Remembrance Day liturgical colour

[awood6202]

My college is organising a Remembrance Day Mass on 14 Novenmber to commemorate the sacrifice of the War dead at a Basilica in Rome. The celebrant wants to use purple, but the parish priest of the basilica suggested green or white. While I can understand using green, the colour of the Sunday, I fail to see how white could be used, and purple seems inappropriate as the Ordo specifically says ‘Masses for the Dead are not permitted, with the exception of funeral Masses’.

Who is right? Can purple be used, if the Mass is made a Requiem Mass for the dead of the Wars since WWI?

I have tried to search for the answer but get no consistent reply.

 

[puzzleannie]

if it is a Sunday the color has to be that of the Sunday, and the Mass that of Sunday, but the intention can be for the war dead
what country?
what is the color for Masses for the Dead in your country? here it is usually white

 

[Matthew_Holford]

My college is organising a Remembrance Day Mass on 14 Novenmber to commemorate the sacrifice of the War dead at a Basilica in Rome. The celebrant wants to use purple, but the parish priest of the basilica suggested green or white. While I can understand using green, the colour of the Sunday, I fail to see how white could be used, and purple seems inappropriate as the Ordo specifically says ‘Masses for the Dead are not permitted, with the exception of funeral Masses’.

Who is right? Can purple be used, if the Mass is made a Requiem Mass for the dead of the Wars since WWI?

I have tried to search for the answer but get no consistent reply.

Because 14th November is a Sunday, as you correctly observed, the only class of Requiem Mass that can be celebrated is a Funeral Mass. Clearly, this Mass will not be a Funeral Mass.

This means the Ordinary of the Mass will be as for a Sunday. The Propers must be those for the Sunday. As Sundays in Ordinary Time are no. 6 in the “Table of Liturgical Days according to their Order of Precedence”, I believe one of the three Readings could be taken from those provided in the Lectionary for Requiem Masses; the other Readings must be those for the Sunday.

Remembrance Day to commemorate the sacrifice of the War dead would be appropriately included in the General Intercessions.

All this means there is no matter of choosing an appropriate colour for Requiem Masses (which is black and depending on your country could include violet and white). The colour must be that for a Sunday in Ordinary Time, i.e green.

May be it is too short notice to change the plans but if a Requiem Mass is wanted it could be celebrated on a ferial weekday.

 

[awood6202]

Thanks for the replies so far. They are useful, and as I thought the colour should be green for the Ordinary Sunday, but it is useful to know that one of the readings may be chosen.

Thanks