We may sometimes have met a priest or seminarian wearing a long black garment. That is the clergy’s ecclesiastical dress, worn outside liturgical services, and it is called a “cassock.” Let’s find out why!

A name that comes from afar

Talare derives from talus, heel. Indeed, the cassock derives from the garment worn by Jewish priests, which reached down to the heel. Later, this garment became typical of Christian priests.
Any cassock is worn with a waist sash in the color corresponding to the role held by the priest.
Today, the cassock is accompanied by the clergyman - which we are more accustomed to - consisting of trousers, a shirt with a stiff white collar, and a jacket. The shirt collar is modeled on the collar of the cassock.

Different colors for different roles

Priests wear the black cassock, which, depending on their rank, may have buttons, trim, lining, and waist sash in different colors: violet-red for monsignors, ruby for bishops, and red for cardinals. Only the Pope wears a white cassock.

Many meanings in one garment

The cassock, given to the seminarian during his formation, bears many meanings that make it something more than a simple garment.

• The color black is a sign of mourning. The priest has died to the world; he is no longer interested in anything “worldly,” and everything is for the Lord.
• There are 33 buttons down the front, representing Jesus’ age.
• The 5 buttons on the sleeves represent the 5 wounds of the crucified Lord.
• The 2 side clips recall the humanity and divinity of the Lord Jesus.
• The sash around the waist symbolizes exclusive belonging to the Risen One.
• There may also be another 7 buttons on the upper part of the sleeve, symbolizing the 7 sacraments.

Discovering what lies behind a “simple” garment is fascinating. It draws us into the mystery the Church safeguards and wishes to bring to the world, including through a garment. Indeed, it becomes the outward sign of a vocation, of an authentic way of life.
The next time we meet a seminarian, priest, or bishop wearing a cassock, our gaze will certainly be deeper and more attentive, and our thoughts will immediately turn to the Lord Jesus, with whom that man of God has “clothed himself.”