What is the difference between the white veil and the black veil in the catholic church?

Answer 1

In the Roman Catholic Church nuns wear veils and the colours are of particular significance. Women who wish to enter the religious life are of two groups: 1) postulants and 2) novices. Postulants are women who have entered a religious house on a "trial basis" so that they may discover if they have a true vocation to religious life in a convent. These women are not required to take vows ie. poverty, chastity and obedience. Most often postulants are not required to wear a veil but if they do, it is a short veil of a dark colour, most often black. If they feel this is the life for them and the Mother Superior feels they are suitable candidates, they move on to the next stage and are accepted into the community of the convent as novices. At this stage the novices are expected to adopt the habit ( the long robe of a nun) along with the white veil which is a symbol of purity. Novices also take temporary vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. After a period of 3 to 5 years novices have their last chance to opt out of the religious life, because it is at this point that they are required to take permanent vows and adopt the black veil. The Church uses the colour black as a symbol of sorrow, repentence and in the case of these nuns as a symbol of their desire to live a life of obscurity in the service of God.