Color Differences Of The Clergy

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Why is it that Cardinals wear Red cassocks and vestments while bishops and archbishops wear a pink/purple color??

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Cardinals actually wear scarlet, a custom that began in a formal sense in 1245 when Pope Innocent IV bestowed the famed red hat upon the cardinals. Since that time, red (or scarlet) has been the color worn by the members of the Sacred College. Scarlet reminds the Cardinals that they must be willing to give of themselves for the Church, even to the point of shedding their blood.

The purple coloration for the shirts and cassocks of Bishops is something whose origins are shrouded in mystery. Most costume historians believe it is because in the Roman Empire, purple was the color reserved for royalty as purple dye was very expensive. Since bishops have sometimes been called "Princes of the Church," this is quite likely another example of conservation of fashion.

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