Why Do Priests Wear Black?

There are many traditions in the Church which began for practical reasons and only took on symbolic value later on. A famous example would be the candles on the altar. Obviously, they were first used because the priest needed light to see; but now in the days of electricity, we use them not for any practical reason but because they have become for us a symbol of the light of Christ, by which we see right and wrong.

Well it’s a similar story with the attire of the clergy. I will talk about vestments at a later time, but here I’ll explain what is worn under the vestments: the priest’s black uniform.

The cassock is the name of the long black robe worn by priests, and it was a development of the Roman tunic, which was worn under the toga. Early on, priests didn’t have any particular uniform in their daily lives, so they wore what they had; but later on, the color black became uniform among the clergy for the reason (I have heard) that black was the cheapest fabric. It would seem odd for a priest to wear a gaudy purple robe or anything flashy; and so priests wore the least expensive fabric. Eventually, the black color of the cassock for this reason became a reminder poverty and simplicity.

Now black is also the color of mourning and should remind the priest of his endeavor to die daily to self, as Christ commands. And the black has also come to represent the sinfulness of the priest, that he’s not better than anyone else and has the same need for God’s forgiveness, to be covered in the righteousness of Christ (represented by the white alb worn over the black in the Mass). Compare what the author to the Hebrews says on this point: “[The priest] can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this, he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people.”

So now that the cost of fabrics of different colors is no longer a concern, priests wear black as a reminder to be poor in spirit, to pursue simplicity and self-denial, and to remember his own unworthiness before God and need for Christ’s own righteousness.

Even when the fashion was for clothing to be worn shorter, priests continued to wear the cassock down to their ankles, for the sake of modesty. Nowadays, a priest’s normal uniform has become the black clergy shirt, collar, and suit—an outfit called “clericals.” You may have noticed that the buttons of the priest’s shirt are covered by a strip of fabric. The reason, again, is the temptation to vanity, so the priest’s shirt has no possibility of flashy buttons like the gold ones you might see on a blazer. So the buttons are covered up as a sign of simplicity and humility.

Now a note on the clerical collar. Believe it or not, the white band collar worn by priests was actually invented by a Presbyterian in the eighteen hundreds. In those days, detachable collars were normal for businessmen so that the collar could be removed and washed or replaced when it became soiled or worn out. These collars were affixed to a dress shirt using collar studs. What the Presbyterian minister did, though, was turn the normal collar around, spinning it backwards so that the opening, instead of being in the front for a necktie, was at the back.

Here, too, the symbolism appears to have developed later. Many priests consider the band collar to be a reminder of their servanthood to Christ, like a slave collar. And others consider it a reminder that they have renounced life in the world, wearing the collar backwards to show that they have left worldly business for a different vocation from other men.

I know several priests who do not regularly wear clericals to work, but for me, getting dressed in the mornings is a reminder of the things I mentioned, that I need to seek Christ’s forgiveness for my sins, to pursue simplicity and self-denial, and to live as a bondservant of Christ.

If you would like to say a prayer in the mornings as you get ready for your day, here is a prayer you can use when you get dressed, which I found in an old devotional book: “Clothe me, O Lord, with humility, and adorn my soul with the gifts of thy heavenly grace.”