sacredness of the liturgy and the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. In recent times, the practice of women covering their heads during the Mass has declined in many Catholic communities. This change can be attributed to various factors, including cultural shifts, redefining understandings of gender roles with a consequent false interpretation regarding the equality of men and women in the Church. Not to be overlooked in all this was the significant role the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) had, with its aggiornamento (“bringing up to date”) mandate, in ushering significant reforms to the liturgy under the guise of the participation of all the faithful, regardless of gender, in the worship of the Church. Following the Council, many local churches and bishops' conferences around the world chose not to enforce the practice of women covering their heads during the liturgy. Modernism reared its ugly head when it artificially introduced the false dichotomy of pitting the internal disposition of the faithful against external symbols or physical practices. They were quite successful in emphasizing the interior reverence, attentiveness, and active engagement of all the faithful during the Mass at the expense of exterior appearances. But this approach entirely overlooks the traditional Catholic way of accepting paradoxes, which are indeed at the heart of our theology: for instance, Jesus is both man and God, Mary is both virgin and mother. In fact, as human beings, we first learn the “moves” proper to the different parts of the Mass, such as sitting, standing, and kneeling early in our childhood, and, as we mature, we integrate those positions with what is going on at the Mass. For instance, we kneel at the consecration because God has substantially and sacramentally appeared, and we must worship Him Whom we will later eat. The reverence of wearing the mantilla is inspirational to others, including the men. The opposite is also true: when the reverence reflected in the use of the mantilla disappears, the “world” makes its appearance with women in immodest attires and men dressing as if they were going to a picnic or a ballgame, in sneakers, t-shirts and jeans. We do not need to be biblical scholars to appreciate the Matthew 22:11 verse, which many, including clergy, are quick to spiritualize, forgetting that the Church teaches that the primordial biblical meaning is the literal one. However, the 1983 Code of Canon Law, currently in force, does not contain a requirement that women cover their head in church. As Cardinal Burke, Prefect of the Supreme Apostolic Signatura, stated in a private letter: "The wearing of a chapel veil for women is not required when women assist at the Holy Mass according to the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite. It is, however, the expectation that women who assist at the Mass according to the Extraordinary Form cover their heads, as was the practice at the time that the 1962 Missale Romanum was in force. It is not, however, a sin to participate in the Holy Mass according to the Extraordinary Form without a veil." Just as the Church does not mandate that every person pray the Rosary, neither does she mandate that every woman wear a veil. This does not mean, however, that either is not a worthy devotion. On the contrary, these devotions are pleasing to God when done out of love for Him. This the most beautiful explanation of the theological significance of the veil I've ever heard. Here is a transcript: We've talked about the meaning of the bridal veil before. Remember that on one level, as everyone knows and as St. Paul makes clear in 1 Corinthians, the veil is a visible sign that the woman is under the authority of a man. These days, the idea of submission to the authority of her husband is frowned upon, to put it mildly. But it shouldn't be, once we realize that the bridal veil signifies the submission of this particular woman to the loving care of her husband. It signifies her trust, her confidence in his Christ-like leaderhsip. It signifies that she has chosen to follow him as a loving partner and companion. It also signifies that he has been specifically consecrated to handle that sacred vessel - to safely touch that ark - and that's something mysterious and beautiful. But that doesn't explain why little girls would wear a veil, does it? It doesn't explain why professed virgins, nuns, religious sisters would wear veils, does it? Obviously, the mystical symbolism of a veil goes far, far beyond the relationship of one particular woman and one particular man. What does it mean? What sort of a mystery is presented us when we see a woman veiled before the altar? It's a very great mystery. Like Our Lady, every Catholic woman, as a woman, is a living icon of the church. So when she veils herself here, in the presence of Our Lord, it's a visible reminder for all of the spousal relationship - the bridal relationship - between the Church and Christ. That relationship between the Church and Christ is a very deep mystery, indeed. So whenever we see a veiled woman here, before the altar, be she six or be she sixty, it's a visible reminder for all of us of this spousal relationsihp, this bridal relationship between Christ and His Church. And because the veil also signifies the submission of the bride to the loving care of her husband, it means that the veil of a Catholic woman is also a visible reminder of the perfect submission of the church to the loving rule of Christ. The veil is a visual sermon, it's a visual statement, it's a public proclamation before the Lord that He IS the Lord and that we love Him and that we are ready to obey him. It's a totally counter-cultural statement proclaiming obedience in the midst of a culture that is totally permeated with this attitude of "I will not serve." That, in any age, but especially in ours, is a very great mystery indeed. Why don't men wear veils? St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:7 "A man, on the other hand, should not cover his head because he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man." In Ephesians 5:25, St. Paul says "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loves the Church" and this, taken in conjunction with 1 Corinthians 11:7 (and the rest of the passage), reveals beautiful nuptial imagery: man is to Christ as woman is to the Church. Since the Church is the "bride" of Christ, it makes sense that the bride should cover her head "as a sign of authority" (1 Cor 11:10) and submission to the bridegroom - Christ, whom men represent. The Church submits to Christ, not the other way around. And the nature of this submission is one of love - who wouldn't submit to Him Who loves her unto death? |
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