What are the vestment colors for a funeral mass?

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Chatter163 said:
Having a set of black vestments to ensure that a priest will be able to wear them is certainly not morbid.

However, building your own coffin? Coffins–and the bodies that are placed in them–must meet local health code ordinances, and I would guess that most cemeteries will only deal with funeral homes for burials, partly to ensure that all legal requirements are being met. It is unlikely that a cemetery will allow anyone other than a licensed and bonded funeral home to bury a casket in their grounds. The result is the family’s need to deal with a funeral home for the preparation of the body, purchase of a casket for burial, and the grave opening, at the very least. The family might deal directly with the church, but at that point, that saves them little money. It is not as simple as it was centuries ago.
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This probably varies on a state-by-state (or even local) basis. I have direct recent experience with a burial using a homemade coffin. A funeral home made the arrangements, but the coffin was homemade and not purchased. The only requirement placed upon the coffin by the funeral home and the cemetary was that the body fit inside.
 
mburn16 said:
fair enough.

out of curiosity, how would you feel about “Jesus Christ is risen today” at a funeral?
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While it is an Easter hymn, if it meant no Eagles Wings, I say go for it.👍

Having attended an actual Requiem Mass, I can’t believe they got rid of it.

I don’t think white vestments are appropriate for funerals unless it’s for someone who died before the age of reason.
 
corsair said:
There will probably be several folks that say, I’m morbid, but I have a complete black set of vestments including cope, altar frontal and requiem altar cards. I have had my youngest son build my coffin and its is in storage. The grave site has been selected.

Most everything is in place. Still need to purchase unbleached candles. The family has a choice of one of four priests, that can say the EF. There will be minimal involvement with the funeral home so costs are way down.

If the kids want to hire a Gregorian schola, thats their business but I have asked for a Requiem low Mass. If they want a High Mass, thats also their choice.
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Just curious – what is the background of the need / desire for unbleached candles? Never heard of that.
 
YoungTradCath said:
Unbleached candles are a tradition for requiem masses. I’m not sure, but they might be mandatory for EF requiems. Either that, or just a very long-standing tradition.

Read here: newliturgicalmovement.org/2009/10/further-questions-about-symbolism-of.html
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Thanks for the link. I was an altar server for 8 years pre-Vatican II and did my share of funerals, but never swapped-out altar or bier candles for those of a different color. Probably a tradition that wasn’t observed in our neck of the woods.
 
Is there a difference in color generally used in the EF? Are they more inclined to use black or purple?
 
geovet said:
Is there a difference in color generally used in the EF? Are they more inclined to use black or purple?
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No option in the EF; only black is used in all Masses for the Dead.
Tarpeian_Rock said:
Thanks for the link. I was an altar server for 8 years pre-Vatican II and did my share of funerals, but never swapped-out altar or bier candles for those of a different color. Probably a tradition that wasn’t observed in our neck of the woods.
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No, it was not just a tradition, but a rubrical requirement. It is quite likely that you simply did not realize that the candles had already been switched out, probably by a sacristan or cleric. Bier lights were generally unbleached, anyway (no real need to have regular bleached candles for bier lights), and unbleached altar candles are only slightly different in color–very easy to miss for untrained eyes.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTIIT4QNXeXevel4ZmQRqu0acVmNDcLr8Jewm1yvtVuSw7slZTLzqMCcxpa
 
Since white is an option in the OF, does that mean that it can be replaced with gold or silver vestments?

(I’m just wondering, not advocating.)
 
PacoG said:
Since white is an option in the OF, does that mean that it can be replaced with gold or silver vestments?

(I’m just wondering, not advocating.)
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I would think not. I hope not, either, because then the only non-funeral color of the rainbow would be green.
 
PacoG said:
Since white is an option in the OF, does that mean that it can be replaced with gold or silver vestments?

(I’m just wondering, not advocating.)
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The GIRM talks of using “more ‘festive’, that is, more precious vestments” on more solemn days. I don’t think a Mass for the Dead is what they have in mind. I think a Bishops’ Conference would have to propose it and have it accepted by the Holy See in order to licitly use such festive vestments for a funeral.
 
Phemie said:
The GIRM talks of using “more ‘festive’, that is, more precious vestments” on more solemn days. I don’t think a Mass for the Dead is what they have in mind. I think a Bishops’ Conference would have to propose it and have it accepted by the Holy See in order to licitly use such festive vestments for a funeral.
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yes, it’s talking about easter, christmas, corpus christi, maybe even pentecost (not sure about the red though)
 
collegeboy said:
yes, it’s talking about easter, christmas, corpus christi, maybe even pentecost (not sure about the red though)
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I don’t think Pentecost. Red is the color of the Holy Spirit.

Gold would probably be proper to the feasts/solemnities of Our Lord. Christmas (including Christmas season), Epiphany, Holy Thursday, Easter (including Easter Season), Ascension, Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi.
 
YoungTradCath said:
I would think not. I hope not, either, because then the only non-funeral color of the rainbow would be green.
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You forgot old rose…😃

If there was a color that would maybe be more appropriate than white to funerals, it would be old rose. It’s both penitential and hopeful.

Perhaps if old rose would officially replace white as the color for funerals, more parishes would buy old rose vestments and would lose the excuse of “we don’t have them” at third Sunday of Advent and fourth Sunday of Lent. AND I mean replace white, not become another option.

Please don’t jump on me about this. It’s just an idea.
 
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