3 Reasons Why Catholic Priests Wear Purple Stoles During Exorcism

Exorcisms have their special place in Hollywood history. The craze can be traced back to the 1973 movie The Exorcist, followed by its sequels in 1977 and 1989. More recently, the movies The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) and The Rite (2011) brought back exorcism into public awareness.

Despite being an almost perennial presence in the horror/thriller movie genre, real life exorcisms are actually quite rare. Searching for their documentation is in fact a search for a needle in a haystack. But this does not mean that exorcisms are taken lightly. Methods are strictly followed, even in the vestments to be worn. This brings us to the subject of our post: why priests wear purple stoles when exorcising.

Scene from "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" from Howstuffworks.com

You probably know that different colors of clerical stoles are worn to coincide with the liturgical calendar, and Purple is worn during the Season of Lent and Advent which is explained to symbolize repentance.

Priests who are performing exorcism also use Purple stoles because:

1. A stole symbolizes the power of priesthood.
The stole is first given during a deacon’s ordination. It is a powerful symbol of priesthood and consequently, the duties that are associated with it. This is exactly the reason why the stole is placed on the victim’s neck during an exorcism.

2. Purple stands for penance and healing.
Purple has a calming effect, a mood that is suited for penance. Liturgically speaking, penance brings about healing. Purple is then appropriate for exorcism, since it is an act of both penance and healing. This healing is brought through the ministry of a priest.

3. The purple stole is a symbol of the priest’s ministry.
The stole was used by Roman officials to symbolize their authority. When it was adopted by the Catholic Church for its clergy, it has become a symbol of priestly ministry. The stole stands for the priest’s authority to bring the victim back after it has been separated during the possession.

There is still much debate over the validity of exorcism and primarily, of demonic possessions. This post neither aims to validate or invalidate any of that. It merely explains the reason behind the wearing of purple stoles during exorcism.

Do you know of other possible explanation why Priests wear Purple colored stoles during Exorcisms? If so, comment below!