It is an oft-contended issue whether women must cover their heads in Church. Oddly, it is less contended that a man must uncover his head. Seldom does anyone rush to assure men that a hat in Church is perfectly natural. Much less does anyone set straight the clergy, encouraging them to cover their heads freely at the moments in liturgy when they uncover them, or vice versa. The tradition of Orthodox women, however, should be clarified: it is not that a woman should cover her head in Church, but that she should cover it when she prays. If we are inclined to dispense with the piety, it should at least be the fullness of it and not a misunderstanding of it that is dispensed.
A woman’s hair, as St. Paul explained, is a kind of natural glory to her. It is God’s glory alone that should typify her worship. It is a scandal to the angels who, being likewise clothed with created glory, cover themselves with their wings in singing the sanctus before the Throne, if created glory should show forth unrestrained at such a time. Likewise, it is scandalous for men, who lack the natural spendour of a woman’s hair, to cover their heads with another kind of glory. In other words, man’s head is, in general (since nature is, by definition, a general rather than exceptionless matter), without the natural glory common to a woman. Man, therefore, should presume to add no created glory, so that God’s glory alone should typify his worship. Both pieties have the same purpose, humility and the spiritual vision of God’s glory alone filling the temple. Modesty and the preservation of spiritual vision typify all the Father’s discussion of the matter.
St. Paul suggests that, if a woman does not wish to cover her head (1), she should at least cut her hair short, so that she shares the same dignity (in prayer, at least) as a man – the dignity of humility. The Apostle says, though, that if people are inclined to argue over this issue, there’s no custom in Church of women actually cutting or having their hair cut short out of such a refusal, nor does any Church hold such a custom.
Now, it’s common today for priests to make it clear that our hierarchs have made no strict requirement in this matter. One notices in many temples both women who do not cover their heads and, in fewer instances, men who wear hats at prayer. Still others of both men and women follow the pious tradition handed down to them, following the custom of the early Churches and the teaching in all the Churches of the Apostles, as no doubt many were led by their parents in Christ. It seems wise to me, if it is likely to cause contention, that the hierarchs not have made requirement of this pious custom, though I also admire the attitude of St. John of San Francisco in such matters.
Still, in observing the vesting and unvesting at proper moments by the clergy, I find an example of the consciousness of God’s glory undiminished by contentious cultural burdens. Likewise, in contemplating the cherubim, as we mystically represent them in prayer, I am inspired toward their humility too, wanting to pray as they pray.
Sometimes, the very contentions of which the Apostle spoke, make it necessary to explain that my wife and I and our godchildren keep this tradition not out of a sense of superiority, but precisely out of a sense of awe before Christ, of fear in offering any glory of our own before His throne, of fidelity, since we learned of this tradition from the Apostles all the way down to those who led us in the present day, and of preference to our fellows in Christ, who are supported by modesty and the absence of inappropriate distraction. My godson and I remove our hats, because we cannot bear to bring our own glory into the temple or be in the temple without prayer – it would feel wrong. My wife and goddaughter cover their heads for the same reason – not wanting glory of their own to shine out, but to pray with clarity and modesty, without distraction or distracting others from attention to Christ.
And, we want to follow the tradition which countless Saints have honored by keeping it through the ages, modeling ourselves as best we can after the image we see of them in the Holy Icons, devoting ourselves by their pious examples to their victory over the passions, preparing ourselves for the Kingdom, and keeping the fullness of the fullness of the Faith as they delivered it to us.
Notes:
(1) St. Paul spoke of a woman having “authority on her head”, authority being something that governs or subdues – i.e. subdues the glory of one within the glory of another. Others have interpreted this as a kind of paradoxical crown – as in a crown of humility, just as the nakedness of a man’s head is not shame but a humble vulnerability.