Have you ever wondered why women veil?
Dr Alice von Hildebrand, who only passed away on 14 January 2022 lived a life of prayerful contemplation and has beautiful insights into this very question. In her lifetime, she was a philosopher, theologian, professor and author. She was married to Dietrich von Hildebrand who died in 1977. She was first taught by Dietrich who was a leading philosopher in the realist phenomenological and personalist movements.
In Alice’s book Man and Woman: A Divine Invention, published by Sapientia Press of Ave Maria University in 2010, she reflects on important themes such as the war on femininity, poetry and beauty, spiritual ecology, women & relationships, motherhood and, of course, Our Lady and her titles. This is a book written in our times for our times.
In Chapter Three which Alice has entitled, ‘The Feminine Genius: Mystery, Veiling, Piety, and Modesty,’ she writes:
“Women are definitely more mysterious than men, not primarily because their affective life is more complex and subtle, but especially because there is something in woman that calls for veiling. It is not by accident that women traditionally wore a veil in Catholic churches. This custom was deeply symbolic, but alas, this symbolism has now been lost.
Under the influence of feminism, many Catholics were led to believe that veiling indicated some sort of inferiority and therefore abandoned the practice.
This last interpretation rests on a misunderstanding. Far from indicating inferiority, the veil points to sacredness. While we cover what is ugly, unattractive, or repulsive, we veil what is sacred, mysterious, and sublime. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he veiled his face to hide the glow that shone from him after God had deigned to speak with him. Moses' veiling reflected the mystery and depth of his experience in talking with God.
Every woman carries within herself a secret, something mysterious and sacred.”
Notice how Alice compares ‘covering’ and ‘veiling.’ Throughout her book, as a philosopher, she constantly reflects on the root meaning of contemporary concepts and draws out distinctions clearly and without embellishment.
Whilst veiling is a matter of personal choice these days, I hope this article has helped you gain insight into why women can veil. Modesty can seem as though it is only a superficial matter, at first glance. However, it can also be understood to be an outward sign of one’s inward disposition. To gain better insight into our own disposition towards something like modesty, we can simply reflect on our own motivations, desires and intentions and take them to our heavenly mother for her to purify.
Further Reading/ Listening:
Man and Woman: A Divine Invention by Dr Alice von Hildebrand
The Privilege of Being a Woman by Dr Alice von Hildebrand
‘In the Beginning’: Man & Woman, Part 1 by Theology and Reality podcast
Alice von Hildebrand: Humble Giant of ‘Authentic Femininity’ by National Catholic Register