White replacing other vestments?

[Jonathan_Cid]

I read somewhere that if appropriate liturgical colors are lacking, white can be used instead? Is this true? It makes sense to me, just wanted to ask because I tried to research it and couldn’t find it anywhere else.

Added question: would anyone know if this would apply to the Tridentine form as well?

It seems to me that this may be an issue now after Pope Benedict’s motu proprio for some parishes wanting to offer the Latin Mass and perhaps not having the funds for all the more elaborate vestments of the Tridentine form right away.

 

[Glorfindel]

I read somewhere that if appropriate liturgical colors are lacking, white can be used instead? Is this true? It makes sense to me, just wanted to ask because I tried to research it and couldn’t find it anywhere else.

Not sure about the Catholic Church, as a former Anglican “clean white linen may be used in such cases where traditional liturgical colors are not available.” Anglicans "borrowed a lot of Catholic rules so it might be so.

 

[Jonathan_Cid]

Not sure about the Catholic Church, as a former Anglican “clean white linen may be used in such cases where traditional liturgical colors are not available.” Anglicans "borrowed a lot of Catholic rules so it might be so.

I’m thinking it’s likely true since there was a period when white was the only liturgical color - it just makes sense, and it seems appropriate. It’s just odd to me that I only saw this mentioned once.

 

[Glorfindel]

I’m thinking it’s likely true since there was a period when white was the only liturgical color - it just makes sense, and it seems appropriate. It’s just odd to me that I only saw this mentioned once.

You would probably need to find some OLD books dealing with the subject maybe seminary library.

 

[PacoG]

Added question: would anyone know if this would apply to the Tridentine form as well?

It seems to me that this may be an issue now after Pope Benedict’s motu proprio for some parishes wanting to offer the Latin Mass and perhaps not having the funds for all the more elaborate vestments of the Tridentine form right away.

I think the elaborate fiddleback chasubles were a matter of preference of the celebrant. I have seen videos and pictures of priests celebrating the Tridentine in pre-Vatican II days wearing Gothic chasuble with the “upside down peace symbol” (forgive me, for I know not what it’s called). My mother’s old St. Joseph’s Sunday Missal from the 1950s has illustrations with priests wearing a Gothic chasuble. Finally, I have seen clips of JFK’s funeral mass and the Cardinal who is saying the Mass is wearing a black Gothic chasuble.

 

[AJV]

I read somewhere that if appropriate liturgical colors are lacking, white can be used instead? Is this true? It makes sense to me, just wanted to ask because I tried to research it and couldn’t find it anywhere else.

Added question: would anyone know if this would apply to the Tridentine form as well?

It seems to me that this may be an issue now after Pope Benedict’s motu proprio for some parishes wanting to offer the Latin Mass and perhaps not having the funds for all the more elaborate vestments of the Tridentine form right away.

For the ‘Tridentine’ usage, the old Congregation of Rites sanctioned the custom of substituting gold (not yellow) for red and green and silver or gold for white. As an aside, sometimes the current vestments (even if they are polyester!) may still be used for a ‘Tridentine’ Mass in a lot of cases, even though they may not be ideal. The ‘Tridentine’ Mass is not wedded to the “fiddleback” style although there are certain small requirements.

As for other cases, using white is mentioned in Redemptionis Sacramentum as a solution for when there are numerous concelebrants and not enough coloured vestments.

1. A faculty is given in the Roman Missal for the Priest concelebrants at Mass other than the principal concelebrant (who should always put on a chasuble of the prescribed colour), for a just reason such as a large number of concelebrants or a lack of vestments, to omit “the chasuble, using the stole over the alb”. Where a need of this kind can be foreseen, however, provision should be made for it insofar as possible. Out of necessity the concelebrants other than the principal celebrant may even put on white chasubles. For the rest, the norms of the liturgical books are to be observed.

One can also make use of the generous rubric in the GIRM which allows festive vestments of any liturgical colour (+gold/silver in the USA) on “more solemn days”.

 

[Jonathan_Cid]

Thank you all. Interesting intricacies I suppose, especially with the liturgical substitutes for the Tridentine Rite.

 

[benedictgal]

I believe that in lieu of green or white, gold vestments may be used. When Pope Benedict XVI celebrated his Installation Mass, he wore a magnificent gold chasuble and mitre. The gold vestments, however, do not work during the penitential seasons, unless they are worn for the solemnities of the Immaculate Conception (Advent), St. Jospeph (Lent), the Annunciation (Lent) and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Advent). What I wrote in parenthesis indicates where these feasts fall in the liturgical calendar.

Here is what the GIRM notes on the colors of the vestments:

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

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).

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.

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

Violet or purple is used in Advent and of Lent. It may also be worn in Offices and Masses for the Dead (cf. below).

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.

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

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.

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

1. 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.

I hope this helps.