Why do Catholic priests wear black?
April 1, 2008 2:57 PM Subscribe
Why do Catholic priests wear black?
A friend of mine asked me this since I was raised in the Catholic church, but I didn't have an answer for him other than it's traditional.
Now I'm curious.
A friend of mine asked me this since I was raised in the Catholic church, but I didn't have an answer for him other than it's traditional.
Now I'm curious.
Because black is the new white.
Honestly, though...Catholicism and most of the world's other old/semi-old religions have lots of mandates that aren't based on anything doctrinal...it's just that someone influential did it that way a long time ago, and now that's the standard.
Many religious folks don't like the idea that their religious practices are more tradition than doctrine, but that's the nature of the beast. Religion is mostly a social practice, and admired events/people/places/actions have a way of getting codified and quickly become mysterious to those who weren't present for the initial reverie.
As one who practices in the Mormon faith, I can tell you that even in younger (sort of) religions like mine, the difference between doctrinal mandate and traditional nonsense isn't very well understood among the faithful. Ah well.
posted by SlyBevel at 3:53 PM on April 1, 2008
Honestly, though...Catholicism and most of the world's other old/semi-old religions have lots of mandates that aren't based on anything doctrinal...it's just that someone influential did it that way a long time ago, and now that's the standard.
Many religious folks don't like the idea that their religious practices are more tradition than doctrine, but that's the nature of the beast. Religion is mostly a social practice, and admired events/people/places/actions have a way of getting codified and quickly become mysterious to those who weren't present for the initial reverie.
As one who practices in the Mormon faith, I can tell you that even in younger (sort of) religions like mine, the difference between doctrinal mandate and traditional nonsense isn't very well understood among the faithful. Ah well.
posted by SlyBevel at 3:53 PM on April 1, 2008
I always wondered about the black, expecially when told it symbolized poverty or humility. The humble & poor would have worn clothes that were gray, yellowish or brown, that being the color of the stuff they were made of, and not being able to afford to dye it with anything but maybe dirt or blood. To make new wool clothes dark black would have been a quite expensive dyeing job, wouldn't it? And I can't say as I've seen rich burghers, guildsmen, etc. showing off in portraits of the time wearing anything BUT black. So it can't be that.
I think that it's more of the gravitas of the color black, and the subtle distinction of class that plain but costly black clerical garb would have conveyed: "Aye, Sir shire-reeve, your new tunic is much more brilliant than mine, with all its gold and fine embroidery. I cannot wear such ostentatious garb (but mine still cost nearly as much, and it's the uniform of the church, which can crush you, so don't get too snooty about your shiny shirt)".
posted by bartleby at 4:04 PM on April 1, 2008
I think that it's more of the gravitas of the color black, and the subtle distinction of class that plain but costly black clerical garb would have conveyed: "Aye, Sir shire-reeve, your new tunic is much more brilliant than mine, with all its gold and fine embroidery. I cannot wear such ostentatious garb (but mine still cost nearly as much, and it's the uniform of the church, which can crush you, so don't get too snooty about your shiny shirt)".
posted by bartleby at 4:04 PM on April 1, 2008
To make new wool clothes dark black would have been a quite expensive dyeing job, wouldn't it?
A decent black dye did not come along until relatively recently. Searching for one was a big deal. I refer to Finlay's Colour: Travels Through the Paintbox which went through the discovery of a fixable black dye that could be washed and how it became very popular among Quakers and other religious types.
But any tradition of wearing black can only go back a couple hundred years to the discovery of black dye.
posted by GuyZero at 4:49 PM on April 1, 2008
A decent black dye did not come along until relatively recently. Searching for one was a big deal. I refer to Finlay's Colour: Travels Through the Paintbox which went through the discovery of a fixable black dye that could be washed and how it became very popular among Quakers and other religious types.
But any tradition of wearing black can only go back a couple hundred years to the discovery of black dye.
posted by GuyZero at 4:49 PM on April 1, 2008
It's worth pointing out that members of religious orders may also wear a habit, the color of which varies from group to group (brown, grey, black, white, rose, blue and so on).
The pastor of our church is a Franciscan friar. When he's vested for Mass, he wears the traditional brown habit/hood beneath his alb and chausable. Outside of Mass, he's in regular street clothes. Ditto with another Franciscan I knew (an O.F.M., if memory serves). His order of Franciscans wore a black (then later on, gray) habit when "on duty", jeans and such otherwise.
posted by jquinby at 5:25 PM on April 1, 2008
The pastor of our church is a Franciscan friar. When he's vested for Mass, he wears the traditional brown habit/hood beneath his alb and chausable. Outside of Mass, he's in regular street clothes. Ditto with another Franciscan I knew (an O.F.M., if memory serves). His order of Franciscans wore a black (then later on, gray) habit when "on duty", jeans and such otherwise.
posted by jquinby at 5:25 PM on April 1, 2008
Getting off topic here, but: surely black wool clothing could simply have been made from black sheep? No money for dye needed; a black sheep's as easy to keep as a white one.
posted by hippugeek at 10:57 PM on April 1, 2008
posted by hippugeek at 10:57 PM on April 1, 2008
Good point. I expect that there isn't enough black wool or that people wanted black cotton or other plant fibers.
posted by GuyZero at 12:55 PM on April 2, 2008
posted by GuyZero at 12:55 PM on April 2, 2008
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I'm pretty sure it's not an 'all Catholic priests must wear black' kind of thing, as I know a few and none of them wear black. I also know others who do. This is Australia, if it matters.
posted by twirlypen at 3:26 PM on April 1, 2008