Are Chapel Veils "Worth It"?

Our Lady of Good Counsel of Genezzano - Ora pro Nobis!

I think that chapel veils are beautiful and I love the tradition of wearing them in church. I must admit however that after the ninth time of pulling mine back on to my head, trying to get the little bobby pin through the tiny hole in the lace while balancing a five-month-old on my hip, and telling my oh-so-helfpul and oh-so-loud toddler that "yes I know my chapel veil fell off, again," I start to wish it wasn't such an important custom. But the fact of the matter is that it is very important.

The other day my husband got a question on his blog which he forwarded to me to answer. I am glad he did because I needed to remember why I keep struggling to put the chapel veil back on.

The lady, who I will call Mrs. E, wrote:

"You state on your blog you welcome questions, I have one for you: Please explain and clarify the issue of chapel veils for women. I know they went by the wayside after Vatican II, but I came across a pamphlet that says VatII never said anything about chapel veils and any woman that doesn't wear one is sinning.

Does the Church even have a "policy" about veils? Are we or are we not to wear them?? I for one would love to wear one, BUT to wear one at this stage at my parish would be a huge distraction for everyone - not to mention I believe it would bring down a world of persecution on my head. I'm not willing to undergo this if the wearing of the veil is not really necessary."

Here is my response:

Dear Mrs. E,

I can sympathize with your not knowing whether to wear the chapel veil or not. I usually go to the latin mass where it is the norm; however I sometimes attend a Melkite church (eastern-rite Catholic) and it is not the norm there. I have decided to wear it whenever I enter a church.

In your email it seems your main question is whether or not we are required to wear the chapel veil and whether it is a sin not to. Although it seems the two are one and the same, I think there is a distinction.

Up until 1983 the Code of Canon Law (1262.2) required women to wear a veil in church. We cannont judge the culpability of those many women who did not wear a veil, because there may have been circumstances that reduced or eliminated their culpability (such as ignorance of canon law or a misleading pastor), but it was however required of Catholic women. At that point in history it was very clear that for those informed, not to wear one would be a sin.

The new Code of Canon Law promulgated in 1983 makes no mention of the chapel veil whatsoever. It seems that it is no longer a "requirement". Unfortunately I have heard arguments, from priests that I respect, both that we are to refer to the previous code on issues not mentioned in the new one, and that only what is in the new code is binding. I know this just seems to confuse matters, but it goes to show the debate is still out. As a laymen however, we are not expected to be experts in canon law; therefore to follow what is in the new code seems to be a reasonable course of action.

For me, I feel it is a "better safe than sorry" issue when it comes to whether or not it is a sin not to wear one. In these troubled times (pardon the clichés), it is often difficult to tell the sheep from the wolves (sorry again). What I mean is that the omission of the rule from canon law may be a way that those who have agendas contrary to the Church have found to undermine it without explicitly doing so. After all, most women left their chapel veils at home because they were under the erroneus impression that the customs of the church were relative to the customs of the world and time. In other words, what St. Paul said in 1 Cor. 11 "But every woman praying or prophesying with her head not covered, disgraceth her head..." (read the full text if you can) was only relative to that time and, had he been writing in our time, he wouldn't have dreamt of mentioning what many feminists would call "chauvinistic" customs.

But this is not the way of the Church, for Her truth, God's truth, transcends all time. God has written creation in such a way as to reveal to us His truth. The veil, as St. paul explains, is a physical representation of the natural order that God established by making woman subject to man. And even more importantly it is a physical representation of the supernatural order that God has established with his Church, which is subject to Christ. If the term "subject to" immediately causes a feeling of injustice to well up within you, as it has in me many a time, take a deep breath and try to consider the issue from a "pre-feminism" point of view. Because of original sin there has always been an abuse of the natural hierarchy. No doubt men are not always just, and they do not always protect and cherish women as they should. However this is to be judged by God and has no effect on God's design. Read Genesis and you will see that this natural hierarchy was established even before the fall of man. God in His wisdom established a "system" that allowed the family and society to flourish. Moreover, the fact that woman is subject to man requires man's utmost love, care, and concern for her (i.e., he has a tremendous responsibility). At the same time, God created the most effective metaphor for Christ's love for the Church and the Church's love and submission to Christ.

Because St. Paul took time to ensure the Corinthians followed this tradition in order to preserve this physical representation of the natural and supernatural orders, and because the Holy Ghost took time to inspire the Church to include these instructions in Holy Scripture, it seems prideful at the least to assume it does not apply to us now.

Essentially the veil accomplishes three main things:
1) It is a symbol of the natural order--i.e., it represents woman's subjection/espousal to man as well as his duty to love, cherish, and care for her.

2) It is a symbol of the supernatural order--i.e., a woman wearing one represents the Church's subjection/espousal to Christ.

3) It is a symbol of womanly virtue--especially reverence, humility, and piety.

In your own spiritual life, the veil, aside from allowing you to follow what has been a binding catholic tradition for over 1000 years, will aid you in ordering your senses to a more God-centered participation in the liturgy of the Church.

As to the issue of being a distraction to others I would say let them be distracted for a moment. It is worth it (for you and for them). Under normal circumstances it would be a means to reduce distraction in church by way of covering up a women's hair and thereby allowing people to pray more intently. Now it will initially be more of a distraction than your beautiful hairdo yet it is a distraction that would cause people to be more concerned with showing reverence within the church. In addition it will be a means by which you can be a witness for the restoration of a reverent liturgy and even a restoration of the family because, as you may fear, people will ask.

I would suggest you visit "Tradition in Action", a website aimed at the restoration of Catholic culture and the traditional Latin Mass. This address will take you to a page in the site that has two very worthwihile articles on this topic.

http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/d000rpCustomsMainPage.htm

I think you will find they do a far more thorough job at explaining the need for the return of this important Catholic tradition.

By wearing the veil you will be a much needed symbol of womanly virtue and piety.

God Bless,

Hilaire

If you are looking for a place to get a chapel veil you will find some here.