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Would someone who knows something about these sorts of things tell me why the Pope and the assisting cardinals are vested in red at a funeral - dare I call it a “requiem” - Mass? I know, of course, that they can no longer wear black because such a color insufficiently expresses the hope and joy of the People of God as they contemplate the face of the Risen Christ. But isn’t red the color appropriate for a martyr? Cardinal Felici may have been many things, but he wasn’t a martyr. Another article here.
(Updated 6/22): “Papa luget in rubro.” Thanks, Scott!
St. Louis-Marie de Montfort,
Pope St. Pius X,
St. Joseph,
St. Ambrose of Milan,
St. Thomas Aquinas,
St. Francis (and St. Clare),
St. Catherine of Siena,
St. Alphonsus Ligouri,
St. John Chrysostom,
Popes traditionally celebrate Requiem Masses in red.
See Fr. McNamara’s column from Zenit from around the time of Pope John Paul II’s death here:
http://www.zenit.org/article-12688?l=english
From Fr. McNamara’s column:
There was a tradition of the papal liturgy, now practically discontinued, that, instead of black, the pope celebrated funeral liturgies wearing red vestments — “Papa luget in rubro,” the pope weeps in red.
Although the pope generally now uses violet vestments for funerals, a vestige of the earlier practice remains in vesting the deceased Holy Father in red, the color of the apostles.
Thank you, Scott N.!
Indeed, the papal mourning colour is red. I grew up in Rome, and witnessed this myslef. The Requiem Masses for Paul VI and John Paul I were held in the traditional colour red. I have been living in HOlland since 1995 and did not witness the papal funeral of 2005. In the rest of the Latin Rite Church, black or violet is the colour. It is not meant to symbolise ‘joy upon seeing Jesus’ Risen face’, but is a symbol of sorrow due to the temporary separation from our loved one, and a symbol of penance, for most souls spend time first in self- cleansing - a time of penance after death - called purgatory, before entering heaven, and are in need of the Church’s intercession, and preferibly as soon as possible.
Bert, about black, I know, I was kidding. My remark, meant to be sarcastic, was prompted by the fact that black vestments are rarely seen in the Novus Ordo. They hearken back to the bad old days when we prayed for our loved ones after death rather than immediately rejoicing because they were in Heaven.
Strangely, black was the vestment color at the Novus Ordo Good Friday service at St. James’ in Trumansburg this year.
Since the GIRM makes provision for “any vestments whose beauty shall lend itself to the ceremony” for any Mass, or somesuch and other nonsense, it’s pretty much possible to whatever color you want. Not really a bad provision for the traditionally minded, though it’s also the reason for some atrocious abuses.