EPISTLES

Today many priests no longer get the respect they deserve. People have lost trust in them because of scandals and abuses. One way to bring back respect and dignity is for priests to wear the cassock again in public. Instead of dressing like everyone else, priests should wear their cassock all the time like in the old days.

Father Alvaro Salvador Gutierrez Felix from Mexico, also known as El Padre Matrix, shared his story about this.

He decided to come out of the closet. He did not mean it in the usual way people use the words. He meant he took his cassock out of his closet and started wearing it every day, from morning until night. He did this quietly, without making a big announcement, and without trying to get praise. He was not afraid of insults or strange looks.

And he was very surprised by what happened.

Unexpected Fruits of Wearing the Cassock

First, he felt much happier as a priest. People recognized him right away and came to him for blessings, advice, help, and confession. Wearing the cassock made it easier for him to help others.

Second, he went everywhere in his cassock. To shopping centers, cinemas, restaurants, parties, markets, even places like the red light district and book fairs. In five months, he did not get a single insult or act of disrespect, not even from people who say they hate the Catholic Church. The only person who made fun of him was another priest, which made him sad.

Third, it is now so rare to see a diocesan priest in a cassock that many people thought he was someone else. Some thought he was a Franciscan, an Augustinian, a monk, a missionary, a seminarian, a Jedi Knight, a karate expert, a goth, or even a mannequin. Sometimes they did know he was a priest, which was good. It made him wonder how secularized the world has become that people do not connect diocesan priests with the cassock anymore.

Fourth, even in a society that claims to be anti-religious, many people came up to him and asked for his blessing. Often when one person asked for a blessing, others around them would also come forward to ask for one too.

A Decision He Wants to Keep Forever

He is very happy he made this decision. At first, he thought he would only try wearing the cassock for a year. Now he wants to do it forever. It helps him, it makes him happy, and it helps people find a priest more easily. It also reminds those who are far from God that He is still present in the world. And it reminds Father Alvaro that wherever he goes, he represents Jesus and the Church.

Reactions From the Public

He also noticed that not even the eccentric people at the book fairs or fantasy events looked at him with the hatred he sometimes saw in the eyes of people from certain religious groups who dislike priests. Many strangers came to talk with him. Even street thugs respectfully came to ask for his blessing. He finds it curious where hatred comes from the most.

Inspired by the Saints

He wants to be a saint one day. He asks himself if he could imagine saints like John Bosco, Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Philip Neri, Thomas Aquinas, or Francis of Assisi without their cassock or habit. He cannot. He wants to be holy, so he believes it is good to wear the cassock.

The Cassock as a Sacramental

Wearing the cassock reminded him of a forgotten truth. The cassock is like a sacramental. It helps bring grace to souls in a way that an ordinary priest’s shirt cannot.

An Invitation to Other Priests

Father Alvaro says wearing a cassock every day does not make him better or holier than other priests. But it helps him a lot. He invites other priests to be brave and take the cassock out of the closet. He believes they will see how much good it can do for themselves and for the souls they serve.

He says they will not regret it.

Note: This is an adaptation of a post in 2019 by Father Alvaro Salvador Gutierrez Felix from Mexico, known as El Padre Matrix.