The Roman Catholic
Priest Collar
And The Uniform of Rome's Sons
By Pastor
G. Reckart
Copyright 2005 All Rights Reserved
May Not Be Posted On Another Web Site Without Permission
The issue of whether or not Apostolics should wear the Roman collar has circulated around the Pentecostal movement since at least 1918 when G. T. Haywood, leader of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW) sported one. From whence did he obtain the practice and bring it among the growing Jesus name churches? Rev. Haywood obtained his practice from the American Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), with which he had connections prior to his conversion to Jesus Name baptism and the Oneness doctrine. So he brought his trinitarianism with him into the new-born Jesus name Oneness ranks. He wore this cloth necklace as did other trinitarian ministers who had been accustomed to decorate their necks while part of a daughter of Rome church.
Among the Black Protestant movements which were associated with the Church of England and its various schisms, they all retained the Roman collar as a insignia they were priests or clerics of a trinity religion. Along with this regalia came the recognition as a "holy father." Thus, when a person saw a minister wearing his robes and the Roman collar they were addressed as "father." Even among the PAW and other Jesus name Pentecostal groups who use this device of recognition, there is no prohibitation of addressing them as "father." They will usually mask this behind some phrase such as "I am the church father." Or: "he is the father of our church." On many occasions these ministers are openly called "father" and eat up this attention. Anyone who wears the Roman collar identifies himself as a "father" as recognized by this adornment in the Catholic, Episcopal, and Anglican churches.
Here is a simple but accurate history of Rome's uniform and the neck adornment:
Origin: "Originally,"
says the Reverend Henry McCloud in his book Clerical Dress and Insignia
of the Roman Catholic Church, the Roman collar "was nothing else than
the shirt collar turned down over the cleric's everyday common dress in
compliance with a fashion that began toward the end of the sixteenth century.
For when the laity began to turn down their collars, the clergy also took
up the mode."
... But that's only half the story. The clergy also adopted the fad of lining their collars with fancy lace and needlework, which made them more beautiful but also more difficult to clean. So a third custom arose: covering the collar with a changeable sleeve of white linen to protect it from dirt. The modest-minded Pope Urban VIII banned the use of lace in 1624 ... but he didn't ban the protective sleeve. "Thus," McCloud says, "the narrow band of white linen used to protect the collar in the course of a few centuries became what is known today as the Roman collar." In his essay on Why A Priest Should Wear His Roman collar, Charles M. Mangan states: "The Roman collar makes the priest available for the Sacraments (baptism, confirmation, eucharist, holy orders, matrimony, penance), especially Confession and the Anointing of the Sick (last rites), and for crisis situations." The Roman collar was a Catholic invention. The clerics mentioned in the above are Catholic ones. That is why McCloud entitled his book "Clerical Dress and Insignia of the Roman Catholic Church." There is absolutely no way the Roman collar was a style many different religious groups used. Those making this argument cannot produce the proof. Now may I ask what real man of God would want to wear this Roman Collar and give out to the world that he is now dressed appropriately to administer the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church? For that is the signal this gives to all Catholics when they see a man so dressed. What real man of God would wear this Roman Collar and serve communion and by his dress signify the bread and wine actually become the flesh and blood of Jesus? What real man of God would give the signal to all Catholics (and Anglicans for that matter), that by wearing the Roman collar he is ready to baptize into the trinity, perform confirmation of children as Catholics, hear confessions and give penance? All of this stands behind the wearing of this Roman dress ornament. The wearing of robes and priestly vestments were heavily preached against by many early Protestant reformers who opposed all the false doctrines and traditions surrounding the seven sacraments of bondage of the Catholic Church. Many men and women died because they refused to honor the Roman collar and accept the sacraments of Rome. Protestants who witnessed the cruelty of the priests wearing this ornament would NEVER DREAM of any true people of God wearing them. It was like someone today wearing the swastika and flying into Jerusalem and parading it around among Jews. When the swastika is acceptable to Jews, the Roman collar, stola, and cope will be acceptable to true Apostolics. The insignia of death represented in the Roman collar is the same as the ornament of the swastika. It all depends on if you are pro-nazi or pro-papacy which you will consent to wear. Would a person wear the uniform of Hitler that speaks of his killing Jews and Christians? Why would a person want to wear any part of the uniform of Rome that speaks of killing Jews and Christians? Those who wear the Roman uniform and the collar are signaling to the world they are NOT OPPOSED to the deaths of thousands who looked into the eyes of those with this cloth necklace, BUT FOUND NO MERCY! No true Apostolic would accept the traditions of the Catholic church for which the neck ornament represents. I was asked if wearing this Roman collar was a sin, if not is it allowable for a decoration of identity around the necks of Apostolic Ministers today? Now I am asked if it is a salvational issue? My answer is simple: It is a sin and a disgrace for any man of God to wear this Catholic ornament around his neck (to me a sign of self-chosen slavery to the Catholic church). It is a salvational issue to me and many other Apostolic Ministers who refused to wear these uniforms and departed from the PAW and refused to fellowship any Apostolic group that wore any part of it. What Catholic vestment will a man want next after he straps on his collar? They go straight for the Catholic Church Bishop's robe as did G.T. Haywood, S.C. Johnson and others. We can see by looking at the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW) and other Jesus Name groups who have adopted the Catholic uniform and this ornament, they next put on ALL the Catholic vestments complete with large gold crosses dangling on a gold chain strung around their necks. By the use thereof they are sons of Rome and have no part in the true Apostolic Church of our Lord Jesus Christ. They are modern Nicolatianes in my opinion holding the Truth in unrighteousness. That's why all who have taken on the uniform of their mother church are so backslid in Apostolic doctrine and practice all they have retained is baptism in Jesus name and Oneness of God. Is this not following the very pattern of the first and second centuries that resulted in the birth of Catholicism in 325AD? Are we seeing it all over again? Is this part of the great falling away trend? Those who wear Rome's uniform are now so backslid on holiness and separation from the world they cannot stand a real holiness man of God in their pulpits or to preach at their national conventions. Many Pastor and Bishop's wives now are decked out Jezebels in pants. The Pastors and Bishops themselves looking like priest of the Pope's death goon squads with their black robes and turned around collars. These are like Sardis, they have a name they live BUT THEY ARE DEAD! Putting on the garments of an unholy world or the neck ornaments of the papacy is not what a true Apostolic would do! After adoption of this necklace and black robe what else did they do? They started calling their head Bishop a PRELATE. Then they adopted the Catholic titles SUFFAGRAN BISHOP, ARCHBISHOP, DIOCESAN BISHOP, and the such like. They divided the earth into diocese just like ROME! Then they granted the Catholic styled officers a different color robe to wear JUST LIKE ROME! Now where are these offices and robes found in the Word of God in the New Testament? If the Apostles and Jesus did not wear a black robe and these Roman collars, if it was not a practice among those other Ministers of the New Testament, and it has no Biblical purpose in the image of Christ, it should "NOT" be worn by a Minister as an adornment. In fact, there are no priest robes or the other regalia in the New Testament at all. Jesus dressed in plain casual clothing of his time. He NEVER ONCE put on garments of a priesthood. And when he did act as Priest on the Cross he was stripped nearly naked. No Minister feels he should mimic Jesus on the cross in clothing. No, the Apostles themselves wore simple casual clothes of their time. And no one can prove otherwise. Some refer to the Old Testament priest garments as if this is some license for Ministers to wear a similar one today. Is this a valid argument? No it is not! We have complete details about these Old Testament Priest garments something missing in the New Testament for robes and Roman collars. If the Lord God wanted New Testament Ministers to have these garments we would have them mentioned and described. There is absolutely no way a person can create acceptance of robes and Roman collars based upon Old Testament garments. What is the source of these "turned around collars"? Why did this neck ornament begin in the Catholic Church among monks, priests, popes, cardinals, bishops, archbishops, all of them ROME'S CLERICS? Why is it acceptable to look like Rome's squad of death goons? Don't tell us the word "clerics" refers to Protestant ones. This is a lie and everything else built upon this lie is a lie. Protestants did not invent the Roman collar and no one can prove they did. Protestants did not adopt the use of this cloth necklace concurrently with the papacy and clerics of Rome. They came from Rome, and we can trace the adoption of priest robes from pagan religions. Any man who adorns himself in these garments of satan's religions has been made by someone a two-fold child of hell. They wore these garments as they stood before thousands of men, women, and children and declared their deaths. These who refused the false doctrines of the papacy were burned at the stake, chopped in pieces, pulled apart, drawn and quartered, tortured, raped, and some were drowned. At their deaths stood the death squad dressed in these black robes and Roman collars. These garments testified to the terrified and fearful captives that they were servants of the Pope to execute his wrath upon their lives. There was blood splattered upon these garments of the papacy from Israel to Spain to Germany, to England, and even upon the shores of America at St. Augustine. The black robe and Roman collar were insignia's of the Pope's soldiers of death. Everywhere they went they were called "father." These Roman collars demand the person wearing them be recognized as a "father" of the Roman Catholic Church. Some years ago a UPC pastor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pastor Fred Barnaby, wanted to go into a Catholic hospital into an intensive care unit to see a patient who was once one of his members. He went to the hospital and identified himself as a Pastor and the name of the patient he wanted to visit. He was refused entry into ICU. He was told he needed to register with the chaplin's office and get permission for a Pastoral visit. It was the weekend and the Chaplin's office was closed. His mind went back to his standing at the desk outside ICU and how a Catholic Priest came there and went right in. So, he got in his car and found a Catholic book store and there he bought him a Catholic shirt and Roman Collar. He put these on and went back to ICU. He walked right up to the desk and the same woman looked at him and said: "O father I see you are back, come right his way." She took him right in to the patient. Everyone in ICU called him father. He reported this event at one of the UPC rallies in (1968). I remember it well. He got up before all the ministers and told about it. We all laughed at first, and then he said: It was funny but I must repent. I have felt guilty about it and I must openly repent. He reported he felt he had caused that nurse behind the desk to sin by calling him "father." He reported: "when I came back with the Catholic shirt and Roman collar on, I did not know I would cause people to call me father. I sinned and I cause several others to sin. Every one in ICU called me father. Although I did not respond to this title or recognition, I cringed within that I was a fake priest, I was standing there as a representative of Rome, I was not there as a born again Apostolic, I was there masquerading as a celibate priest of Rome. I was condemned instantly when the first person called me father." Pastor Barnaby then repented. Pastor Reckart was a young man then, just 23 years old. This testimony burned into my mind right then that I could never confess to be a man of God and masquerade as a priest of Rome. I would never dress and have ANY SOUL call me father because of wearing a Catholic Priest shirt and the Roman collar. And is it not written somewhere to come out from among her and be not PARTAKERS OF HER EVIL DEEDS? Can we dress in the attire and ornaments of those who have done all these evil deeds against the people of God? Some boast this Catholic Priest necklace is acceptable because the PAW and other Apostolic groups wear them. From whence did these Apostolics get these Roman decorations? William Seymour of Azusa street named his Church APOSTOLIC MISSION and he was trinitarian until the day he died! Whence then came this catholic cloth necklace among the Oneness? The trinitarians in league with Rome on several doctrines and practices BROUGHT IT WITH THEM! They had it on when they came in and NEVER TOOK this ornament of the papacy off. Does this rebellion legitimize it? Hardly! These same Apostolics have not given up a lot of Catholic and papacy practices. They did not come far enough out her to take off her priest garments and give up her pagan holidays! But God will have a true Apostolic people and Ministry. And they will not be quasi-Catholic and papal in religious organization, doctrine, practice, or customs. We are of those who came out and we ARE NOT GOING BACK! I know there will be many who will find one reason or another to justify wearing these Catholic ornaments of dress. All I can say is the Holy Ghost is not leading you. And, if you cannot see the evil and harm in this clothing I would never trust you with my soul or in my pulpit. The Roman collar began within the Catholic Church. This is verifiable fact. Why would any Holy Ghost filled man of God desire to be associated with those garments that are stained with blood? Further more, why would any real Man of God desire to wear Jewish priest garments worn by the Pharisees that are stained with blood? For in her is found the blood of prophets and saints and all those slain upon the earth. I refuse to wear the "religious garments" of those "clerics" who stood behind the killing my Lord Jesus Christ and those honorable Saints through the ages. "They say that they believe, and yet there are no limits nor bounds to their accursed wantonness, foolish pomp, show of silks, velvet, costly clothes, gold rings, chains, silver belts, pins, buttons, curiously adorned shirts, handkerchiefs, collars, veils, aprons, velvet shoes, slippers and such like foolish finery; never regarding that the enlightened apostles, Peter and Paul, have in plain and express words forbidden this to all Christian women. If this is forbidden to women how much more then should men abstain from it, who are the leaders and heads of their women. Notwithstanding all this they still want to be called the Christian Church! (Menno Simons, vol. I, p. 144)" Years ago an Apostolic was asked where he purchased his robe, collar, stole, and cope? He responded at the Catholic book store! And so many Apostolics get their supply of these Catholic garbs right straight from the ole mother herself. I will wear anything that is holy and which lends to sanctification. I am not a son of the Pharisees or the Papacy. I am ready to declare who I am by NOT WEARING THE CLOTHES OF THEIR PRIESTS! I will say to all the PAW and any other Jesus Name group that dress in this Catholic cloth necklace and other vestments: TAKE THEM OFF OR BE LOST! And if you are buried in this papacy get-up you will surely go straight into the fires of the damned! For those who continue to resist and oppose this Catholic tradition among the Apostolics, may you be blessed and sound the trumpet of Truth. Fear not and cry aloud.
Pastor Reckart |