Has anyone heard that while in the Vatican and other places that you must have your head covered?? Drapped with some form of shawl???
I've read several boards and websites and had not ever seen/heard this so it took me by surprise yesterday. I am aware of covering your shoulders and knees...but????

Dana

Unless something's changed when we were last there 3 years ago, we didn't have to wear anything on our heads. Like you said, no shorts and shoulders covered. They do adhere to the rules because they were turning people away. It isn't too surprising since the catholic church doesn't require anything worn on the head in church anymore.

As Pat said, covering your head is not required. It is a sign of respect to wear a scarf or something on your head if you meet personally the pope (I mean, if you actually have a private talk with him), but in all other occasion it fell out of fashion sometime in the 1970's. Churches require people to be dressed decently, this "decently" can vary from place to place, but it usually means no tank tops or spaghetti straps, no miniskirts or short shorts (the ones that cover the uper leg are fine), no deep necklines, and no bare midriff. Basically, wear a pair or trousers/shorts/capri that cover your legs to the knee (or just above the knee: bare knees are OK, bare tights usually not) and a short sleeved shirt ot t-shirt and you will be fine. As I have said, the rule are not written on stone: some priests have more flexible attitudes and will allow in bare shoulders (as long as they are not exactly spaghetti straps) and miniskirts (well, at least the old-style miniskirts that reach halfway down the tight, not the belt-lenghth ones that are common now), some other are stricter.