Aug 4 Mon
Why do priests wear the clerical collar?
The clerical collar is the white strip placed around the priest's neck. It is one of the distinctive elements of the clerical vestments and a sign of priestly consecration.
The origin of the clerical collar is related to the use of the Roman cassock with collar in the 5th century. At this time, the first dress codes were established to distinguish the priests from the laity.
Some connect the clerical collar with the collar slaves wore during the time of the Romans to indicate their condition. Thus, the collar is related to the priest’s bondage to Christ, his unconditional life of service, and full dedication to the Lord. The priest gives away: “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus" (Galatians 6:17).
The Code of Canon Law (284) establishes that clerics are to wear suitable ecclesiastical garb according to the norms issued by the conference of bishops (a black suit and Roman collar for many countries).
The clerical collar is a visible sign of the priest’s invisible commitment. It is a light amid darkness. In a world where certainties are often extinguished, where values dissolve; with this small white band, it is not the priest who shines, but the One he represents".
A traffic police wears the uniform to be identified as such. The priest’s clerical collar represents his commitment to the service of God and the Church with total availability. It is also a reminder that the priest must have a blameless life and be ready to sacrifice.
Today, feast of St. John Mary Vianney, the Priest of Ars, we can reflect on these ideas. The priest does not belong to himself. He is there for whoever needs him, at any time, in any place.
Your time is no longer yours. Your rest, your plans, your preferences, everything is put on the back burner. The collared man shouts, without words, I am here, for you, for God. It is a sign of a man’s radical surrender.
The collar is the symbol of a fruitful renunciation to be engaged in a mission accepted with trembling but also with enthusiasm. It is also a sign of contradiction.
In a time that idolizes self-sufficiency, autonomy, and immediate pleasure, the priest’s mere presence reminds us that there some have bet everything on something eternal. That's why it discomforts, surprises, and scandalizes. But it also attracts.
The clerical collar also raises questions such as "Why has this man chosen to live like this? Why has he given up forming a blood family and living for himself? There is only one possible answer: Because he has found something, or rather Someone, who has fulfilled him completely.
The priesthood is about falling in love. It’s not the only way to fall in love, but becoming a priest, and remaining a priest, means falling in love with the Lord Jesus over and over again.
As long as there are priests who faithfully carry this sign, there will be in the world a public reminder that God continues to act, to call, and to save.