Head Covering

I recently read an article regarding head covering. In the article it stated that Vatican II DID NOT authorize the discontinuance of women covering their heads in church and that it was a false story in a newspaper. A statement was issued to that effect but never printed in the news. Can you clarify this? Thank you very much. Cora Ketchum Answer by Matthew Bunson on 9/14/2007: The custom of wearing a veil or mantilla during Mass and reciting prayers is rooted in very ancient custom. In Judaism, Hellenic cultures, and even in Roman society, there was a common tradition for women to cover their heads at Temple, in the synagogue (in the case of Jewish women) and in the various pagan temples of Greece and Rome; they did so as a sign of respect and in recognition of the solemnity of the occasion. St. Paul in First Corinthians (11:2-16) declared that women should have their heads covered when praying. The custom was adopted by Christian women who wished to show reverence to Christ. In the period after the Second Vatican Council, the tradition became more relaxed. In 1976, the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the document Inter insigniores in which it specifically stated that as it was a historical matter of discipline, the wearing of veils or headcoverings is no longer binding on women today (Inter insigniores, 4). There is also no requirement in the current Code of Canon Law concerning such attire. I hope this helps you.