What is The Significace Of Ministerial Garments & Finery?

L

Lon

Well-known Member
Location
Central California
I have been watching the O Bama Eulogy for Rev.Pickney and can't help but notice all the well decked out clergy in their shiny mostly purple colored finery and got to thinking about different religions and how their clergy is attired. Now for a non believer like my self perhaps this is a dumb question, but I am serious. Are clergy in the Catholic faith attired like the military to show their rank, from the white collar of the lowly parish priest to the stunning attire of the Bishop or Cardinal? What's with the African American clergy I am watching on TV? Is there a pecking order based on who has the biggest cross on a chain around their neck? Even Jews with the yarmulke and other vestments like the big broad black hats. To the best of my knowledge it seems like it's mostly Christian and Jews that go to these lengths. OK you say, "How about Muslims"? Oh yeah they have their little thing going don't they? I am a Octogenarian and guess I am defined by the carefully concealed behind the ear hearing aids that I wear as well as a a sure but tentative walking step, but my thoughts, morals, integrity, fairness,honesty you will have to ask or observe.
 

Lon, perhaps the public library in your vicinity can provide the information you seek, or better yet, a night school class in religious studies if you are curious about these things. The answers are out there.
 
Cookie said:
Lon, perhaps the public library in your vicinity can provide the information you seek, or better yet, a night school class in religious studies if you are curious about these things. The answers are out there.
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Of course the answers are out there Cookie and I know how to search them out, but my post was a modest attempt to get some response from our erudite, well informed members and get some discussion other than what are we taking on a picnic.
 

I do know that in the Lutheran Church, purple is a penitential color and is mostly worn in lent, though some wear it in Advent as well. Black is only worn twice a year -- Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. I don't think there is a "funeral" color; black isn't worn as a liturgical color for funerals,
 
It's all for pageantry. We commoners are impressed by pageantry. The royals have used it for ages to appease the commoners. Give them enough pageantry and they forget their empty bellies.
 
Random thoughts from me Lon.

In medieval times rank was mostly denoted by clothing and this practice continues today in lots of occupations. The chef is the one with the tallest hat, the admiral has more gold braid than a junior officer and a bishop has better embroidery than a parish priest. At any university graduation ceremony those receiving a bachelor's degree are less resplendent that those receiving doctorates.

Some of the clergy of Mother Emmanuel appeared to me to be wearing robes that might have indicated that the wearer is a Doctor of Divinity. Another explanation might be that since it is a black congregation it is possible that the members want to express their pride. Coming out of a history of slavery they might want to demonstrate their prosperity.

My denomination is derived from Methodism but a different kind to that of America. American Methodism is episcopal, in that there is a hierarchy that has bishops at the apex. The English version of Methodism that took root in Australia was not episcopal. Here all clergy were equal in status and the dog collar was a typical way that the ordained clergy were differentiated from the lay preachers. Anglican priests often wear the dog collar but few of our Uniting Church ministers do. Most that do seem to be women. I suppose they have a bit of trouble convincing people that they are actually ministers.

Just as people dress up for special occasions such as a wedding, so the clergy have special outfits for special occasions. These are the vestments that can be worn when officiating at a church service, wedding, baptism or funeral. It was mentioned earlier that vestments may feature symbolic colours - purple for Lent and Advent, red for Pentecost, gold for Easter Sunday, white or green for ordinary times.

We have to hog tie our minister to get him to wear the vestments that were bought for him by a member of the congregation.

Here is an example of the vestments of an ordinary minister.

green-clergy-stole-testim10.jpg
 
Since mankind first starred worshipping gods adherents have dressed up and used mumbo jumbo to keep the flock in fear, from voodoo in Haiti to the gold an panoply and latin imprecations of the high Christian Church.

My minister wears a dark suit a black bib and a white dog collar. When he comes into church he simply carries a bible.

I, a simple Baptist, fry to follow his teaching because of who he is, and what he does, not because of his gold vestments. I just like to feel I'm one of the "two or three gathered together", no fuss, no pomp.
 
The clergy is a profession like any other and wears a uniform. Military uniforms include dressing up for special occasions complete in full regalia with all their stripes and medals. The same goes for most professions - royalty, police, pilots, hotel staff, university professors, restaurant wait staff and of course sports teams. Clergy is no different and depending on the church, there are outfits that display the rank of the person.

When laypeople attend fancy events, they wear a tuxedo and formal attire, when people get married they were fancy suits and white wedding dresses. Etc. etc. etc.
 
Cookie said:
The clergy is a profession like any other and wears a uniform. Military uniforms include dressing up for special occasions complete in full regalia with all their stripes and medals. The same goes for most professions - royalty, police, pilots, hotel staff, university professors, restaurant wait staff and of course sports teams. Clergy is no different and depending on the church, there are outfits that display the rank of the person.

When laypeople attend fancy events, they wear a tuxedo and formal attire, when people get married they were fancy suits and white wedding dresses. Etc. etc. etc.
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Cookie, that should make perfect sense to anyone.
 
"Military uniforms include dressing up for special occasions complete in full regalia with all their stripes and medals. The same goes for most professions - royalty, police, pilots, hotel staff, university professors, restaurant wait staff and of course sports teams"

Of course they do, as you say, for special occasions.

Not, however, for everyday working dress!
 
I don't have a problem with it at all. When I went to the Catholic mass as a child the priest wore his special mass garments. However, for every day, priests never dress up, just wear their 'uniform' black outfit. Monks don't dress up, usually wear a loose garment. Ministers in general don't wear the fancy garments for every day wear, usually only when they do a service of some kind. So I'm not clear what you mean that they wear fancy garments all the time, it doesn't happen as far as I know. However, perhaps in the Vatican things are different, but I doubt if the pope wears anything fancy when he's just hanging around his room(s).
 
Cookie said:
I don't have a problem with it at all. When I went to the Catholic mass as a child the priest wore his special mass garments. However, for every day, priests never dress up, just wear their 'uniform' black outfit. Monks don't dress up, usually wear a loose garment. Ministers in general don't wear the fancy garments for every day wear, usually only when they do a service of some kind. So I'm not clear what you mean that they wear fancy garments all the time, it doesn't happen as far as I know. However, perhaps in the Vatican things are different, but I doubt if the pope wears anything fancy when he's just hanging around his room(s).
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Cookie, this throws up an even more interesting question than the OP one, namely, what does the Pope wear when he is 'hanging around his rooms' in the Vatican? A prize for the best answer!:anyone:
 
Our Minister wears a long white gown with a gold rope around his waist. A long scarf type thing around his neck and hanging down. Sometimes it is green and sometimes red. I don't know the reason. One day I saw him in his ordinary clothes and I would not have spoken to him if he hadn't spoken first as I didn't recognize him.
 
Red said:
Our Minister wears a long white gown with a gold rope around his waist. A long scarf type thing around his neck and hanging down. Sometimes it is green and sometimes red. I don't know the reason. One day I saw him in his ordinary clothes and I would not have spoken to him if he hadn't spoken first as I didn't recognize him.
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The colors of his "scarf" are liturgical colors and change depending upon where you are in the liturgical year.
 
Let's not forget the suits and haircuts on the Sunday morning religious shows. "Let me pray real hard over these offerings dear Jesus. I need a new pair of wing tips".
 
I find your focus is a bit narrow. This thread is about Ministerial Garments and Finery, and their significance. You're talking about suits and haircuts in a very non specific way. Please explain either their religious/symbolic significance, or how they are connected with raiding funds.

Wingtips? Please remember that I am not American.
If you can give me any tips I'll pass them on to our minister because our budget is in a bit of trouble ATM. :grin:
 
Those mega mouths who appear on my screen Sunday mornings are ministers, so their suits, worn as they preach their hype qualify as "ministerial garments" and certainly "finery". Their purpose is to establish themselves as "authoritative" to the masses who happily pour their funds into the upkeep of those garments.

Wing tips are those dress shoes with the swept back looking decorative piece of leather on the toes, similar to what you see on racing cars.
 
They must be some suits.
Our minister mostly wears a shirt and tie (usually the same tie) and a sweater hand knitted by his mum in South Africa.
Is that what he is doing wrong?
Not wearing a ministerial suit?
Or is it the lack of wing tips?
 
Dame Warrigal said:
They must be some suits.
Our minister mostly wears a shirt and tie (usually the same tie) and a sweater hand knitted by his mum in South Africa.
Is that what he is doing wrong?
Not wearing a ministerial suit?
Or is it the lack of wing tips?
Click to expand...

I forgot. You haven't seen these guys in the US. They are some suits. These people are not your minister.
 

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