www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Pope's New [Old] Vestments

Well, everyone, it seems our Supreme Pontiff is dragging out traditional papal vestments that haven't been worn since the pontificate of Pope John XXIII. Pope Benedict has been wearing the traditional ermine-lined mozzetta for the winter season as well as the camauro, neither of which have been used by any pope since the last Pope John.

Here's the Holy Father in the mozzetta: mozzetta [news.yahoo.com]

And here he is in the camauro: Camauro [news.yahoo.com]

He's pretty fond of that red mantle, too: Red Mantle [news.yahoo.com]
Well, what a vast improvement! Some people are saying that he's brought back the special papal liturgical shoes as well, but the last time I checked he was still wearing his red Pradas.

Now all we need is the flabella, the sedia gestatoria, and the tiara and we will really be in business! I've heard from a couple seminarians at the North American College in Rome that they think those are next, but who knows?

In all seriousness, this does bring back a little bit of the mystery and "set-apartedness" that should, IMO, surround the papacy as well as any clerical office. A vast improvement from the suit-wearing Fr. Ratzinger of the Second Vatican Council.

Logos Teen

Paul VI used the sedia gestatoria in the later years of his reign.

Incognitus

Incognitus,

I know! I've seen the pictures; they're quite nice.

As far as I know, my observation that the camauro and mozzetta haven't been used since Pope John XXIII are still correct (at least I think).

Logos Teen

Actually if you want to see the Papal Tiarra, all you have to do is go the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception in Washington DC. Pope Paul VI sold it to Cardinal Spellman who had it placed there after he bought it.

I beleive that one of his successors decreed that the tiarra would not be used again because it was a symbol of temporal power. The current pontiff in fact has dropped the tiarra from the papal coat of arms, replacing it with a bishop's mitre instead.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

Yes, the coat of arms thing seems to prove to me this Pope won't bring back the tiara.

But, please, we don't want to see it in a museum; what's the point in that? We want to see it on the Surpeme Pontiff's head.

I would be in favor of making it a singular crown tiara instead of a triple-crowned one.

Logos Teen

How Byzantine-minded of you. I am sure that he can definitely model it after any of the Byzantine hierarchs' mitres.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

And not only the papal vestments!

Pope Benedict XVI said today that papal ceremonies must set liturgical standards!

Story [cwnews.com] by CWNews.

Amado

Why not just take out one or two of the tiaras in the papal tiara to make it singular or double?

Anyway, let's see how long through the winter he uses the camauro and mozzetta.

And thanks to whicever moderator edited my post; I don't know why those pictures didn't show up on their own.

His camauro doesn't have the "ear slope" that John XXIII's did. I would probably chalk this up to Mr. Gammerelli being out of practice making this vestment, but then again I've heard that the Pope has switched tailors. Does anyone know about this?

Logos Teen

The Greek Orthodox Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa uses a mitre which rather resembles the (Roman) papal tiara.

Incognitus

Having been in Rome in the depth of winter the Pope is very wise to keep his head covered with something warm. Yes I can recall Pope John wearing all those warm garments when I was a lad. The popes as I understand it have opted not to wear the Tiara and the rite of instalation was changed to the presentation of the pallium instead. I suppose we have all noticed the particular style of pallium the pope wears. Sort of makes those byzatine bishops still wearing their Omophorions different from the Orthodox a wee bit silly lookin.

Incognitus,

I just looked up a picture of the Greek patriarch's (Alexandria)"tiara." It's pretty cool and does bear some resemblance, I suppose, to the Roman tiara, especially if it were larger.

Alexandrian Patriarch\'s Photo [greekorthodox-alexandria.org]

I didn't realize Patriarch Theodosios had such striking blue eyes. I'm sure there aren't too terribly many blue-eyed Cretans are there?

Moderators, can someone downsize the picture so it doesn't take up so much bandwidth?

Logos Teen

*cough* skufia! *cough*

Dave

Maybe the Pope of Rome is wearing all this red stuff in the spirit of Christmas? Looks like a Santa Claus costume!

Skufia with trim.

I was kinda used to the zuchetto myself, but that doesn't matter here nor there. It's cold outside, keep your heads warm.

During the time of the D'Medici rule over the Roman Church (one being Pope Leo, no?) during the Renaissance, popes wore that oversized-skufia looking "cupalinni"!

Ungcsertezs