Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCS
Popular blogger, Msgr. Charles Pope, has finally put into words what most of us were thinking while watching the Olympic beach volleyball competition – why are the women so scantily dressed?
Msgr. Pope, who serves as pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian parish in Washington, DC and blogs at Community in Mission, wrote about the disturbing attire worn by women volleyball players from the West who sport a barely-there bikini. The attire was so scanty the monsignor refused to show a picture of the women on his blog.
Instead, he raises an intelligent question – what purpose does such a revealing bikini play in the sport?
“I can understand that swimmers (male and female) wear tight and sometimes abbreviated swimsuits to lessen drag in the water. Gymnasts, too, often wear brief and/or tight clothing to improve their performance and maximize the mobility of their limbs. The clothing is thus at least somewhat performance related,” he writes.
“But I can see no performance enhancement brought about by the wearing of tiny bikinis. Some will point out that the bikini top in question acts as a sports bra. Fine, but men wear supportive attire, too; but they do so under their shorts, not out in the open.”
In fact, he believes that the outfits detract from the sport because they distract from the sport.
“ . . .[T]he attire encourages the focus not even on the women, but on certain aspects of the women’s bodies,” he points out.
It is objectifying, to say the least, especially when we consider that the men’s beach volleyball attire is not nearly as revealing. They wear shorts and a t-shirt or tank top. If they can play the sport while decently dressed, why can’t the women?
For that matter, compare the western beach volleyball attire to that of the Egyptian women’s team who competed very well while fully covered and wearing hijabs!
Msgr. Pope realizes that raising the issue of modesty will draw the usual comments about how the viewer is to blame rather than the one wearing the attire, he believes the need for modesty is a two-way street.
“Modesty should avoid excessively burdening people,” he writes. “It seeks a middle ground wherein the one who dresses and the other who sees share responsibility. The one wearing the attire should not be burdened with difficult requirements, nor should the viewer be burdened by facing undue temptation. Mutual charity and concern are the goals.”
He adds a quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church which refers to modesty as protecting the mystery, chastity, and dignity of the human person.
“Modesty protects the mystery of persons and their love. … Modesty protects the intimate center of the person. It means refusing to unveil what should remain hidden. It is ordered to chastity to whose sensitivity it bears witness. … Modesty is decency. It inspires one’s choice of clothing. It keeps silence or reserve where there is evident risk of unhealthy curiosity. It is discreet” (CCC 2521-2522).
A quick review of the comments section found at the end of his blog revealed nothing but praise for the Monsignor’s courage in pointing out something that everyone was already thinking – those tiny bikinis are just plain inappropriate.
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