Plain Catholics and Mennonites

Christian ethics and theology with an Anabaptist perspective
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Bootstrap
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Affiliation: Mennonite

Plain Catholics and Mennonites

Post by Bootstrap »

In a number of threads, Max implies that there is a group called Plain Catholics who are a lot like conservative Mennonites. Here's a recent exchange:
Bootstrap wrote:
MaxPC wrote:This is a 90 page book by David Null that is designed to share the beliefs and practices of conservative Mennonite churches that sets them apart from most other churches who call themselves Christian.
Wouldn't most of those differences also set them apart from Catholics? I think that's why people are asking you these questions.
Whenever Max posts about another Mennonite resource he has discovered, I keep wondering how a Catholic could agree with the things that set conservative Mennonites apart from other Christians, including Catholics. What would it even mean to be a Catholic who identifies with conservative Mennonite teaching?

Here are some questions that I have asked for years, I don't think they have been answered.
  • What aspects of conservative Mennonite theology do Plain Catholics accept? How do they reconcile that with official Catholic teaching? Are there aspects of conservative Mennonite theology that they disagree with? How do you handle the parts that plainly contradict Canon Law?
  • If Plain Catholics wear Mennonite-style clothing, what does that express? The Amish do not normally wear the same clothing as Catholic monks because they do not identify with Catholics. Why would Plain Catholics wear Amish clothing?
  • There have been repeated claims that Plain Mennonites have close relationships with Amish or Mennonite neighbors. Does anybody know of Amish or Mennonites who are aware of them, and where we would go to find them? What evidence is there that this group exists?
I thought it would be helpful to put these questions in a thread of their own so they don't get lost.
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KingdomBuilder
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Re: Plain Catholics and Mennonites

Post by KingdomBuilder »

I believe the first sentence of your last bullet point contains a typo.
There have been repeated claims that Plain Mennonites have close relationships with Amish or Mennonite neighbors
Definitely a true statement.. :lol:
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Bootstrap
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Affiliation: Mennonite

Re: Plain Catholics and Mennonites

Post by Bootstrap »

I have also looked for forums, blog posts, etc. that mention Catholics wearing Amish-style clothing like Cape Dresses. So far, I have found only one example discussing that in either RV forums or Catholic forums. You would think that Catholics dressed that way would draw attention.

Has anyone else been able to find this kind of thing?

I did find this mention of one woman:
As an ex-Mennonite, I must admit I’m rather puzzled as to your motives :confused: …but…if you really wish to dress like that, yeah…why not, there is no rule to say that as a Catholic you can’t…We have one lady in our village who is a Catholic, but wears a scarf on her head to hide her hair and dresses ‘like a Mennonite’…personally, I think it means that wherever she goes all eyes are on her, even in church during Mass everybody looks at her…but, I don’t think she dresses like that in a pride-ful way and if it makes her happy, why not?! It is just beyond my comprehension as to why she wants to dress like that, but that’s another story…
And there are many more threads where people discuss this hypothetically. In general, Catholics seem to be baffled why a Catholic would adopt distinctively Mennonite clothing, and there are few mentions of people doing it.

If there are Catholics who choose to stand out from others in their church by wearing such clothing, why? Why not wear modest clothing within the Catholic tradition? What is the theological significance?
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Is it biblical? Is it Christlike? Is it loving? Is it true? How can I find out?
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