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A Catholic church in Thailand has been ridiculed and pilloried for getting a group of students to sport a coronal tonsure. A coronal tonsure, which first appeared in the 4th and 5th centuries, is a hairstyle worn by Catholic monks until it was abolished by Pope Paul VI in 1973. It is supposed to resemble Jesus’s crown of thorns as he was being crucified.
The controversy escalated when photos of the young students from St. Anthony Church Donmottanoi in Ratchaburi province were shared on social media. This sparked a flurry of reactions from concerned parents, armchair historians, fashion enthusiasts, and the usual mix of onlookers and jesters.
In response to the uproar, the official Facebook page of St. Anthony Church clarified that the theatrical presentation was part of a religious event honouring the church’s patron saint, Saint Anthony of Padua, who was known to sport a coronal tonsure.
The church stated that the boys were not coerced into shaving their heads and were even “compensated” for taking part. The church also mentioned that the boys’ parents had agreed to it. According to the statement, the head-shaving was carried out to enhance the occasion. Following the event, the boys were permitted to shave off any remaining hair and grow it back in any style they preferred. Read more
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