Advent vestments in blue

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brigid12

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How many (I’m curious) of your pastors dressed in blue vestments today? Also, what has Rome said about that?
 
Blue is not a liturgical color in the United States, or as far as I know any European country. It might be an approved adaptation in some countries.

I can’t quote the documents in which Rome has said that blue is not a liturgical color (I know they’re out there but can’t quote them), however anyone can read the GIRM and see that blue is not mentioned, and is therefore not an acceptable color.

For Advent, violet is worn. The Church does say that the more bluish shades of violet are appropriate for advent, but an outright blue vestment is not licit.
 
And there’s where some of the problem lies; how blue is blue?

I think they should have stuck with violet for advent and lent; somewhat tongue-in-cheek I say that those who cannot tell the difference need to retake RCIA classes. 😃

We use a blue blue; I don’t like it.
 
In the Roman Church
Blue is used in Spain, Mexico, South America, and Portugal for Marian Feasts (everything-vestment.com/vestment_colors.html and canticanova.com/articles/xmas/art1c1.htm )

It has been indulted for certain orders, and for certain Marian shrines, for use on Marian feasts only.

In other Churches in Union
The Byzantine Tradition “recognizes” two liturgical colors… Light and Dark. Tradition dictates what the actual colors used should be… and Marian feasts are blue.
 
Here are the official liturgical colors, per the GIRM:
  1. As to the color of sacred vestments, the traditional usage is to be retained: namely,
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White is used in the Offices and Masses during the Easter and Christmas seasons; also on celebrations of the Lord other than of his Passion, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, of the Holy Angels, and of Saints who were not Martyrs; on the Solemnities of All Saints (1 November) and of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (24 June); and on the Feasts of Saint John the Evangelist (27 December), of the Chair of Saint Peter (22 February), and of the Conversion of Saint Paul (25 January).
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Red is used on Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion and on Good Friday, on Pentecost Sunday, on celebrations of the Lord’s Passion, on the feasts of the Apostles and Evangelists, and on celebrations of Martyr Saints.
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Green is used in the Offices and Masses of Ordinary Time.
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Violet or purple is used in Advent and of Lent. It may also be worn in Offices and Masses for the Dead (cf. below).
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Besides violet, white or black vestments may be worn at funeral services and at other Offices and Masses for the Dead in the Dioceses of the United States of America.
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Rose may be used, where it is the practice, on Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent) and on Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent).
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On more solemn days, sacred vestments may be used that are festive, that is, more precious, even if not of the color of the day.
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Gold or silver colored vestments may be worn on more solemn occasions in the dioceses of the United States of America.
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Thus, blue is not an official liturgical color.
 
At our parish the Advent vestments are purple, but more of a blue-purple than a red-purple. We use the red-purple, or violet, for Lent. 🤷
 
a violet is used for advent and lent except for the third Sun. of advent and the fourth Sun. of lent when rose is used the only time I’ve seen blue used is on a Marian feast and that was a few years ago we had a pretty liberal pastor I don’t know if that affected it or not.

God Bless

S of G 🙂
 
Yes, a bluish-purple (dark) is recommended for Advent. Whereas a Reddish-purple (light) is recommended for Lent

In Carmel,

Br. Allen
 
Actually, violet and purple are not the same thing.

In America, we use the word “purple” for what the Church officially calls “violet”, but in Rome, purple is a distinct shade of violet (or perhaps a color unto itself).
 
My parents’ pastor wore strict violet. I was not at my current parish this weekend, as I was visiting back home, however, if my pastor does the same as he has every other year, he probably wore a more purpleish-violet.
 
FrDavid96 said:
Actually, violet and purple are not the same thing.

In America, we use the word “purple” for what the Church officially calls “violet”, but in Rome, purple is a distinct shade of violet (or perhaps a color unto itself).
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For us color blind guys it is!😉

Peace

Tim
 
We just moved to a new church and I was sad to see that they are using blue candles and the priest was wearing bright blue vestments. Now the R.E. program director wants us to teach the kids that the liturgical color for this season is blue. Not blue-violet, but just plain blue. Is there any way to complain about this and get it changed? I just went through RCIA 3 years ago so I am new to parish politics.
 
Allen537 said:
Yes, a bluish-purple (dark) is recommended for Advent. Whereas a Reddish-purple (light) is recommended for Lent

In Carmel,

Br. Allen
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Can you cite anything official to support this assertion?
 
I recall back in the 1980s there was a Marionist fad for a couple of years of blue vestments and candles during Advent. Like much of the 1980s, it was blessedly short-lived. Maybe what you are seeing is “retro” rather than “traditional.” 😉
 
johnnykins said:
Can you cite anything official to support this assertion?
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While I cannot give you a book source for this method, this was the method presented to us by the Director of the Worship Office in the Archdiocese I studied in. He is a liturgist, trained at Notre Dame.

From the GIRM:
  1. As to the color of sacred vestments, the traditional usage is to be retained: namely,
d. Violet or purple is used in Advent and of Lent. It may also be worn in Offices and Masses for the Dead (cf. below).

Looking at the way it is stated, many priests and liturgists I know interpret it to mean violet for Advent, and Purple for Lent.

It isn’t Dogma, but is, in my experience, widely interpreted in this way.

In Carmel,

Br. Allen
 
Aramis said:
In the Roman Church
Blue is used in Spain, Mexico, South America, and Portugal for Marian Feasts (everything-vestment.com/vestment_colors.html and canticanova.com/articles/xmas/art1c1.htm )

It has been indulted for certain orders, and for certain Marian shrines, for use on Marian feasts only…
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I hope that permission is one day extended to the USA. As it is, a great many priests wear blue at Saturday morning Masses for the BVM here in the western/southwestern parts of the USA.
 
Don’t forget rose/pink vestments for the third Sunday of Lent – Gaudette Sunday.

Last year we used rose vestments for Gaudette Sunday. A self-proclaimed expert was livid – she was certain we HAD to use “purple.” :rolleyes:
 
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