has always been frowned upon by the Church. All of humanity, in every culture, has always been careful about the essentials, and has been particularly attentive to this when it comes to female attire, for reasons that I expounded in the previous letter. It is so true that G.K. Chesterton writes: “Have you ever noticed how true is that old phrase, clothed and in his right mind (Mark 5:15)? Man is not in his right mind when he is not clothed with the symbols of his social dignity. Humanity is not even human when it is naked”.17 This is why Pope Pius XII, in a long address on fashions, summarised the teaching in this way: “There always exists an absolute norm to be preserved, no matter how broad and changeable the relative morals of styles may be ... Style may never give a proximate occasion of sin, and clothing must be a shield against disordered sensuality”.18 It is clear that Christianity, with its teaching on the dignity of the human person redeemed by Christ, has something to add, in that clothing also becomes an essential element of protection for the adopted sons and daughters of God, helping them to preserve the state of grace to which God has so graciously called them. Furthermore, Catholics are missionaries at heart and should want to convert the whole world to Christ, and not be converted to the world and its ways. This was made evident from the apostolic era in which the apostles constantly called the faithful to be on their guard against sexual immorality and promiscuity, and called them to distance themselves from the ways of the world and be conformed to Christ.19 Up until very recently, the Church for the most part followed that command and remained distant from the ways of the world. In the past decades however, especially since the Second Vatican Council, a growing tendency to be seen as “in touch with the world” has caused many to drop their guard and to begin to dress (and undress…) like everyone else. Fashions That Offend God I mentioned above that the norm of modesty throughout history has varied little. There was only one category of women who could be seen to depart from this norm; that category was women who sell their bodies for pleasure. It is a sad fact – it is indeed an indisputable one for anyone who takes a serene look at history – that many of the fashions we see today, in former times were the unmistakable mark of women of ill-repute. This is not to say that all the women who adopt these fashions today have bad intentions. I am just stressing the reality: at the 55
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