A Nuns Habit

ExcuseThe secular world and media has long portrayed nuns with their habits as uneducated stupid and dumb individuals. They drew pictures of them in ways that mocked them and made jokes at their expense. This caused the Sisters to do away with their habits because they know that they are highly educated and did not want to wear something that portrayed them less than educated in the eyes of others.

Response This is utter nonsense. Throughout history nuns have been educated, as a matter of fact the first female university president in history was a nun. Many orders of nuns have done nothing but educate Catholic youth and a Catholic education has always been seen as excellent even by the secular society.

ExcusePeople mocked, ridiculed and made fun of them when they where in there habits. Children would say, "hey, look at the big penguin walking down the street". Because of this we believe habits are dehumanizing to say the least because we had to go through this mocking and ridicule while wearing the habit.

Response Christ was ridiculed. John the baptist was ridiculed. The 12 apostles chosen by Christ were ridiculed. The habit makes a statement. Just like picture says a thousand words so does a nun habit. Are these nuns soldiers for Christ or are they Catholic in name only?

ExcuseIt has been commonly observed that adults and especially children felt uncomfortable by the sisters in habit. It became clear that habits were a barrier which blocked people from approaching nuns . This was another factor in our decision to do away with the habit and wear more common clothes to better blend in with the laity and to break down the barrier (the habit) which made us unapproachable.

Response Do policemen or firemen take off their uniforms so people will feel more comfortable around them. No, of course not. Nun are not to blend in. The habit is a symbol of their commitment to Christ. In their effort to blend in they have disappeared. The number of nuns in the United States over the past 30 years has been cut by over half and the average age of nuns in the USA is over 70.

ExcuseHabits made us targets. When people see a sister in a habit they would want to give special privileges to the nuns for example, while in the check out line at a store a restaurant people come up and want to pay for our meals or things we need to buy. By giving up the habit and blending in with the rest of the world we have eliminated this situation.

Response Did they ever think it makes people feel good to help someone even if happened to be a nun. Did they ever hear about good works.

ExcuseWorst case was that it had become a custom of certain gangs to require those being initiated into their gang to go out and rape a virgin. Since it was common knowledge that sister for the most part were virgins they became a target of these newly to be gang members. Their habit where a dead give away. One sister I knew was raped and killed while in her habit. This was another factor in the decision to do away with the habit for the safety of the community.

ResponseThis is so far fetched it makes one laugh.

ExcuseIt is true that habits are an out word sign of religious consecration. But simply because one wears a habit does not make them holy. You can be holy inwardly in your heart without having to wear the habit. Therefore habits are not necessary for religious life of holiness.

Response Yes, one can be holy with out a habit. Can you imagine if the pope came out to speak to the people without his white cassock or the Notre Dame football team decided not to wear their gold helmets. People would throw a fit! This excuse is a cop out.

ExcuseIn fact a habit is something as simple as the common crucifix we sisters all wear over our secular cloths as well as the ring we all wear on our finger. This common crucifix and ring is our outward sign of religious consecration and community. It has become our new habit.

Response Prostitutes and rock stars wear crucifixes and religious rings. Does this mean they are part of a religious community?

ExcuseVatican II said we should take the habit off in favor of secular clothes.

Response Nowhere in the Council documents does it say that the priests and religious should dispense with religious habits, and it never said that habits should be the street clothes of the common man. Vatican II stated that habits are to be an outward sign of consecration. They need to be simple, modest, poor, becoming, and needed to be changed if they were unhealthy or not suited for today's needs. This is not a new idea, religious habits have changed throughout history, but for obvious reasons priests and nuns wearing secular apparel from a department store does not fit the bill. Pope Paul VI and John Paul II both have told priests and religious that they must wear their religious habit, but many have chosen to ignore the Papacy and the Second Vatican Council.

"The religious habit, an outward mark of consecration to God, should be simple and modest,poor and at the same becoming. In addition it must meet the requirements of health and be suited to the circumstances of time and place and to the needs of the ministry involved. The habits of both men and women religious which do not conform to these norms must be changed." Perfectae Caritatis17

ExcuseYoung women won’t want to join our community if we wear the habit.

Response Every order that has taken off the habit is dying because no young women want to join their order. As a matter of fact the orders that wear the habit are growing and thrive two examples are Mother Teresa Sisters of Charity and The Dominican Sister of Nashville.