The suburban priest of Kaunas did not hate the behavior of the parishioners: they asked him to hide his “beauties”

Although this has not been officially announced, Garliava St. The priest of the Trinity, Gintaras Urbštas, believes that it should be passed down from generation to generation how to get dressed to the house of prayer and not better display the “beauties”. Etiquette expert Armin Lydeka believes, however, that the church should wait for everyone and not divide believers according to clothing.

Garliava St. Trinity Parish Facebook Page June 29. The following reminder was issued to the faithful:

“As you attend church services during the hot season, think about how we should dress when we go to the temple. Expressing due reverence for God and knowing for what feast St. A participant in the Mass will not confuse the church with the beach. Therefore, do not approach her in shorts, bibs, slippers, a short skirt or dress, bare shoulders, or a bare belly.

Clearly, you may want to show others the interesting tattoo that I drew on your back. But we better do it in other spaces. In church, we gather to look at Christ and worship him, not to show off our fashion. It is not necessary that someone interested in exploring my beauties, but that with their modesty and sincere participation in St. In the Mass or in the administration of the sacraments, they would help others to seek the face of the Lord ”.

It was also quoted from Scripture:

“If all living beings worship the Lord, may our attire show that we firmly believe that we have approached the throne of the Living God and that the land we are on is holy. Let us remember Moses, who, seeing God in a burning bush without burning, hears the Lord speak to him: “… the place where he is, it is holy ground!” (…)

“Moses covered his face for fear of looking at God.” (Exodus 3: 5-6). We are also in church, in the presence of the Lord of the Holy and Mighty Heaven’s Soldiers, so allow our participation in worship, our posture and our appearance to emphasize the truth of the action and the holy place. “

An internet user thanked me for this post for reminding him again.

“Thank you, it is never too much to remind people more often how people have to prepare for Sunday, not be late for prayers, respect all participants in prayer. Thanks again!”

However, not everyone agreed that during lingering heat, dressing with more coverage is a good suggestion, especially when you need to wear masks that cover your nose and mouth.

“In the heat of the Šilainiai church, it becomes difficult to stay, forcing people to spawn in long clothes and even to breathe through masks. At the heart of the Mass.

Of course, nudity is not appropriate, but knee-length shorts why they are not allowed I no longer understand. Men are also people, because it is completely different to wear a long skirt than long pants when the sun does not skimp ”.

“I lack simplicity, let’s observe ourselves and criticize ourselves less. If we are kind to each other, we will not stop God ourselves, ”commented another parishioner.

Wants to maintain the sacredness of worship

The priest G. Urbštas commented on the posted announcement in such a way that in the summer there is a more frequent disorientation of the parishioners on how to prepare when arriving at the church.

“There really are a lot of them, and I think there are outfits that fit the shrine and that don’t fit the shrine. That is what we wanted to say in that post. Also, over the years, only a growing number of people don’t understand it. This concept is traditionally transmitted and parents must pass it on to their children.

It happens that parents tell children, but do they listen? For example, if a young man is told that he cannot go to church in shorts, he will refuse to go at all. I have heard that it is so, ”said the clergyman.

According to him, when traditional faith diminishes, so does the meaning of sacred things. According to G. Urbštas, this is a natural result of this process.

“First of all, there is a lack of understanding and knowledge, so it no longer matters if it is a church, a gym, a riding arena or a beach. What is the difference then? That is why we have this situation now. For example, it comes with pins on the finger.

Just as you would go to the beach, you would also come to church. There are also miniskirts. For example, St. In Peter’s Basilica, where the soldiers are, none of them would be admitted. They would simply block the road and advise dressing to be able to enter and be in the sanctuary. “

When asked if he did not fear that some parishioners might support this outdated view of the church due to such a record, he mentioned that efforts were being made to raise awareness and remind him.

“After all, the church does not have any device that stops or prohibits, prevents entry or asks outside. But that secularism is so nothing that it builds and creates nothing. Certainly there are some things here: first, the lack of certainty of faith, because otherwise one has a sense of what is appropriate and what is not, and of course, the things of upbringing in one’s own family.

Somehow some people look at that dress more conservatively, others again. Of course, the church is not the institution that must now be afraid of everything and harmonize with everything, shut up with closed ears and say nothing. We have a command from Christ to say. All this is not because we, like some goats, are scared if there is a bit of nudity, but there are deeper things:

According to the priest, he does not want the feeling of holiness “washed away” or “faded” in the church.

“A dress sends the same signal and the church service says that a person in certain clothes honors God. It is an integral part of worshiping God and should include appropriate clothing. Just as the liturgical vestments of the church are appropriate. After all, we’re not going to the altar anyway. “

Believe that the church should be open

Seimas member and etiquette expert Arminas Lydeka emphasized for the first time that dress codes really do exist and that’s a good thing.

“Having a certain dress code makes everyone feel more comfortable. When nobody gets nervous if they dress too much. For example, one in a tuxedo, when everyone else in a tracksuit, or vice versa, one in shorts or shorts, and everyone else in a tuxedo. So it’s good that there are dress codes and when we are invited somewhere, they are predictable. It makes life easier for everyone. “

However, according to him, there is no official dress code for any church attire, such as parishioners or believers who attend church.

“But that does not mean that the church cannot establish a certain dress code. They, like any other organization, can do it. Suppose that when you leave the church, the bank introduces a dress code so that all employees walk in black suits and white shirts, and customers can only come in tuxedos. I speak absurdly because the bank will not do that, but they, as an organization, would have every right to do so.

An example can also be given of certain restaurants that establish a dress code, such as that men can only come with ties or that everyone must wear only evening clothes. There are not one or two restaurants of this type in the world. “

According to A. Lydeka, according to these analogies, the church also has the right to establish dress codes, but personally I think it would be very unwise to do so.

“The house of prayer should be as open as possible to all people. Priests should, as far as possible, offer people in any way that only they come, so that they can, to pray together and listen to the reading of the Scriptures. Also to communicate as believers as Catholics.

Of course, it would be much wiser to be as open as possible, rather than, on the contrary, imposing restrictions to distance yourself from some people, some social group, and eventually some people dressed differently than the one you like. priest. I think the introduction of such dress codes is unwise from a socio-psychological point of view. “

However, he stressed that on the protocol side, the church has the right to determine this. Commenting on the saying that a short skirt can distract some believers, the etiquette expert assured that it depends on the person and for what purpose they visited the church.

“I don’t think visible paths distract the sincere believer.”

He also recalled that stricter dress codes apply in older religions to Orthodox and Coptic Christians, and since Catholicism is more modern, there are no such restrictions.