27 July 2011
Mexico City
“If you have any respect for this place (a church), dress appropriately,” Archbishop Jose Guadalupe Martin Rabago told reporters after Mass on July 24.
Criticism of the archbishop’s comments came after local newspapers featured photos of posters at some parishes in Leon that said, “Respect God’s house. Don’t come dressed like this.” The posters said women should not come to church dressed in miniskirts, sleeveless shirts, or low-cut blouses.
The archbishop also said men need to dress appropriately at Mass as well. “Some men show up at church dressed in way that is undignified, wearing shorts or sandals. The place they are in requires something else,” he said.
Archbishop Rabago dismissed charges that his comments were misogynistic. “This is not a misogynist attitude of any sort. I am simply asking for the dignity and decorum that this place calls for, that is all.”