Tea at Trianon: Smashing 'Idols'

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Sunday, February 20, 2022

Smashing 'Idols'

We practicing Catholics just have to stop judging each other. Often converts, and anyone embarking on a more devout life, will change their manner of dress to something that reflects their inner transformation. For women this could mean renouncing cosmetics, or wearing long skirts, or any number of austerities. Unless they are called to monastic or consecrated life, they will probably not be that way forever. We who have been Catholics for a long time must be patient with those starting their journey, trying to find their way, going through transformations. However, I never thought of a head-covering as an idol but apparently it can be to some people. I disagree that wearing a head-covering makes one "holier than the Church." How can following a practice mandated by Scripture and Tradition make one holier than the Church? To quote Emily Stimpson Chapman at Through a Glass Darkly:

There was a time, long ago now, when I never went into a church without a chapel veil on my head and never left the house without wearing a skirt or a dress. I was in my early 30s then and, in the abstract, had good reasons for what I did. The Cliffs Notes version of those reasons is that I saw the chapel veil as a symbol of humility, reverence, and tradition. I saw the skirts and dresses as symbols of femininity, grace, and beauty. I saw both could be outward signs of inner realities, signaling to the world the importance of reverence and femininity. And I saw both also could be a sort of sacramental, helping me become more of what they signified—more humble, reverent, feminine, graceful, and beautiful.
For years, I wore that chapel veil and those skirts. They were, in a sense, my personal protest against a society which denies the sovereignty of God, the divinity of Christ, the reality of the Eucharist, and the difference between men and women.
But no longer. The veil came off in 2008. I still wear skirts and dresses, especially in the summer. But in the colder months, unless I’m dressing up, you’ll rarely see me wearing anything but jeans. Why?
Simply put—because that chapel veil and those skirts made me a self-righteous ass.
Okay, that’s a little too simply put. It’s more accurate to say that wearing a chapel veil and never wearing jeans helped reinforce some of my besetting sins. They didn’t make me a self-righteous ass. But the devil did use them to encourage my natural inclination to be one.
But, while more people may drift left of the Church’s heart, I suspect the devil rejoices a bit more when he convinces someone to drift right of the Church’s heart. Partly, because once he has done that, we start doing his work for him, pushing and pulling our fellow Catholics away from the Church as we waste our energy judging, confusing, guilting, and shaming one another, instead of proclaiming the saving truths of the faith we profess. Also, because that drift can be more subtle, making it harder for us to see. And what we can’t see in ourselves, we can’t correct in ourselves. We fool ourselves into believing we’re holier than everyone else and become hardened in our self-righteousness…like the devil himself. (Read more.)

It never occurred to me that the wearing of dresses and mantillas might be idolatrous because they can make you think you are a better Catholic than those other Catholic ladies with bare-heads and jeans. I keep reading women saying that a head-coverings might make them think they are holier than every one. I guess they did not grow up when I did. When I was a small child every female covered their heads in church, even non-Catholics when they came to Mass, among them saints and sinners. I recall being extremely naughty in church with a doily on my head. I remember when one of my aunts was an unmarried expectant mother, wearing a cute headscarf at Mass over her stylish bob. I loved how her scarf and dress matched and wanted the same look. (I was five.) I recollect being at First Friday Mass with my seventh grade class, sitting with a bunch of white-veiled mademoiselles who used language that would make Cheech and Chong blush. I know now, as I knew then, that a piece of lace does not make you into a saint, or even into a well-behaved person. Therefore a head-covering at Mass does not automatically signal holiness to me. I have no control over whether it does to others. What I keep seeing now is women becoming obsessive about head-coverings, and whether or not to wear them, and when or where. If a sacramental becomes more a focus of one's thoughts than Jesus, it is time for some detachment. Meanwhile, let us keep in mind that the abuse of a sacramental by individuals does not make the sacramental bad nor take away the blessing from those who use it worthily and in good faith.

Here is a beautiful post which sums up the ancient practice of veiling, found in both Scripture and Tradition. From A Touch of Beauty:

-There are thousands of years of recorded history across cultures especially related to worship, even pagan women veiled
-A practice in modesty and humility as these virtues are defined by the Church (not colloquial usage). That is related to your state in life and focused toward God (rather than man).
-Veiling is part of the larger liturgical tradition of the Church for 2000+ years. Other things, aside from women, are also veiled during the liturgy.
-Veiling, like MANY other things in the Catholic tradition, is more about an outward sign of a spiritual reality or internal disposition.
-Veiling also recognizes that men and women are different by supernatural design, and we have different roles, challenges, and opportunities for merit.
-Some contemplative nuns use veils as a way to reduce distractions. They wear veils to create their own little world where they can pray without something distracting them from just beyond their field of vision. This is not as practical for mothers.
And a fun bonus:
-If you haven’t gotten a chance to do your hair because you just got a bazillion people ready for church, a hat or scarf or something is a life saver. (Read more.)