I'm not opposed to clergy attire. Lots of different vocations have specialized uniforms. There are situations where such can be very helpful. I, Mr Casual, will even (rarely) wear my alb or robe if it seems that it will enhance rather than detract from the occasion. Still I find the whole ecclesiastical dress-up thing at least mildly amusing -- especially when it goes extreme. All of this is by way of introduction to Ruth Gledhill's column on the Pope's new role as fashion icon -- strutting about in a gold duchess satin cope and red Prada shoes of a fisherman.
Related, the priest-recruiting department of the RC in the UK has a website where you can use a flash program to dress up a priest. It's mildly amusing in that it could give the young potential priest-wannabe the impression that dress-up is what being a priest is all about. That might be a source of some of the challenges the church is currently facing. As a matter of fact, the whole ecclesiastical fashion frenzy seems somewhat counter-productive at this point in history.
However, I do have this small fantasy about standing up in front of the congregation on Sunday morning in brand new red Pradas -- just to see what the reaction might be. Of course, I'd probably get a similar reaction if I wore a tie.
2 comments:
Brad;
It is interesting to observe how people clearly dress to the occasion. I've seen folks show up for church in casual attire, shorts and flip-flops, and later that day put on a white shirt and tie for a formal dinner. What's with that? How does God get the casual and the restaurant the crisp?
I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would put on a white shirt and tie -- and go to a formal dinner. :-)
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