Some Catholic cardinals wear black instead of all red because of differences in rite , role, and the specific type of dress they are using in that moment.

The core reason in one line

  • Most of the time, it’s about which Church they belong to (Latin vs Eastern Catholic) and what kind of outfit they’re supposed to be in (formal “choir dress” vs ordinary day‑to‑day dress).

Latin vs Eastern cardinals

  • Latin Church cardinals (the majority) are the ones people picture in bright red: red cassock, red mozzetta (cape), red biretta (hat) during big liturgies and events.
  • Some cardinals belong to Eastern Catholic Churches (like Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Syro‑Malabar, etc.), which have their own long‑standing liturgical traditions and styles of vestments.
  • When these Eastern bishops are made cardinals, they normally keep their traditional Eastern vesture , which is often predominantly black, instead of switching to Latin-style red.

So, that “cardinal in black” you notice in a sea of red at a funeral, conclave, or papal event is often an Eastern Catholic cardinal simply wearing his own Church’s traditional garb.

Ordinary dress vs full red

Even among Latin cardinals, black is still part of the wardrobe.

  • A Latin cardinal’s everyday cassock is usually black with scarlet piping, buttons, and sash, rather than solid red.
  • The full scarlet outfit (what people expect a cardinal to wear) is technically choir dress or liturgical dress, used at major liturgies, ceremonies, and formal public events.
  • So if you see a Latin cardinal in black with red trim, it doesn’t mean he’s “not in uniform”; it just means he’s in ordinary dress , not full ceremonial mode.

Symbolism behind the colors

  • Scarlet for Latin cardinals symbolizes a willingness to shed blood, that is, to die for the faith like the martyrs.
  • Black in clergy dress in general has a long association with simplicity, detachment from worldly fashion, and a sign of penitence or seriousness of life.
  • Eastern clerical black shares some of those themes (sobriety, humility), but in their case it’s also just the standard traditional color of monastic and episcopal garb rather than a “temporary swap” from red.

Quick forum-style take

If this were a forum thread titled “why do some cardinals wear black” , the top answer would boil down to something like:

They’re usually Eastern Catholic cardinals wearing their own traditional black vestments, or Latin cardinals in their normal black cassocks with red trim instead of full scarlet choir dress. The red isn’t a literal requirement at every moment; it depends on the rite and the occasion.

TL;DR: Some cardinals wear black because they’re either Eastern Catholic cardinals keeping their traditional black vesture, or Latin cardinals in ordinary black cassocks with red trim instead of full red ceremonial dress.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.