Why do priests wear black

The color was also considered modest and meant the priests were not trying to out-dress or outshine others. Black priestly clothing is hugely symbolic in the modern day. It is a daily reminder to the priests of their commitment to the church. Black signifies the patience to get there and mourning the death to self. From the moment the Priest is ordained, he ceases to exist as an entity of himself. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Learn how your comment data is processed. When we see a priest, our instincts tell us they are divine representatives. This is not just because they are called priests but because of the aural that usually emanate from their presence; the way they walk, the way they speak, and even the way they dress.

Though we are always thrilled by the demeanor of these ecclesiastical officials, we have many unanswered questions about their sacred lifestyles. Answered on this page is one of these numerous questions, "Why do Catholic priests wear black garments?

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Prayer for this evening. As time went on we also see cases where liturgical garb such as the chasuble or dalmatic was worn outside of the liturgy. The next major development was the Synod of Braga in which required clerics to wear different clothes when they went out. From this time forward the standard wear of priests worked its way as does any fashion, following somewhat with the times. The style of the cassock developed over several centuries, remaining similar to but different from that of the gentry classes.

Finally in the 17th and 18th centuries priestly garb was standardized. The color of the cassock was aligned with the hierarchy of the clergy: cardinals wore scarlet red, bishops amaranth red and priests black. Until the reign of Pope Pius V the popes wore the same red as the rest of the cardinals; as Pius V was a Dominican Friar prior to becoming Pope he continued to wear his white habit and his successors have each continued that tradition.

So now we know roughly when the colors were set, but the real question was why? First, priestly garb is intended to be distinctive — to remind both those around the priest and the priest himself that this is a person set aside for the Lord.

Second, the color has a theology behind it. The color black symbolizes first of all death, a dying to the world, which is part of what a priest takes on himself when he is ordained. The worries, cares and opportunities of the life of a lay person are set aside and he takes up the worries, cares and opportunities proper only to a priest. Further, that death is a reminder of the Sacrifice which they re-present each day in Mass, doing so as alter Christus and participating in a special way in that Sacrifice.

It is a reminder to the priest that he dies to the world each day and immerses in eternity. Second, the color black is a reminder that they are to give up the glamor, honor and entertainment of this world in preference for the life yet to come.