After four months of wearing my cassock and Benedictine scapular everyday as my work clothes, certain advantages and disadvantages have become apparent:
Pros
- It looks smart
- It really is more comfortable than a jacket
- If your ermm, body shape fluctuates you have more expansion room
- the pockets are capacious
- It’s cool when you want it cool–you can wear shorts and T-shirt underneath
- It’s warm when you want it warm–just wear warmer gear underneath
- the high school kids generally think it cooler than a tab shirt etc.
- it looks great with the big black cape I still have from my English days
- the scapular makes a handy hotpad for getting things out of the oven
- people in airports take notice
- it is a sign of contradiction
- a guy at the cash register at Office Depot asked about RCIA
- The scapular makes you look thinner
- it says ‘Catholic and proud of it’ in the Bible Belt
- You are not mistaken for an Episcopalian
- You can hide a sawn off shotgun underneath the robes
- You can’t misbehave when wearing the uniform
Cons
- They’re more likely to frisk you at the airport security… You might have a sawn off shotgun hidden up there
- The scapular gets stuck in the car door
- Personal errm…hygiene matters become more complicated
- It can be tricky going up stairs
- Like the Scotsman’s kilt–people wonder what you wear underneath
- The cat thinks the scapular is a plaything
- The children think the scapular is a plaything (it is treated as a train or blindfold)
- You’re mistaken for a monk.
- You’re not mistaken for a monk.
- The scapular gets caught in the spokes of the motorcycle wheel–definitely not good–especially at high speeds
- All those buttons….but I’m not cheating with one of those zip up jobs
- People at airports take notice
- You can’t misbehave when wearing the uniform
hahaha, wonderful post, Father! Honestly, I think the cassock is amazing…especially with your wicked cape. LOL that the cat plays with your scapular though…I don’t think that’s what the Blessed Virgin had in mind when she gave it 😉
Cool?? In South Carolina?? Ok, I do love the cassock though. It is an anacronism. Plus, like I told my kids who went to Catholic school, you don’t have to worry about what to wear in the morning.btw, my son liked it so much, he went to the Citadel, then to the Marines, I think for the same reason. Blessings, Fr. AnneGPS The not misbehaving part is why I don’t have one of those fish things on the back of my car.
The Red Pill or The Blue Pill, which will it be. I say be, THE ONE.
Not being a religious, you wear the scapular underneath the cassock, right?
As a Benedictine oblate I wear the scapular outside the cassock as in the picture on the blog.
I like it when religious wear their “station.” It is indeed a look getter…but somehow, I feel better when I am around a priest or a nun wearing their habits/cassocks.
Thanks for the encouragement Father…. for me to wear my habit. It doesn’t have a scapular but it does have a rosary hanging from the cincture. I can’t tell you how many chairs I’ve pulled across rooms or doorknobs I’ve been halted by. And of course it’s real fun when kneeling with an alb or surplice on and you can’t hold it out of the way and it catches on your knee when you go to get up. Of course it can be dangerous to wear shorts under the habit on a windy day as the habit is like a bathrobe and is help closed by the cincture. One good gust and there are Father’s legs for all to see!
I am a priest and a Benedictine Oblate. I was told my the Abbot of the Monastery I am associated with that the wearing of the scapular was no longer permitted, so naturally I am curious. Tell me more about the monastery you are associated with and how you got permission to wear the scapular.
I am an oblate of Downside Abbey in England. When I was about to be ordained I asked my abbot for permission and he granted it. I was then clothed in the scapular (with his permission) by Fr Bart Leon OSB, who is a colleague at St Mary’s. He did not indicate that there was a problem with me wearing the scapular and was happy to go through with the simple clothing ceremony.
That is really awesome. I don’t think the monastery I am associated with would be so cool about it. I must say that although I love the Holy Rule and read from it daily, I struggle with many of the things that go at at the monastery I am associated with. I have often thought about changing my association to a Cistercian Abbey that is a bit more orthodox, but am still discerning that. God Bless you for all you do. I especially enjoy the podcasts.
“You can hide a sawn off shotgun underneath the robes”LOL, Father!
Father, I think the shotgun is the essential issue in this deliemma…
Yes Father, having worn a habit for twelve years (in an earlier life…) I can relate. However, in terms of ‘coolness’ (of the temperature kind, not appearance) the material makes a difference.Our heavy Irish serge habits were definitely not ‘cool’ in the Roman heat of the 1960s! Shorts were not an option back then, nor were ‘summer-weight’ versions (Poverty an’ all…).But you never had to worry about what to wear – just that it be clean. And it was a constant reminder of who you were and what was expected of you.
Father, this is a great post!A sign of contradiction, indeed. I can easily imagine that many sinners & seekers are moved to (or back to) the Faith just by seeing a properly atired priest who hasn't capitulated to the world. It's hard to be an eschatalogical sign if one isn't wearing the sign board! Keep it up!
Father, it’s never occured to me to wonder what a priest is wearing under his cassock other than a good heart. Put your cassock on.
The pros outweigh the cons by far. I love cassocks and wish all priests would wear them. They look more “priestly” – and priests in pants often, to me, just look faded and rumpled, badly dressed.Besides, we women put up with some of the same kinds of things with women’s clothing you complain about with cassocks, only more – including in airports! At least you’ll never be told you either have to take your entire hairdo down because the clip is setting off the metal detector, or submit to one of the jailhouse-style body searches! 😀 So stop complaining – besides looking better, you can experience greater solidarity with us! 😀
Fr. D,I am always pleased with your humor! SO FUNNY my friend! Keep on keeping IT on… so to speak :)-g-
It seems more of the cons are actually pros, I’d think. Like “You can’t misbehave when wearing the uniform.”
Pro – you might get mistaken for Keanu Reeves and get upgraded at airports and hotels!Cons – People might ask you for your autograph.
Great post and comments too. 🙂
Hey that’s not the explanation you gave my daughter at RCIA! She will laugh when she reads your pros and cons, but thought you looked quite dashing in your sport coat. Your humor and insight are refreshing 🙂
I found this blog post through Fr. Eric Sternberg's Facebook Page. One of his parishioners left a link since he "rocks the cassock," too. He also wears a black fedora. Your cat plays with your scapular? That's pretty funny! Thanks for the funny list of pros & cons!
Found your post through Fr. Eric’s page as well. I’m a mom of 5. Two are boys. One is old enough to assist at Holy Mass with good priests who always wear the cassock. My kids love it, they are familiar with it, they are comfortable knowing who their priests are, even from a distance. We’re praying for vocations, and so I vote……….Definitely wear the cassock.
I still have my cassock from my days in seminary. It has all the buttons. A-a-a-a-l-l-l-l-l the buttons. I know what you mean about not cheating with a zipper. After years of use, many years ago, I still wonder what better way to focus your mind in meditation than while doing up all the buttons… :-)(I love your blog, Father, and link to you often on mine)