Can priests wear white collars?

[jgress]

Normally monks and nuns do not wear pectoral crosses, unless they are hieromonks, abbots or abbesses (correct me if I'm wrong). But Met Pavlos has instructed our our lay monastics, male and female, to wear pectoral crosses (usually small ones) so that they will be identified as Christians, not Muslims. Otherwise, they still wear traditional monastic clothes.

[Maria]

I even actually met an EP nun from the UK who wore the Roman Catholic Nun's habit with a huge cross. I asked her why she diverged from the Orthodox habit even in our parish services where we all know what an Orthodox nun should look like (I was New Calendar still at that time) She said it was because most people were taking her for a muslim, and she didn't want that. So she got a blessing to Catholic in garb. Sick. Just plain sick. Nobody wants to stand for the truth and take back the land for Orthodoxy. Some Orthodox women in the New Calendar churches also dont wear the head covering for the same reasons. They say it looks muslim and also that it messes up their hair and that it makes them feel demeaned and inferior to men. Lord have mercy. First of all the muslims stole the practice of head coverings from the Orthodox. That pious practice is the rightful property of the Church! Are we going to let the muslims totally own it? We need to take it back. Anways, just a few thoughts to chime in on the issue of Orthodox dress codes and the loss of our traditions among "Orthodox" leaders and monastics.

Symeon

While many "canonical" world Orthodox in the MP wear head coverings, the practice in the US among the New Calendar churches is not to wear head coverings at all. In fact, when I was in the New Calendar, I had to seek permission of the priest, and often, he told me to only wear the head covering when receiving the Holy Mysteries, so as not to scandalize the rest of the parish. Many New Calendarists consider it a sin of pride should a woman choose to cover her hair. Imagine that.

Somewhere in the Holy Bible, it mentions that in the End Times, bad will be good, and good will be bad. We have reached that tipping point already. If we try to be humble and obedient, then we are labeled by the New Calendarists as prideful.

Do most of the laywomen in the GOC wear head coverings outside of church functions? If they do wear head coverings outside, should they also wear a cross that is also visible? By the way, with the blatant thievery of jewelry including gold and silver crosses, I am thinking of buying or whittling a cross out of wood, and then wearing that one. I do dress modestly, and that has caused people to turn their heads thinking that I am Muslim. Lord have mercy.

p.s. I am very grateful that our GOC Deacons, Priests, and Bishops do not wear the Roman collar.

[Maria]

Normally monks and nuns do not wear pectoral crosses, unless they are hieromonks, abbots or abbesses (correct me if I'm wrong). But Met Pavlos has instructed our our lay monastics, male and female, to wear pectoral crosses (usually small ones) so that they will be identified as Christians, not Muslims. Otherwise, they still wear traditional monastic clothes.

Perhaps the New Calendarists are having their clergy don the Roman Catholic collar and street wear to avoid causing confusion with the Muslim and Jewish clerics. I highly doubt that this is the only reason. Roman Catholic clergy street wear is cheaper than buying cassocks and riassas, but more importantly, wearing the Roman Catholic collar confuses the ecclesiology and shows that their real intent is to unite with the Roman Catholic Church.

Incidentally, a New Calendar Greek Orthodox Priest told me that he had often been mistaken for a Jewish Rabbi, Cantor, or Muslim Imam whenever he traveled wearing his riassa, especially whenever he was going to the airport to greet his Metropolitan. Although he wore a small cross, people still did not notice it and would approach him. Once when he told a Jewish man that he was not Jewish but Greek Orthodox, the man responded, "Then you still worship Zeus?"

[Matthew]

It should be remembered that a great amount of the public hatred among the Roman pagans who loved to see Christian men women and children being chewed up by lions or tarred and set alight on crosses were under the mistaken idea that Christians sacrificed babies and ate them in secret meetings ( a distorted rumour about the Holy Eucharist which was of course a secret rite that only the baptised could even attend or look upon). That these faithful Christians were martyred under false notions of crimes they, in fact, did not commit, does not diminish their reward or glory of their Martyrdom. If we in these times are spat upon, maligned, abused, or whatever the response, for being confused with Muslims---what of it? Let us be faithful, hold fast the traditions of the Church, and we too shall receive a crown of life. How will the world ever learn what the Church really is, if Orthodox Christians continuously modify the traditions and practices of the Faith to accomodate the crazy lost world? The Early Church conquered the ignorance, blasphemies, and barbarity of the GrecoRoman world by standing firm in the received Apostolic Traditions, and in time both saved their souls and converted a hostile and ignorant civilisation.

Symeon

[joasia]

It should be remembered that a great amount of the public hatred among the Roman pagans who loved to see Christian men women and children being chewed up by lions or tarred and set alight on crosses were under the mistaken idea that Christians sacrificed babies and ate them in secret meetings ( a distorted rumour about the Holy Eucharist which was of course a secret rite that only the baptised could even attend or look upon)

.

Yes. Back then they didn't allow non-faithful present during the Holy Liturgy. But, about the Roman hatred...I believe that it was the jews that instigated these lies. They hated the Christians and the Romans knew no better to question it. They were fooled. Actually, the Romans had much more tolerance for the followers of Jesus Christ. Remember Pontius Pilot? He tried to convince the jews to let Jesus Christ free. Doesn't that show some compassion? But, what did the jews say? Crucify Him! But, it was the jews that told the lies about the Christians eating babies. I believe that they were reflecting their own guilt because I read Josephus and his account of the siege of Jerusalem. He reported that there were starving men who broke into a house and saw a woman who had some meat. When they came closer, they saw that it was a baby. Her baby. She was a jew. She had cooked the baby and offer a piece to them. They were so horrified. They saw that she had gone mad. So if ever a jew tells you that he heard that Christians ate their babies...you tell them to go read Josephus, their jewish historian. That'll shut them up. The Romans were fooled by the jews' stories.

If we in these times are spat upon, maligned, abused, or whatever the response, for being confused with Muslims---what of it?

Well, I don't want to be abused or killed because someone thought I was muslim. That would defeat the purpose of being a martyr for Christ. I have to suffer or be killed because I am a Christian. I don't recall any life of a saint that was killed because someone thought he was a muslim or jew. And if there is an example, then he eventually was identified as a Christian, I'm sure.

[Maria]

It should be remembered that a great amount of the public hatred among the Roman pagans who loved to see Christian men women and children being chewed up by lions or tarred and set alight on crosses were under the mistaken idea that Christians sacrificed babies and ate them in secret meetings ( a distorted rumour about the Holy Eucharist which was of course a secret rite that only the baptised could even attend or look upon)

.

Yes. Back then they didn't allow non-faithful present during the Holy Liturgy. But, about the Roman hatred...I believe that it was the jews that instigated these lies. They hated the Christians and the Romans knew no better to question it. They were fooled. Actually, the Romans had much more tolerance for the followers of Jesus Christ. Remember Pontius Pilot? He tried to convince the jews to let Jesus Christ free. Doesn't that show some compassion? But, what did the jews say? Crucify Him! But, it was the jews that told the lies about the Christians eating babies. I believe that they were reflecting their own guilt because I read Josephus and his account of the siege of Jerusalem. He reported that there were starving men who broke into a house and saw a woman who had some meat. When they came closer, they saw that it was a baby. Her baby. She was a jew. She had cooked the baby and offer a piece to them. They were so horrified. They saw that she had gone mad. So if ever a jew tells you that he heard that Christians ate their babies...you tell them to go read Josephus, their jewish historian. That'll shut them up. The Romans were fooled by the jews' stories.

If we in these times are spat upon, maligned, abused, or whatever the response, for being confused with Muslims---what of it?

Well, I don't want to be abused or killed because someone thought I was muslim. That would defeat the purpose of being a martyr for Christ. I have to suffer or be killed because I am a Christian. I don't recall any life of a saint that was killed because someone thought he was a muslim or jew. And if there is an example, then he eventually was identified as a Christian, I'm sure.

Have you ever been mistaken for a Muslim?

We have a lot of Muslims where I live, and I do dress modestly. This is why I am thinking of getting or making a wooden cross to wear around my neck.

[joasia]

Have you ever been mistaken for a Muslim?

We have a lot of Muslims where I live, and I do dress modestly. This is why I am thinking of getting or making a wooden cross to wear around my neck.

I have muslims all around my neighborhood, but nobody has mistaken me for a muslim even though I dress modestly. I was mistaken for jewish by a very ignorant woman neighbor because she saw my priest when he came to bless my apartment many years ago. But, the majority can see if someone is muslim. Besides, even if you cover your head, it would have to be tucked a certain way to be considered muslim dressing. A wrap around can only be mistaken as muslim by the ignorant.

So, if you cover your head (which I think is absolutely fine and wonderful), don't tuck behind your ears. I'm sure people won't think it's muslim. If you have so many in your area, then the people will be able to recognize the difference.

As for the wooden Cross. We're not suppose to show it anyway. It should be tucked under our blouse. Unless you are monastic. I have a gold Cross. I don't know where you live, but if you are in fear that someone will steal the Cross off your neck, then I suggest you move to somewhere more safe.

I will never accept the Roman collar. It's just so...papist.