Vatican City (kathnet/KAP) The Vatican has called upon active priests, to wear their priestly clothing in service and in public. With a circular letter in October, which has now been made known, Cardinal Secretary Tarcisio Bertone reminded his priestly colleagues of valid ecclesiastical norms.
Especially in a secular world it is important that a priest can be visibly recognizable as a man of God and servant of the Church, is how it has been relayed to Roman ecclesiastical circles.
According to a Church canon 284, clerics are encouraged, "in accordance with the norms given by the Bishops' Conference and the justifiable locale customs to wear appropriate clothes."
The Italian Bishops' Conference has prescribed the cassock or the clerics -- black or dark grey suit with white priest's collar (see photo). The Roman Diocesan Director has disseminated these norms for all priests who are active in their area.
It is not entirely clear who the recipient for this new decree is. There Bishops and Monsignore are almost continuously directed according to clerical dress codes, may be meant as an example and a signal for priestly guests, who visit Rome, say observers.
Link to kath.net...
