A Portuguese priest working at the Vatican has published a new book examining how colors shape art, culture and spiritual experience, opening an unexpected conversation between theology and everyday life.
Faith through the language of color
Father José Miguel Cardoso, a priest of the Archdiocese of Braga and an official of the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education, released O Segredo das Cores: Espiritualidade Cromática on October 15, 2026. Vatican News reported on the publication on October 21.
Published by Universidade Católica Portuguesa, the work considers colors as more than visual phenomena. It connects history, cultural interpretation, psychology, philosophy and theology to examine the meanings people find in color.
From the arts to pastoral life
The book is intended for readers across disciplines, including artists, students, teachers, cultural workers and people involved in liturgy, catechesis and church heritage. Its central question is how theological reflection can illuminate the symbolic role of colors in human experience.
Father Cardoso has also launched a podcast on the same theme, available through Spotify. The project offers young artists and people interested in faith another way to explore how the visible world can lead to spiritual reflection.
Sources
Vatican News, October 21, 2026: Um percurso pela espiritualidade das cores. Companion podcast.
