Should women cover their heads in Church ?
My children, you must join hands in reverence at the Sacrifice of My Son. It is an expression of love, gratitude, and respect . Reverence and respect and holiness must be returned to My Son’s houses, churches throughout the world-reverence, holiness, and respect from the beginning to the end of the Sacred Service. “Women must keep their heads covered, My child. It is not because of fashion or modes; it is because the Eternal Father and the angels demand proper deportment during the Holy Sacrifice. It offends the heart of My Son much to see that satan has taken away so much piety and holiness in His churches throughout the world.”
Our Lady of the Roses, September 6, 1975
Sacred Scripture presents several reasons for wearing the veil. St. Paul tells us in his first letter to the Corinthians (11:1-16) that women must cover their heads because it is a Sacred Tradition commanded by Our Lord Himself and entrusted to Paul: ” The things I am writing to you are the Lord’s commandments ” (1 Cor. 14:37)
It is an honor to wear the veil. But by publicly repudiating it, a woman dishonors her feminine dignity, her sign of female subjection. The Roman Pontificial contains the imposing ceremonial of the consecration of the veils: “Receive the sacred veil, that thou mayst be known to have despised the world, and to be truly, humbly, and with all thy heart subject to Christ as His bride; and may he defend thee from all evil, and bring thee to life eternal.” (Pontificale Romanun, de benedictione)
St. Paul says an unveiled woman is a dishonor. ” But every woman praying and prophesying with her head uncovered disgraces her head, for it is the same as if she were shaven.” (1Cor:11:5)
“That is why women ought to have a veil on her head, because of the angels.” wrote St. Paul (1 Cor. 11:10). The invicible hierarchy should be respected because the angels are present at Christian liturgical assemblies, offering with us the Holy Sacrifice with the honor due to Almighty God.
St. John the Apostle wrote :“And another angel came and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; amd there was given to him much incense that he might offer it with the prayers of all before the throne.” (Rev. 8:3)
The custom of wearing the veil was maintained in the primitive churches of God (1 Cor. 11:16). We see this in the first letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians. The women of Corinth, beset by modern sensibilities, started coming to church without their heads covered. When St. Paul heard of their neglect, he wrote and urged them to keep the veil. According to St. Jeromes commentary Bible, he finally settled the matter by saying head covering was a custom of the primitive communities of Judea, “the churches of God” (1 Thess. 2:15, 3:6).
Even today, some people erroneously believe that St. Paul based the tradition on his personal opinion. St. Paul reminds them, “for I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it by revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:12), referring to the authority of his ministry, and veracity of his words Our Lord warns us to obey his commandments. “He therefore that shall break one of these least commandments, and shall so teach men, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:19).
In summary, St. Paul advises women to cover their heads in church because : Our Lord commanded it, the angels at mass are offended if women don’t use it, it is a ceremonial vestment and lastly, it is our heritage.
Posted in Catholic Traditions | 
May 24th, 2007 at 12:10 pm
During St. Paul’s time it was considered modest for a woman to cover her head, and he was underscoring this point for their presence in the liturgical assembly. This custom was considered normative and was enshrined in Canon 1262.2 of the 1917 Code of Canon Law alongside the recommendation that men and women be separated in Church and that men go bareheaded. I myself still believe that this is proper. And I do know of some churches today throughout the world, including within the U.S.A., that require the 1917 Code of Canon Law be followed.
Of course following liberal interpretations of Vatican II this canon was dropped from the new Code of Canon Law promulgated in 1983, but the practice had already begun to fall into disuse from about the beginning of the 1970s. Even though no longer legally binding, the custom is still widely practiced in some countries, especially in Asia. It has been generally abandoned in most Western countries even though women, unlike men, may still wear hats and veils to Mass if they choose.
Sociological factors might also have been involved. The greater emphasis on the equality of man and woman tended to downplay elements that stressed their differences. Likewise, for the first time in centuries, not donning a hat outdoors, especially for men, ceased being considered as bad manners, whereas up to a few years beforehand it was deemed unseemly to go around hatless. This general dropping of head covering by both sexes may also have influenced the disappearance of the religious custom.
May 25th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Thank you so much for the additional information.
In the early 70’s , when I was a little girl, my mom encouraged me to wear a veil on all occassions that we were in church. During this period of time, I noticed that the women who wore head coverings were mostly the elderly and some mothers with children. . Very few young girls wore veils during masses and novenas. By the late 70’s , the practice of covering the head in church was completely dropped. At a young age, I realized that wearing a veil during church services gave a feeling of complete respect to the Blessed Sacrament. And in my personal opinion, I think we should keep this Catholic Tradition of covering our heads while at church. One day, I asked my mom why is it we don’t wear veils at church anymore. She simply answered, because of Vatican II. By the time I was in my teens, I searched answers about head coverings from the Scriptures. Doing so enlightened me where this tradition originated. And I truly believe that this Tradition should be practiced once again.
May 25th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
[...] A Catholic perspective on wearing the Mantilla. [...]
April 1st, 2008 at 1:27 am
i believe that if it is there in the bible that women should cover their heads while pryaing or preaching the sermon then it should be followed once again
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:01 pm
I remember even in the 1970,s at our downtown Episcopal Cathderal in the diocese of Oklahoma many, many women wore mantilas to Mass.
In our present parish a lot of women wear expensive fasionable hats and I think this perverts the purpose of humility—so I don’t wear a head covering anymore because people are so secularlized these days they think that one is “mental”. I had a whole pew of women laughing at me at St. Paul’s Cathedral Oklahoma City and I thought that this was quite Satanicl. Now that churh has more women priests than men and practically worship the goddess and resent Mary! Jesus have mercy on them. So I attend a traditional Episcopal Church that is Orthodox and will not have women clergy or altar servers. At daily Holy Communion I sometimes wear a chapel veil if older women are there—but the young trendies all want to look like TV stars~