Questions re: vestment colors

[Dr.Bombay]

Many times, when the Mass of the day calls for white vestments, I’ve seen priests wear gold vestments. I’ve seen this at my own church as well as on EWTN.

So, my questions are these: Is gold an acceptable substitute for white? What other colors can be substituted? Is the vestment color just a “suggestion” or is it a hard and fast rule? As long as the vestments contain some of the proper color of the day, can the majority be in another color?

Thanks in advance for your response.

 

[QUICUMQUE_VULT]

Dr. Bombay:

Many times, when the Mass of the day calls for white vestments, I’ve seen priests wear gold vestments. I’ve seen this at my own church as well as on EWTN.

So, my questions are these: Is gold an acceptable substitute for white? What other colors can be substituted? Is the vestment color just a “suggestion” or is it a hard and fast rule? As long as the vestments contain some of the proper color of the day, can the majority be in another color?

Thanks in advance for your response.

Hello Doc.

In the Tridentine Mass, Gold may be substituted for green, white, or red.
My source of info is my new Missal (1962) i got in the mail last week.
Not sure what the rules are for the Novus Ordo.
I am A convert, and I was born after the Council so I am not sure about the new rules. I remember some years back (early 90’s) there was a controversy about using Blue vestment’s, as they are not an approved color.
read about that one in the Wanderer right before converting

Always enjoy your posts
God bless

 

[brotherhrolf]

Gold is an acceptable substitute for white. A good bit of this goes back to medieval heraldry. Argent (white) is really silver. Or (gold) is of a higher substance than silver. While you can’t place metal upon metal in heraldry, you can substitute the higher for the lower.

 

[Dr.Bombay]

QUICUMQUE VULT:

Hello Doc.

In the Tridentine Mass, Gold may be substituted for green, white, or red.
My source of info is my new Missal (1962) i got in the mail last week.
Not sure what the rules are for the Novus Ordo.
I am A convert, and I was born after the Council so I am not sure about the new rules. I remember some years back (early 90’s) there was a controversy about using Blue vestment’s, as they are not an approved color.
read about that one in the Wanderer right before converting

Always enjoy your posts
God bless

Thanks, Q! :tiphat:

Is that the Baronius or Angelus missal? Which page?

I recall reading somewhere that priests in Spain are allowed to wear blue vestments on Feasts of Our Lady, but I’m pretty sure that’s a no-no here.

Something else I remembered…I attended a new Mass last All Soul’s Day and the priest was wearing black. I thought it looked sharp. I understand the reasoning behind wearing white at funerals, that as Christians we’re supposed to consider it a joyful time, but I’ve never been to a funeral yet where I was happy. And Pius XII did highly recommend black as a liturgical color.

 

[Catholic2003]

From the GIRM:

346. As to the color of sacred vestments, the traditional usage is to be retained: namely,
a. 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).

b. 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.

c. Green is used in the Offices and Masses of Ordinary Time.

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).

e. 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.

f. Rose may be used, where it is the practice, on Gaudete Sunday (Third Sunday of Advent) and on Laetare Sunday (Fourth Sunday of Lent).

g. 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.

h. Gold or silver colored vestments may be worn on more solemn occasions in the dioceses of the United States of America.

347. Ritual Masses are celebrated in their proper color, in white, or in a festive color; Masses for Various Needs, on the other hand, are celebrated in the color proper to the day or the season or in violet if they are of a penitential character, for example, no. 31 (in Time of War or Conflict), no. 33 (in Time of Famine), or no. 38 (for the Forgiveness of Sins); Votive Masses are celebrated in the color suited to the Mass itself or even in the color proper to the day or the season.

 

[Dr.Bombay]

brotherhrolf:

Gold is an acceptable substitute for white. A good bit of this goes back to medieval heraldry. Argent (white) is really silver. Or (gold) is of a higher substance than silver. While you can’t place metal upon metal in heraldry, you can substitute the higher for the lower.

So…could a priest, theoretically, use all silver vestments instead of white?

Ah, I see Catholic2003 answered my question above.

Thanks! :tiphat:

 

[QUICUMQUE_VULT]

The Angelus Missal
Pg. 131

Interesting thing about All Souls day, Last year at our Parish We had Solemn High Mass. (Tridentine Indult) The Celebrant,Deacon,Subdeacon, All wore black. I think IMHO it was very appropriate. The choir chanted the Sequence “Dies Irae”
I have to tell you it was ethereal. I saw someone on this board refer to the “notorious Dies Irae” Cant imagine why. I know it means “Day of wrath” But it expresses Catholic theology, about Death perfectly IMHO

Give me “Day of Wrath” and Black vestments, over “One Day at A time” any ol day!

God bless

 

[Kielbasi]

Interesting thing about All Souls day, Last year at our Parish We had Solemn High Mass. (Tridentine Indult) The Celebrant,Deacon,Subdeacon, All wore black.

The old Latin mass rules called for black on All Souls as well as for all funeral masses. Since the parish was having a Latin mass, they were absolutely authentic in picking the black vestments for masses on that date.

That reminds me of when I was a kid, back when the Latin mass was universally said. A few of my relatives who lived across town died and were buried within a few months of each other in a parish that I certainly wasn’t accustomed to attending.

The priest was missing an eye, back in those days a lot of people didn’t get glass eyes and instead wore a black patch.

My father told me that he was wearing a black patch because it was a funeral, for a Lenten mass he would be wearing a purple patch, example given.

Little kids will believe anything you tell them.