Saint Pat has been devoting some prayer time to this doctrinal question, and has the answer:
"Yes," if you live subtropical or tropical climes. I'm noticing more priests tapping into the trend.
Here in Florida, where it is pretty hot 9 out of 12 months of the year and hellish hot the other three, it's just too fazoolin miserable with heavy dress shoes on. One simply dies, darlings, behind the altar rail, what with heavy robes on over street clothes. Wearing shiny black shoes that don't let any air circulate is the straw that broke the camel's back.
Even on weekdays, wearing closed-in shoes all day makes for hot, stinky-fungual feet. Let the air in! Let the sun shine on those dogs whenever possible.
Sensitive to the fact some parishioners might not want to look at the priest's toenails while receiving the communion wafer, priests wear modesty-protecting socks with their sandals. Socks are usually black, to match their slacks, I might add; no priests in shorts, though I have seen some chalicers in shorts, beneath their robes. No hairy calves showing.
Wearing socks prevents chafing from sandal straps. It also keeps tootsies warm on those occasional chilly mornings in winter.
Socks and sandals are apparently a major controversy in the halls of academia, also. I found these photos to filch at The Daily Transcript, a site devoted to hot ongoing debates in scientific circles, such as, "Is it only men who wear socks with sandals?" and, "Does wearing socks with sandals in the lab really protect tootsies from acid spills?"
As for me, I only wear socks with sandals in the wintertime, when I want a little warmth, but still want some air. But I usually opt for closed-in shoes when it's that chilly.
In hot weather, I chalice whilst wearing sandals or slide-ons, no socks.
5 comments:
I don't believe that Our Lord wore socks with his sandals, therefore it is heretical and against the Faith Handed Down from the Apostles and Fathers of the Church.
Here in Seattle in the late late 80's and early 90's, we wore thin wool socks with our Teva sandals to church on Sundays--but only in the winter and only with long pants. Now even those are gone--I think most have converted to Birkis.
But with shorts--no socks! One would look like a Disney-tournist.
We call folks who wear socks with sandals Bennies (meaning, those who don't live near the shore, but just muck it up on weekends, traveling from up north!)
Socks with sandals are an abomination unto the Lord...
There's a lot of it about - seek proof at www.sandalandsoxer.co.uk/home.htm
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