GULP Exam ANSWER: All about cassocks and albs

Huzzah and a "salakot" tip to all our GULPs for getting the correct answer to this GULP Exam question: Spot the not in the photo above.

Notice that the priests in the photo are all wearing uniformly designed...ALBS.

Yup. This is one phenomenon that boggles me to this day.

I have seen priests like this in Mindanao...

...in the Visayas,

and most especially here in Luzon and Manila.

Priests are substituting a clerical cassock from an alb.

Let us look at the difference of the two.


Here is an alb.

Notice the sleeve.  It is wide.  The fitting is loose.  And the alb only comes in WHITE.

Take note of these

Now let us look at the cassock.

Here is a photo of seminarians of the Archdiocese of Lipa in a gameful pose.  Notice the sleeves and the fitting.  I also read in the blog where this photo came from that their archbishop asked them to wear their cassocks ALL THE TIME!  Huzzah and salakot tip to


Oh, they are in white!  Does that mean they are in albs?

NOPE.  That is a cassock, the proper garb of seminarians and priests.

The proper color of cassocks is BLACK, not white.  A special indult has been given to tropical countries to wear white cassocks.

Here is how it should be...

Notice that the one in the middle is not wearing a "belt".  Actually it is called a faschia and it is also proper for diocesan clergy, priest, deacon and seminarian.  So, it is also proper for diocesan clergy to wear a black faschia even if they are wearing a white cassock.  Look at the picture below

That is a Sri Lankan bishop leading a protest march with his clergy.

So we, can observe the difference of the two.

The function also greatly differs.

The cassock is the plain clothes of the clergy.  It is also called soutana.

While the alb IS a liturgical vestment.  As a liturgical vestment, it is worn by deacons and priests when they are administering the sacraments.  I can bring up the altar servers wearing alb but the practice is just wrong.   More of that in later posts.

So if the alb is a liturgical vestment, IT MUST BE WORN ONLY DURING THE CELEBRATION OF THE LITURGY!

Get it?

So, the million dollar questions are:


1.  Considering that the Philippines, as a tropical country, was given an indult for its clergy not to wear the black cassock, why are MOST, I am not saying all, Filipino clergymen, not wearing the white cassock?

2.  If they are not wearing the white cassock, then why are they wearing the alb as a non liturgical vestment?

3.  And if the alb is their alternative to the cassock as an everyday wear, why are these priests not wearing it MOST OF THE TIME, and instead goes back into their secular clothes?

Honestly, I knew some priests who, are dear friends of mine but who keeps on giving me this crappy worn-down answer of "being close to the people" and being to "pre-Vatican II"or being too "clerical" for wearing the cassock.

For all I care, I know most of them would not want to be recognized when they are in public so they can do whatever they want and go wherever they may want to go...in THEIR SECULAR CLOTHES!

Wear the dignity of your ordination, our dear Fathers!

Be the example of obedience by following the simple liturgical laws!

Are these too much of a request for you, dear Fathers?