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1. News about modesty at Vatican is separate issue and should not be mixed with the News about abuse scandals.
   Keep subject matter in order.
   Remind the readers of
   Fatima and Modesty pronouncements. Clothing in U. S. Churches is more than immodest and indecent, whether talking about children and including families in general from men to the elderly.
   They co to Holy Communion dressed with very tight clothing, or short shorts, and very low cut tops. Why is this allowed?

   Posted By: Frances Von Koenig. Fairfield, CA

2. Just let's forget who the people are that live there for a moment.
   If you were going to see the Queen of England, you would dress up to the nines, yet you go to visit the greatest King and Queen of all times and you whinge and gripe about what you have to wear.

   Posted By: ron hodges port macquarie

3. I always thought the ban on shorts and sleeveless clothes in the height of Roman Summer a bit silly, after all the Good Lord gave us legs and arms, so should hardly be offended by the sight of them! But 'Them's the Rules', I guess. As they say: When in Rome...

   Posted By: Stan Harris Sun Valley California 818 982 1968

4. I agree with Ron. It is about time that people showed more respect for where they are by dressing modestly. I wish that a 'dress code' was introduced in more places.
   I find the skimpy clothing worn by a lot of people to be outright rude. I think people forget that it isn't them that has to look at how they are dressed all day - everybody else does !

   Posted By: Karyn Maitland

5. The scandals the Church has been involved in are directly counter to the Church's teachings and expectations of chastity, modesty, and so forth.
   Simply because there has been some failure to live up to proclaimed standards doesn't mean that one should then simply drop standards.
   The Church has been addressing its flaws in areas of greater scandal - why should this preclude addressing flaws in related (but not as scandalous) areas?

   Posted By: Mikayla (Melbourne)

6. Pity the Telegraph newspaper did not get the official position - it only quotes tourists claiming the whole of the Vatican State appears to be covered by the rule.
   What about tradesnmen who often need tough, protective clothing? The requirement seems reasonable if people working in the Vatican (sensitive areas anyhow) meet the same standards.
   Regarding dress requirements for British Royalty (raised in one post) I suppose you could say that an institution (monarchy) which is surrounded by class attitudes and religious and gender prejudice, and has its share of scandals, is practising hypocrasy by making dress regulations. (I wouldn't bother making the observation normally).
   Some private clubs in Australia insist on ties (if you turn up without one, the person on the counter supplies one from a drawer).
   On a cold winter night I forgot to remove my cap in a R.S.L. Club (not a really formal place, bar and pokies busy) and was asked to take it off. Which I did.
   I dislike seeing skimpy clothing in churches.

   Posted By: rod manning, Mackay Q 4740

7. How ridiculous. The paedophile scandals are dreadful but have no relationship to whether tourists dress appropriately when they go into St Peter's.
   I do not agree with much of Islam but I make sure that I respect their wishes if I go into a mosque and the behaviour of various Moslems does not make it right for me to disrespect the wishes of the keepers of the Mosques.

   Posted By: gloria healey, Sydney

8. Gloria: Your comment reminds me of going to visit the main mosque in Dubai. It was astonishing to see what some of the Western tourists were wearing as they arrived -- men in shorts, and women in skimpy tops. The mosque authorities were prepared for this; they were handing out to the tourists long robes to cover their nakedness.

   Posted By: Lance Eccles, Goulburn NSW

9. To use the paedophile scandal in this ridiculous way is to add to the abuse of those who are its primary victims by trivialising it.

   Posted By: David, Hobart, Tas

10. In the context of a whole history of our Church, this is rather small. However, a Church is not the beach,
    a sporting event, or I could not care less event.
    But we have allowed it to happen with little or no comment; now we have to wear it.

    Posted By: David. Milton.

11. I have just returned from a trip to the Vatican and Italy.
    I don't think it is too much to ask for respect of a holy place. I, too, was shocked at some of the clothes visitors were wearing more with the younger people. I know it was very hot there but they shouldn't dress as if they are going to the beach. There are plenty of warnings for dress code in the Vatican.

    Posted By: C. Leonard, Brisbane

12. When in Rome do as the Romans do, is an old saying. The dress codes criticised were customary in Christian countries all over Europe last Century! Modest dress codes are still customary in most Italien Catholic Churches. Paedophilia comparison? How absurd!

    Posted By: Peter M Budgewoi NSW

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