The word ‘candidate’ comes from the Latin word candidus meaning ‘bright white. Ancient Romans running for our office wore a distinctive toga called the toga candida as they walked about the Forum seeking votes. The toga was chalked white to make the candidates stand out and was supposed to suggest the wearer’s virtue and honesty. A person who wore the bright white toga was called a candidatus.
Individuals who wish to be received into the membership of the Catholic Church who have been baptized in another mainstream Christian denomination are known as candidates and their reception into the Catholic Church is done through a profession of faith, followed by the reception of Holy Communion and Confirmation. In contrast, those persons who have never received the sacrament of baptism are canonically considered non-Christians and if they are preparing to become a member of the Catholic Church, they are known as catechumens.
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