Why Do Certain Catholic Cardinals Wear Black? Find out the Details

As many around the world continue to watch the conclave to find the next Pope, there have been a plethora of questions swirling regarding the process, such as why certain cardinals opt to wear black.

Following the death of Pope Francis, the conclave process to find the next Pope has been underway. On May 8, white smoke indicated that a new pope has been chosen. But questions still linger about the selection process and the traditions of the church.

According to Aleteia, cardinals who wear black do so because they are part of Eastern Catholic Churches and generally keep their black attire from when they were bishops before they were elevated to the College of Cardinals.

Currently, there are five cardinal electors of Eastern Catholic Churches, including: Cardinal Louis Raphael I Sako, a Chaldean Catholic; Cardinal Baselios Cleemis of the Syro-Malankara Church; Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, an Ethiopian Catholic; Cardinal Mykola Bychok of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; and Cardinal George Koovakad of the Syro-Malabar Church, per the outlet.

The modern-day reasoning for why some cardinals wear red is that it is an outward sign of their willingness to shed their blood in defense of the Catholic faith, according to Simply Catholic.

However, in the past, circa late Middle Ages or early Renaissance, cardinals favored wearing red to distinguish themselves from other clerics, per the outlet.

There is no set time frame for the ending of the conclave, as history has shown it can last for days, weeks or even months. However, recent conclaves have wrapped up within a week’s time, according to TIME.

On the first day of the conclave, Wednesday, May 7, 133 cardinals gathered in the Sistine Chapel to cast their vote for the next Pope, per the outlet. Unfortunately, they were unable to definitively agree on a successor, which was signalled by the black smoke from the Chapel’s chimney.

By contrast, white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel on May 8, indicating a successor has been chosen. A candidate must receive at least two-thirds of the vote to become the next pope.

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 67, from the Philippines, dubbed the “Asian Francis,” has been in the priesthood for over 40 years and was the archbishop of Manila, according to USA Today.

Italy’s Pietro Parolin, 70, is a longtime Vatican diplomat and served as Pope Francis’ Secretary of State. Conservative Cardinal Peter Erdo, 72, is also in the running, as he was previously considered back in 2013 when Pope Francis was ultimately chosen.

Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson, 76, could make history as the first African pope in more than 1,500 years if he is chosen to succeed Pope Francis. A current Vatican official, Turkson was named a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2003, appointed to lead the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace by Benedict XVI six years later in 2009, per the outlet.