Locally and internationally, there is a recent rise in young women of the Roman rite wearing mantillas.

Mantillas are lace veils once common in Catholic Mass before Vatican II. They were seen as signs of reverence, modesty, and feminine piety.

Those who wear them today do so with devotion, seeking to honour God and show humility before the Eucharist. These intentions are noble. Yet from a pastoral perspective, it is worth gently asking if the practice is fitting for our time.

What the law requires

The Church no longer requires women to cover their heads at Mass.

The 1917 Code of Canon Law did, but the 1983 revision removed the rule.

This change reflected a shift away from gender-based signs toward the shared dignity of baptism, expressed in the Universal Call to Holiness.

While traditions can be beautiful, but they must be discerned in light of pastoral theology and the unity of the Church.

Division risk

When the mantilla is framed as a return to “authentic” worship, it can unintentionally cause division or spiritual elitism.

Those who do not wear veils may feel judged or less devout, even if no judgment is intended.

External signs of piety, if emphasised, risk overshadowing the deeper call to conversion and holiness that the liturgy fosters in all.

Symbolism of veiling

Veiling carries historical and cultural meanings that are not always easily received today.

In some cultures, it remains a norm; in others, it is viewed as exclusion or subordination. I’m told that while some women find empowerment in the veil, others perceive it differently.

The Church, in moving away from these sorts of symbols does not imply a lack of reverence, rather it is choosing to affirm the dignity of baptism. (Gal 4:7; John 8:36).

This equal dignity was central in the recent global synod and in Pope Francis’ document Dignitatis Infinita.

New expressions of reverence

True reverence may not always be best shown by reviving outward signs from a previous era. Always at work, the Spirit, today, guides the Church in new expressions of timeless truth.

Today, reverence can mean approaching the altar with humility, active participation in the liturgy, and daily lives marked by justice and mercy beyond church doors.

Living lives of integrity way we pray reflects what we believe. What we believe is how we live.

We pray as we are rather than as we are not.

Unity and mission

People express their faith in different ways, however the question requires answering is whether such external devotion practices serve the unity and mission of the Church today.

Honouring the past while living in the present allows us to listen to the Spirit and let go of practices that no longer best serve us.

• Nick Wilson is a master’s student at Australian Catholic University and serves as the Pastoral Services Director at the Catholic Diocese of Palmerston North.