Church dress code
 

When touring churches in Brussels and Brugge, what is the dress code for both men and women?
Do the Roman Catholic churches in Brussels observe the Assumption of Mary (Aug 15 in the United States)

Thank you - 2 weeks away from traveling to Brussels and Brugge

ACDB

Churches in Bruges are catholic churches. Being in Flanders has nothing to do with religion.
August 15th is a national holiday.

August 15th is a "national holiday" in Belgium because it IS "Assumption Day" from what I have always understood.

Well yes Dukey1, obviously. And being a Catholic country it is observed in churches, but OP also needs to be aware it is a public holiday not purely a religious one.

curious as to church dress code question?

And if not a religious holiday what kind of public holiday would it be?

Do Dutch churches have any dress codes - the few that are left as real churches.

Assumption Day on August 15th is a Holy Day of Obligation in Belgium and there will be Masses that day. As for dress code, it's pretty relaxed in the summer, and unless you are clearly underdressed such as in bikinis or bare-footed, you are unlikely to be stopped or give offence.

Alec - you answered my questions! I am Catholic and wanted to observe the Holy Day of Obligation. Now to find a church and time. We land in Brussels around Noon on the 15th - I may be out of luck for finding an evening Mass.
Also, some years back our travel to Vatican required women in skirts and men in long pants. The skirt is no problem for me, but Hubby wants to wear shorts!!

Thanks Alec for your comments.

Dukey - as August 15th is also a national holiday, does that mean business, etc. closed in observance of that Holiday? Thank you

IME of decades of being in Europe on Aug 15 it seemed more like a Sunday - most big stores closed but cafes, small shops open - train station shops certainly open and airport so stock up! And Sundays traditionally major stores closed but think that has changed many places maybe Aug 15 too. IME churches outside of Italy rarely enforced anything against shorts or uncovered ladies' heads -so I doubt that they do now.

https://churchestogether.be/churches/

If the listing is still up-to-date there will be an English service at Sacre-Coeur at 7.15pm
I'd double-check by e-mail with the parish, though.
The church would be pretty easy to reach by public transport via metro Schuman.

August 15 is also Mother's Day in part of Belgium - Antwerp definitely, not sure if they celebrate that in Brussel.
There is no dresscode for churches in Belgium that I am aware of, but I don't attend church often.

Belgium has become quite secular in recent years and the influence of the Catholic Church, once massive, has declined considerably. With this trend has also gone the strict dress code for churches and attending Masses, and nowadays the churches want to do everything to encourage attendance, esp among the younger people. It doesn't mean there are no conservative people who don't take kindly to skimpy clothes in churches, but they are in a minority.
As for attending Masses on the Assumption Day, if you don't mind in French or Flemish (Dutch), some churches have evening Mass, but you can check out the Catholic website in French: http://www.cathobel.be/messes/horair...s-en-belgique/ Scroll down to find Masses for the Assumption. Enter Bruxelles as location.

no bare feet; so Friars not allowed in while JC would be shown the door.
I suspect that bare feet are fine but short shorts, midrif and upper arms might get a tut though I doubt anyone will be shown the door

I've never been anywhere in Europe where there was a "dress code" to enter a church, and I've been in some fairly conservative Catholic countries (like Poland). I think that's just an Italy thing and maybe even just a Rome/Vatican thing (where I haven't been).

Even for the Vatican, I have never heard women had to wear skirts, though, just regulations about how much skin was showing. That's kind of a bizarre sexist/Western cultural requirement, if true, do they require men to wear pants and not skirts, for example? Jesus used to wear what could be called a dress, more or less. Showing skin is one thing, but requiring certain styles of clothing is strange, if that is true.

I believe men can wear skirts in the Vatican, but not miniskirts.

Yes now that OP has question answered - why do priests and cardinals and popes wear those ridiculous costumes when Jesus wore the ordinary clothing of common man. Why try to set themselves apart from others? Franciscans are more cool in that regard.

I don't find them ridiculous. Vestments are worn for a particular purpose when they are celebrating Mass, and they are derived from the civic clothes of the Roman times so there is a link to the Apostolic times and ultimately to Jesus himself. Vestments signify that a priest is acting in the name of Christ, and not just as an individual. Also they help to enhance the beauty of the liturgy, that the sacred acts in the Mass are something very special, bringing home to us the eternal sacrifice of Christ for our salvation.

I think Palenq's impressions of Catholic garb maybe come from films.

The clothing a priest wears for celebrating mass is a ceremonial costume. After the mass is over, he may well (at least in Italy) wear normal but conservative clothing. The younger priests in my diocese in Italy wear jeans, sneakers, and knit tops. Colors tend to grey or navy, but not exclusively. The older priests tend to wear a "priest's shirt" with normal trousers and shoes. I don't know any priest who wears a cassock when not performing official duties. This may be different in the US. Also, I see priests in full clerical garb walking around Rome, but they may have special roles that require it.

The bishop in my diocese likewise wears normal conservative clothing when not officiating. The previous bishop was from an earlier generation and went about in his robes.

If anything, the Franciscan friars around here are dressed much more clerically than priests are. However, in some monasteries they dress in civvies around the monastery, and sometimes even outside.

I remember a conversation between two Anglican priests about clerical garb. One said that he never wore a "dog collar", while the other said that he felt that wearing something that identified him as a priest might encourage someone in trouble to ask him for help. In Italy, priests who dress normally usually wear a pin in the shape of a cross, or a cross around their neck. I think many priests and other clergymen think it's a good thing to have a little visibility for similar reasons.

In my impressions, Catholic priests In the US tend to dress in black, with a clerical collar, but my memories from twenty years ago may mislead me. If so, in that respect, priests in Italy are much more casual. On the other hand, Catholic nuns in the US (and I think also in the UK) tend not to wear habits, whereas in Italy, almost all wear them.

I've noticed that while Pope Francis wears white, his jacket, when he's not officiating, has the cut of a normal man's jacket. He also has ditched the red slippers.

To me, they are ridiculous and an attempt to put the priests, cardinals, pope above common people- no Jesus would have been the pope of his day (if there had been a historical Jesus- little evidence of that - and would have worn normal clothes like his flock did. Can you see Jesus in one of the clown-like cardinal outfits? Again Franciscans I believe wear more plain garb.

And yes I am talking about high masses, etc in Vatican and cathedrals - bvlenci shows things are changing and less pretentious in many parishes and yes that is probably more the norm. But yes I judge from masses I see on TV like at Easter, etc.

WWJD? Wear clothing of his followers

As long as I've been going to Rome, the rules at the Vatican were "shoulders and knees covered". In other words, no sleeveless tops, miniskirts or short shorts. Men in addition have been required to wear long trousers, but I've heard that this rule is not strictly enforced any more in hot weather. I don't know any other Catholic church, basilica, or cathedral in Italy that requires long trousers on men, and none at all require skirts for women. In parish churches, as Alex said, the dress rules have almost disappeared. Priests are happy to see people coming to church. In my parish, women in spaghetti straps and short shorts can be seen reading the lessons at mass, and leading the prayers.

A mass is a ceremony, and even the "ordinary people" who serve at the mass also wear ceremonial garb. Some elements of the garb indicate the liturgical season (purple in Lent, for example) or have other symbolic significance.

You're obviously not Catholic, Palenq, so you really can't offer an opinion that the traditions of the Catholic church are ridiculous. I would never venture such an opinion about the traditional dress and ceremonies of Buddhists, for example. Or any other religion.

Yes the Vatican's forbidding of say shorts or women's uncovered knees seems so so ridiculous - what is the reason - will God be offended if in his house of worship? Again a policy that seems - what is so sinful about bare shoulders? I've seen so many folks come to St Peter's with shorts and bare shoulders, etc only to be turned away - I think again Jesus would not turn anyone away - well not this type of stuff.

Peoples' perceptions of Catholic church being out of touch on so many things like birth control and gay marriage and making women 2nd class citizens by banning them from becoming priests, etc. are I think a reason that in so many European countries and even U.S. so many leave the church- becoming 'recovering Catholics in some friends words. But those dress codes at Vatican are laughable.

Oh, give it up, Palenq. I don't think for a moment you have any interest in reforming the Catholic Church. Laugh all you want, nobody cares. I'm glad you're so easily amused.

Synagogues, mosques, and Buddhist temples also have rules about how people can dress. For that matter, restaurants also have rules, and I don't think anyone goes to the opera in mini-shorts and tank tops. For that matter, even 7-11 says, "no shoes, no shirt, no service". Why? When I was a kid out in the country, all kids went to the store barefoot. Why can't a woman be the Dalai Lama? Why isn't polygamy legal in the US? Laugh, laugh!

No have no interest in what Catholic Church - THE Church does just that it is the opposite IMO of what Jesus would do- all those elaborate cathedrals and churches - opulent and all that money I'm sure Jesus would have decried - millions of medieval poor folks being made to donate to that excess and now - lots of monies spent upkeeping lavish churches could be spent on poor but I do give some parts of THE church credit for being pro-active in helping third-world countries in many ways - in fact Catholic Charities do so much great work. And only pointing out Catholic Church because we were talking about Italy and Vatican - others just as bad in sexism and bigotry against gays, etc. Yes should be able to have Dolly Lama too and polygamy should be legal IMO - if not a brainwashing cult, etc.

Dolly Lama? That's a new one.

If you think dressing like Jesus is a good idea in this day and age, you're nuts, though people still do in some parts of the world, I suppose.

Your fanatacism about Catholicism is almost as tiresome as Catholicism itself can be. Have you never noticed that people in prominent positions in other religions, like Buddhism, for example, wear clothing that is representative of their positions and perhaps influence in that religion? And colors are symbolic. People of all cultures, dating back to almost prehistoric times, have thrived on ceremony and tradition - and costumes to celebrate their beliefs.

You really are tiresome beyond belief in this respect.

If you think dressing like Jesus is a good idea in this day and age, you're nuts, though people still do in some parts of the world, I suppose.>

If you read what I said I said that Jesus would dress like ordinary people - now - not wearing some ridiculous robes like the fictional Jesus does in pictures of him - ironically showing blond hair often - strange for an Arab. He would dress like normal folks - maybe jeans and T-shirts - why must people dress up to go to church or why do they? That's what I meant.

We were talking about Vatican and Catholics but yes most religions have similar and various bigotry - Orthodox Jews I guess separate men from women - women in balcony and men below - like religion has always done try to make women down and men up. A blond Jesus - guess Jesus dyed his hair? I guess we'll see in the 2nd Coming! Starrs has departed from Fodor's?

The different colors of clerical vestments iworn by RC priests for mass reflect the "status" of the respective holiday.- not that of the priest.

Weekdays or ordinary sundays with no special holiday = green
Holidays of repentance like lent, advent = violet
Holidays of love, martyrdom (blood) or the holy spirit like Good Friday or pentecost = red
Holidays of celebration and joy (Easter and Christmas) = bright white plus whatever festive add-ons like silver or gold
Funerals = black

Since most of the televised appearances of the pope usually happen during Easter or Christmas mass, it's kinda obvious that you see him sporting the most fancy outfits he got in his closet.

In addition to the above, also the different ranks of clergy are reflected by different colors, e.g. bishops wear violet (for official business).
Whether or not clergy dresses up or down in everyday life is more or less a reflection of the tradition of the respective country or region.

You have obviously also never attended a CofE service in most churches in England and Wales.

I have no idea what the officiant wears in a Dutch church. In the Catholic ones I assume it is the same as in Catholic churches i other parts of the world, so surplice and robes. In the Protestant ones it's probably just a suit. I've never attended a service of any denomination in the Netherlands so I wouldn't know.


Anyway I hope OP finds a church they can attend even if the service isn't in English.

Pal has quite literally become a troll. What that HECK does his opinion of Catholics, churches, liturgical customs/dress, church regulation, Jesus, the Pope, whatever - have to do with anything? Half of this thread is totally off topic and just pot stirring - and rude to the OP who is obviously a practicing Catholic.

My apologies to OP but he got his answer and the subject of dress codes in general was delved into - the Vatican being brought up - this often happens and was a natural development - too bad that one's honest opinions are called trolling. Cheers!

This isn't a forum for "delving into" your opinions on religion, Pal, whether they're "honest" or not. It's a complete bore, and useless for people asking their own honest questions. Stick to the cut-and-paste train information.

Ca y'est!

To ACDB--the OP:

I am also a practicing Catholic and I hope you are able to attend Mass. I have found it beautiful and interesting to attend Mass in other countries, including those where I really don't know the language (like In France).

I am sorry that PalenQ has decided to go off topic with a critique of the Church. He has done so on another part of this website, called the Lounge which is meant for those meanderings, but it's really not appropriate here in the European Travel forum. Please know that he vast majority of people on this board, including some very avowed atheists, have always been welcoming to me and others who attend religious services (of any denomination). Given that my first questions on this board were about attending my brother's ordination in Rome, I have lots of past conversations where the topic came up.

To 5-Alive

thank you. I've followed the recommendation in emailing the church. Looks like we are a go. Thanks to all who answered my 'query' ! I'm off to Belgium August 14 - can't wait.

ACDB