Priestly vestments…
“Put on then the full armor of God.” - Ephesians 6:11
Yesterday a discussion arose concerning Roman Catholic clerical wear. It was brought to my attention that non-Catholics mistakenly refer to the cassock and other tunic-like garments priests or bishops wear as “dresses”. Many Protestant clergy also wear similar garb, while ministers of most religions throughout the world wear some form of ritual attire. For instance, the Dalai Lama, Shinto priests in Japan, Hindu holy men, Muslim men, and others, wear tunic-like garments or robes. I’m confident most people would agree their clothing is not at all feminine.
In the West it is very common for women to wear slacks or pant suits, and their femininity is rarely questioned for it. That said, most people, including men, would clearly differentiate a woman’s dress from the cassock and surplice, or alb, worn by an altar girl or boy. And it goes without saying that liturgical garb, just as judicial robes, academic robes, and so on, is recognizable attire for whatever station represented.
While looking for a site that traces the origins, history, and development of style of Roman Catholic liturgical vestments and clerical wear, I found a rather neutral site, Catholic Priestly Vestments. It is a Christian site with descriptions and proper names of the garments typically worn by Roman Catholic clergy. As I mentioned, Protestant clergy, as well as dissident clergy - including unlawfully ordained women priests - pretty much wear the same garments. I doubt any of these people would refer to clerical garb as feminine, or their vesture as a dress.
Links:
The New Liturgical Movement, History of the Roman Vestment - Excellent resource.
