Whether It Is Lawful for Religious to Wear Coarser Clothes Than
Others?
Objection 1: It would seem unlawful for religious to wear coarser
clothes than others. For according to the Apostle (1 Thess. 5:22) we
ought to "refrain from all appearance of evil." Now coarseness of
clothes has an appearance of evil; for our Lord said (Matt. 7:15):
"Beware of false prophets who come to you in the clothing of sheep":
and a gloss on Apoc. 6:8, "Behold a pale horse," says: "The devil
finding that he cannot succeed, neither by outward afflictions nor by
manifest heresies, sends in advance false brethren, who under the
guise of religion assume the characteristics of the black and red
horses by corrupting the faith." Therefore it would seem that
religious should not wear coarse clothes.
Obj. 2: Further, Jerome says (Ep. lii ad Nepotian.): "Avoid somber,"
i.e. black, "equally with glittering apparel. Fine and coarse clothes
are equally to be shunned, for the one exhales pleasure, the other
vainglory." Therefore, since vainglory is a graver sin than the use
of pleasure, it would seem that religious who should aim at what is
more perfect ought to avoid coarse rather than fine clothes.
Obj. 3: Further, religious should aim especially at doing works of
penance. Now in works of penance we should use, not outward signs of
sorrow, but rather signs of joy; for our Lord said (Matt. 6:16):
"When you fast, be not, as the hypocrites, sad," and afterwards He
added: "But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head and wash thy
face." Augustine commenting on these words (De Serm. Dom. in Monte
ii, 12): "In this chapter we must observe that not only the glare and
pomp of outward things, but even the weeds of mourning may be a
subject of ostentation, all the more dangerous as being a decoy under
the guise of God's service." Therefore seemingly religious ought not
to wear coarse clothes.
_On the contrary,_ The Apostle says (Heb. 11:37): "They wandered
about in sheep-skins, in goat-skins," and a gloss adds--"as Elias and
others." Moreover it is said in the Decretal XXI, qu. iv, can. Omnis
jactantia: "If any persons be found to deride those who wear coarse
and religious apparel they must be reproved. For in the early times
all those who were consecrated to God went about in common and coarse
apparel."
_I answer that,_ As Augustine says (De Doctr. Christ. iii, 12), "in
all external things, it is not the use but the intention of the user
that is at fault." In order to judge of this it is necessary to
observe that coarse and homely apparel may be considered in two ways.
First, as being a sign of a man's disposition or condition, because
according to Ecclus. 19:27, "the attire . . . of the man" shows "what
he is." In this way coarseness of attire is sometimes a sign of
sorrow: wherefore those who are beset with sorrow are wont to wear
coarser clothes, just as on the other hand in times of festivity and
joy they wear finer clothes. Hence penitents make use of coarse
apparel, for example, the king (Jonah 3:6) who "was clothed with
sack-cloth," and Achab (3 Kings 21:27) who "put hair-cloth upon his
flesh." Sometimes, however, it is a sign of the contempt of riches
and worldly ostentation. Wherefore Jerome says (Ep. cxxv ad Rustico
Monach.): "Let your somber attire indicate your purity of mind, your
coarse robe prove your contempt of the world, yet so that your mind
be not inflated withal, lest your speech belie your habit." In both
these ways it is becoming for religious to wear coarse attire, since
religion is a state of penance and of contempt of worldly glory.
But that a person wish to signify this to others arises from three
motives. First, in order to humble himself: for just as a man's mind
is uplifted by fine clothes, so is it humbled by lowly apparel. Hence
speaking of Achab who "put hair-cloth on his flesh," the Lord said to
Elias: "Hast thou not seen Achab humbled before Me?" (3 Kings 21:29).
Secondly, in order to set an example to others; wherefore a gloss on
Matt. 3:4, "(John) had his garments of camel's hair," says: "He who
preaches penance is clothed in the habit of penance." Thirdly, on
account of vainglory; thus Augustine says (cf. Obj. 3) that "even the
weeds of mourning may be a subject of ostentation."
Accordingly in the first two ways it is praiseworthy to wear humble
apparel, but in the third way it is sinful.
Secondly, coarse and homely attire may be considered as the result of
covetousness or negligence, and thus also it is sinful.
Reply Obj. 1: Coarseness of attire has not of itself the appearance
of evil, indeed it has more the appearance of good, namely of the
contempt of worldly glory. Hence it is that wicked persons hide their
wickedness under coarse clothing. Hence Augustine says (De Serm. Dom.
in Monte ii, 24) that "the sheep should not dislike their clothing
for the reason that the wolves sometimes hide themselves under it."
Reply Obj. 2: Jerome is speaking there of the coarse attire that is
worn on account of human glory.
Reply Obj. 3: According to our Lord's teaching men should do no deeds
of holiness for the sake of show: and this is especially the case
when one does something strange. Hence Chrysostom [*Hom. xiii in
Matth. in the Opus Imperfectum, falsely ascribed to St. John
Chrysostom] says: "While praying a man should do nothing strange, so
as to draw the gaze of others, either by shouting or striking his
breast, or casting up his hands," because the very strangeness draws
people's attention to him. Yet blame does not attach to all strange
behavior that draws people's attention, for it may be done well or
ill. Hence Augustine says (De Serm. Dom. in Monte ii, 12) that "in
the practice of the Christian religion when a man draws attention to
himself by unwonted squalor and shabbiness, since he acts thus
voluntarily and not of necessity, we can gather from his other deeds
whether his behavior is motivated by contempt of excessive dress or
by affectation." Religious, however, would especially seem not to act
thus from affectation, since they wear a coarse habit as a sign of
their profession whereby they profess contempt of the world.
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