Q: What is the proper vesture for a priest celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation? I can’t find anything written in the liturgical books.
If it is an alb and stole, should it be violet?
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A: I treat this in my forthcoming book, Be Renewed.
The Order of Penance deliberately does not require a certain vesture for a priest because we may get asked to celebrate the sacrament on spontaneous occasions in unusual places apart from the church. Here’s my comment, though, in the book:
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Although The Order of Penance does not specify how the priest vests, the penitent deserves visual reassurance that the person hearing confessions is indeed a priest. The minister would appropriately wear at least a stole over clerical dress, or over an alb or cassock and surplice. In unexpected circumstances the priest may hear a confession without any specific vesture.
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Regarding the stole, violet is the traditional color.