During Holy Week in the Catholic Church, liturgical colors with special meanings are used. In this article we explain what they are and why they are used in the main celebrations.
1. White color during Holy Week
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The general instruction of the Roman Missal Point out that white is used in trades and in the Easter time masses. It is also used in the celebrations of the Lord other than his passion.
Fr. William Saunders, priest of the Diocese of Arlington (United States), explained On one occasion that the white and the golden color “symbolize the joy and purity of the soul” and are always used at Christmas and Easter.
2. Red color during Holy Week
The Catholic Church determines that the red color should be used on Palm Sunday, Good Friday and all the other commemoration of the Passion of the Lord.
Father Saunders said that this color means “blood spill”, but also “symbolizes the burning fire of God’s love.”
3. Purple color during Holy Week
The purple color is used by the Catholic Church during the time of Lent, in preparation for Holy Week.
Father Saunders said that this color represents a “sign of penance, sacrifice, preparation” for the Lenten Time.
According to the general instruction of the Roman Missal, “in the most solemn days you can wear festive or noblest sacred clothing, even if they are not the color of the day.”
Diego López Marina
I was born in 1991. I have a degree in Communication Sciences. Since 2015 I work as a digital journalist. I started my career in the newspaper El Comercio in Peru. In 2016, I began as editor in ACI Press and I perform as a web editor since 2018. From 2024, I write the Newsletter for Social Media. I specialize in Catholic news focused on the defense of life and family, international politics, technology, popular culture and the Vatican.