If the Mass is the Royal Marriage Feast of the Lamb, then the priest should dress up for his entrance into the royal court.
My mother is a sweet Presbyterian lady who has seen four of her five children and their spouses become Catholics. She has taken all this with good faith and good humor —thankful that we all still “love the Lord.”
She once asked me why Catholic priests wear “all those fancy robes?” To give her credit, she asks because she really wants to know —not because she’s picking a fight.
In fact, I wish cradle Catholics had a bit of her curiosity. When I see the cheap polyester vestments in some Catholic church cupboards I can’t figure it out.
You mustn’t misunderstand, I promise you I am not one of those prissy priests who finger lace, purse their lips and roll their eyes with delight. I am not an expert in brocade, silk, taffeta, petticoats and whatever else.
However, it doesn’t take much taste or learning or respect for the sacraments to see that the day-glo vestments with machine gun embroidery is in the same category as hip hugger bell bottoms, big hair and turquoise leisure suits with wide lapels.
Why was the stuff made and foisted on us in the first place? I suspect it has to do with the fact that cradle Catholics never took the time to ask the sensible question my Protestant mother asked, “Why do you wear all those fancy robes?” If they had troubled themselves to ask what vestments are for they may not have decided to go the route of polyester ponchos with pictures of fish, grapes and wheat on them.
The priest’s robes are a ceremonial vesture—a uniform of their sacred office. They are meant to effectively obliterate the priest’s personality. They are also, by the way, meant to be unobtrusive. They should not be creative or clever or call attention to the smart vestment designer or the wonderful seamstress. They are simply to dignify the office of the priest and dignify and beautify the celebration of Mass.
If the Mass is the Royal Marriage Feast of the Lamb, then the priest should dress up for his entrance into the royal court. The robes should therefore be regal in their dignity, their simplicity and their style. As much as possible their beauty should be shown, not by cleverness of design or ornamentation, but through quality materials and fine workmanship.
Why should the priest dress like a king? Because he reminds the whole people of God that they serve Christ the King, and the priest is in persona Christi. Furthermore, they remind the people of God that they too are a chosen people, and a royal priesthood. The priest focuses in his own person and ministry the royal priesthood of the people of God.
Furthermore, when the priest dresses in fine robes he symbolizes the riches of grace bestowed upon the people of God. Over the black cassock of his sinful human condition the priest wears the white alb —the symbol that he, (and his people) are clothed in the righteousness of Christ by virtue of their baptism. Over that he wears a splendid chasuble to show that the final state of the Christian is not just the white robes of Christ’s righteousness, but a share in Christ’s own royal priesthood. Each of the faithful are princes and princesses,adopted into the royal family.
There’s even more to it than that. The British Bible scholarMargaret Barker has studied the symbolism of the Jewish tabernacle and temple. She points out that the veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place in the temple was woven in four colors: blue, purple, red and white. The four colors represented the four elements of the physical realm. Purple for water because the dye for the purple came from a shellfish. White for the earth because the white flax for the linen was grown in the earth. Red for fire and blue for air. The veil was therefore a sign that the invisible God from the Holy of Holies would one day come through the veil of the physical realm and take human flesh.
Furthermore, the priest’s vestments were also woven in the same four colors so that his humanity became the symbol of the vestment of flesh that the Son of God would assume. We remember this in the from the great hymn,Alleluia Sing to Jesus —where we sing, “Thou within the veil hast entered, Robed in flesh our great high priest; Thou on earth both priest and victim In the Eucharistic feast.”
Finally—the same four colors (almost) are the colors of the Catholic priest’s vestments: Red, Purple, White and the Blue has evolved into Green. (That’s why when I ordered some new vestments recently I asked that the green vestments have a blue lining.)
Anyway Mum, that’s why we wear all those fancy robes…
FAQs
They are simply to dignify the office of the priest and dignify and beautify the celebration of Mass. If the Mass is the Royal Marriage Feast of the Lamb, then the priest should dress up for his entrance into the royal court. The robes should therefore be regal in their dignity, their simplicity and their style.
Can Catholic priests wear normal clothes? ›
In 1215, the Fourth Lateran Council made it mandatory for all the Christian clergy to wear distinctive dress. Its purpose was not necessary to elevate the status of the Christian clerics; it was intended that they would catch the public eye if any member of the clergy is seen on the street.
Why do priests wear special clothing when leading a celebration of a liturgy? ›
The chasuble is the outer garment worn specifically for the celebration of Mass and the colour of the chasuble indicates the liturgical season or feast. The word chasuble comes from the Latin word casula which means a little house. It was the outer garment worn by the Roman nobility.
Why does the priest wear so many vestments? ›
Priestly vestments are visual reminders to those of us at Mass that the priest has been especially prepared for his role at the altar and that his calling is different from ours. The two most distinct pieces to priestly vestments are the alb and the chasuble.
What do Catholic priests wear under their robes? ›
Catholic priests usually wear clerical clothing every day. This includes a black shirt with a white collar, black pants, and black shoes. The white collar is a distinctive feature of clerical clothing and is a symbol of the priest's clerical status. It is also called a Roman collar or clerical collar.
What does the black priest robe mean? ›
Black is a sign of mourning and penance. Priests are to be reminders to the laity that there is more to life than what this world offers.
Why do Catholic priests wear wedding rings? ›
The ring is strictly speaking an episcopal ornament conferred in the rite of consecration, and that it was commonly regarded as emblematic of the mystical betrothal of the bishop to his church.
Why do cassocks have 39 buttons? ›
Roman Catholic Cassocks typically have 33 buttons directly down the middle of the garment. An Anglican variant of the Roman Cassock exists with 39 buttons (reflecting the 39 Articles of Religion). Other types of the typical black Cassock include variations with red piping worn by Canons and Deans.
What is not allowed to wear in Catholic Church? ›
Sleeveless shirts or tops: Avoid wearing anything sleeveless or with straps or anything too tight. Low-cut tops: Low-cut tops or crop tops that expose your chest or stomach are strictly forbidden. Shorts or skirts that are above the knee: Do not wear mini-skirts or shorts that don't cover your knees.
Can a priest celebrate Mass without vestments? ›
The vestment proper to the Priest celebrant at Mass, and in other sacred actions directly connected with Mass unless otherwise indicated, is the chasuble, worn over the alb and stole. Likewise the Priest, in putting on the chasuble according to the rubrics, is not to omit the stole.
It's because the priests putting on these garments was a physical act of “ascrib[ing] to the LORD the glory due his name” (Psalm 29:2). Theirs was a high and holy calling, and everything from their head down to their toes was supposed to reflect that. The splendor of these garments wasn't to glorify the priests.
Why does a priest wear a stole at every liturgy? ›
The stole is a liturgical vestment of various Christian denominations, which symbolizes priestly authority; in Protestant denominations which do not have priests but use stoles as a liturgical vestment, however, it symbolizes being a member of the ordained.
Do priests buy their own robes? ›
Often times chasubles are given as gifts for a priest's ordination or a special anniversary. Otherwise it is common for priests to buy new albs and chasubles as their older ones wear out.
Why did Catholic priests have to hide? ›
Under the rule of Queen Elizabeth I, priests were often imprisoned, tortured and even killed. Priest holes were specially concealed places within houses where they could hide away safely during this time when Catholics were being persecuted. Discover some of the places in our care where you can find priest holes here.
What is the priest stole a symbol of? ›
The stole is a symbol of the priest's authority as an ordained minister and represents his role as a mediator between God and the people. The stole is worn over the alb and under the chasuble. A chasuble is a sleeveless outer garment worn over the alb and stole during Mass.
What are the large robes worn by priests? ›
cassock, long garment worn by Roman Catholic and other clergy both as ordinary dress and under liturgical garments. The cassock, with button closure, has long sleeves and fits the body closely.
Why do priests wear a biretta? ›
It is worn while seated and it is traditional to wear it while giving absolution at confession as a sign of juridical power. Contrast the custom to English judges who, to this day, put on a black cap when pronouncing a death sentence. Priests wearing the biretta in absolution are pronouncing a sentence of life.
What do Catholic robe colors mean? ›
“Red would represent his passion, so we wear that on Good Friday. Black represents his death, which is what we wear for funerals and white represents his resurrection, which is what we wear for Easter. One of the gospels, Vincent said, refers to Jesus mourning for his friend, Lazarus.
What does a Catholic purple robe mean? ›
Several colors are used for various church occasions
Yet echoing the purple robe Christ received from Pontius Pilate during his passion, the color also can signal Lenten repentance and penance for Jesus' suffering. Purple also is used during Advent and certain funeral Masses.
