www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Pentecost

How do the Eastern and Western Churches view the meaning of Pentecost? In the West, red is the color used for vestments and other items and Pentecost is said to be the birthday of the Church. In the East, green is the color used for this feast. Is there a theological difference or just Tradition?

The nature of the vestment colors is an interesting case all its own. Vestment colors, while theologically based, are essentially Tradition.

Byzantine Tradition has two "defined" liturgical "colors"... Light and Dark. Specific prescriptions for which light colors and which dark colors are used are essentially preferential norms.

http://orthodoxwiki.org/Liturgical_colors has an excellent article on the Slavic use, listing:

I've seen Pentecost in Gold, not green, but that may just be a local variation; I know that most of the priests in question have green vestments.

A byzantine cleric needs at least two sets of vestments, with white and dark red being typical. Next most add Gold and Light Blue. Some add a bright red, some purple, and some green next, and those who can afford to add all...

But realize, for a subdeacon or deacon to have the full panopoly (Gold, White, Purple, Dark Red, bright red, Black, Green, Light Blue) one is looking at at least $3500, and usually closer to $5000. And while the talented can make them, materials alone are still $100 per vestment set for good looking brocade and the requisite trim. And a priest will be looking closer to $10,000. for the same array.

Now, the Romans have a simpler, more Rigid system. White, Gold, Red, Purple, Rose, Green.
Green is for ordinary time, the default.
White for the Christological and Marian feasts, and funerals
Purple for penitential functions, feasts and seasons.
Red for Martyrs feasts.
Rose is optional for the "reprieves" during penitential seasons (Gaudate and Latare sundays).
Black is optional for certain uses normally calling for purple; it's usually trimmed in purple.
Gold is the "substitute" for any but purple.
Blue is permitted in some provinces as an option for marian feasts; in others, white with blue trim is used as a personal devotion of the clergy (because blue isn't authorized).

So a Roman must have, as a minimum, Purple and Gold. Some missions have but these two, for what can't be done in gold must be in purple. Most have White, Green, Purple, and Red. The truly expansive have white, green, purple, red, gold, black, and white with blue trim.

And the some of the other rites have it simpler still: White with Red Trim, all year round. Some add gold, as well.

It's all discipline of the local church, based in theology and traditional views of the meaning of colors.

Red for blood, white for purity, Gold for the treasures of the Faith. The rest vary too much by local tradition for blanket statements.

Thank you for your explanation of the liturgical colors. Is there a difference in how the East and West view the spirituality and theology of Pentecost (Trinity Sunday in the East)?

There are several different theological schools of thought on Pentecost in each rite, and they tend to overlap across rites.

When in doubt, look to the liturgical texts. What does the Latin liturgy say on Pentecost, and what does the Byzantine liturgy say on Pentecost?

With the Roman OF, that varies by year... on a 3 year cycle.

Western traditions always include the description of the Day of Pentecost as found in the Acts of the Apostles as one of the readings.

Some Western traditions prescribe the singing of the Latin plainsong Veni Creator Spiritus either immediately before or immediately after the reading from the Acts; some Lutheran rubrics call for that hymn to replace the responsorial Psalm.

As for the liturgical color, there is an increasing consciousness in the West that there should be a distinction between a dark red for the Passion of Our Lord/Holy Week and a much brighter red for Pentecost. Some have suggested that the former be a mixture of red with red-purple fibers, others the brownish Sarum red; and that the latter be more of a fiery red-orange.

Opinion is sharply divided as to which shade of red should be used for the feasts of Martyrs; some rubricians advocate the used of the dark passiontide color to connect their sacrifices with the Sacrifice of Christ; others (myself included) argue that such useage would diminish the one unique Sacrifice and prefer to use the brighter red for the Martyrs to show that their sacrificial witness flows from the ability to testify to Christ's victory bestowed by the Holy Spirit.