An Italian priest today evening said that he would give the Eucharist at Mass to men in shorts and women wearing hot pants, deep V blouses and tank tops. Their clothing was not a mortal sin but something not proper within a church.
Fr. Gino was speaking with me today evening in the sacristy after the 6.30 p.m Mass he offered in Italian at the Basilica of San Giovanni Battista dei Fiorentina, near the Vatican. I participated in the Mass but did not go up to receive the Eucharist.
It’s not a mortal sin he said since it does not cause scandal because people in Europe are used to seeing people dressed like this. Also this type of clothing is common at the beaches.
The Eucharist is only refused to Catholics in mortal sin he said and did not think that persons scantily dressed in public in church and before him, was a mortal sin.
Las Sunday a man at the 7 p.m Mass in this church was very much in public as he sat alone in the first pew. He was wearing short pants above the knees.Fr. Gino gave him the Eucharist. This was seen by the Parish Priest Fr. Luigi.
When I was talking to Fr. Gino in the sacristy he had changed into a light grey two piece suit and was wearing a blue shirt. Other priests in Rome wear shorts pants above the knees in the evenings.
Immodesty in clothes cause scandal the Catechism of the Catholic Church says and scandal is a mortal sin. Immodesty also is the cause of lust according to the Cathechism of the Catholic Church and willful thoughts of lust are a mortal sin according to the Catechism. We have a responsibility towards the onlooker. Also being chaste demands that we cover our body.
Fr. Gino observed that lustful thoughts can also be caused by a person dressed modestly and all covered. So there is no reason to consider it a sin.
So when people see each other in bikinis and shorts at Rome beaches and then come and receive the Eucharist it is not a sin he said. This means they do not need Confession before receiving the Eucharist at Mass in the evening or afternoon?
Just as in some restaurants they will not allow you in if you are not dressed well similarly there is a decorum for the Church he said. Dressing immodestly is not the orderly thing to do in a church.
Very often the people who dress immodestly are tourists he observed and so signs are placed outside the church. There was no sign at this church. At other churches there are signs which say men and women in shorts and sleeveless blouses, tank tops and blouses with a deep V, are prohibited. Fr. Gino observed that it was common for a woman to wear a deep V cut blouse at a marriage. It included the bride.
Fr. Gino I suppose could think that women who dress to appear attractive to men are not considered attractive and at the beaches there are all saints. Probably the same with television, the viewer is not aroused sexually for him.
Italy has one of the highest abortion rates in Europe. There are over 1,00,000 Italians killed through abortion annually. Immodesty leads to promiscuity and promiscuity, studies show, result in an increase in the use of contraception and contraception failure. The end result is an abortion.
Immodesty, promiscuity, the use of contraceptive and abortion are mortal sins according to the Catholic Church. They cause thoughts of lust which lead to Hell, unless before death, they have been absolved in the Confessional.
At Fatima Our Lady said that most people go to Hell due to sins against the Sixth Commandment. At Garabandal she told the young visionaries to stay away from the beaches.
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1 comment:
Great post about the need for modesty and great blog. Women around here ( Florida, USA) hardly wear anything at all--sometimes even in church--and I have no doubt that part of why people are fornicating, aborting and generally living sinfully is partly because of the fact that hardly anyone dresses modestly anymore. It's sad to see so many girls dressed like they are working the streets and apparently it isn't just happening here in the USA.
On another note I really like the whole "de jure" "de fact" distinction you make when talking about the baptism of blood and desire. It's the most helpful way of seeing it I have ever seen. May you be well in Christ.
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