Am I right in thinking that the clerus almae Urbis historically wear birettas without those French bobbles? and that, as clergy directly subject to the Roman Pontiff, clergy of the Ordinariate fall into that category (together with Redemptorists, Oratorians .... anybody else?)
Will such clergy need to borrow their wives' scissors on the morning of incardination?
And how about those sixteenth century Roman collars worn by Redemptorists and Oratorians?
I shall delete comments which make nasty insinuations about the priorities of Anglican Catholics.
But what about my stable group's legitimate aspiration to wear only Canterbury caps? I do like the idea of the sixteenth-century collars. They would get people asking questions, rather than making assumptions.
ReplyDeleteDo all clergy of the Diocese of Rome lack tufts on their birettas? I thought it was only cardinals and seminarians.
ReplyDeleteSurely Anglican Patrimony dictates either:
ReplyDeletebiretta with pom-pom, cassock with 39 buttons and five pleats and a ludicrously tall collar.
Or:
Sarum cassock, gown, Cantab cap (and ludicrously tall collar).
Given the choice, I'd rather the former; but I like the idea of loosing the pom-pom.
Dear Father,
ReplyDeleteI thought that I remembered the canons of Saint Peter's processing in with birettas and purple pompoms, when I was there for the Second Vespers of Sunday in early 2007 (a great occasion at the Altar of the Chair, in Latin, of course, with Sistine Chapel choir, bells and smells), but I cannot find a photo easily on the web. to confirm. There is a photo, however, of Msgr Cla Dias, founder of the Heralds of the Gospel, in what I believe is his garb as an honorary canon of Saint Mary Major, and his biretta clearly has the pompom, in what I take to be black.
So no need to remove yours (if you have it), when the time comes!
As there are Easter-rite Redemptorists, and religious are envisaged in the ordinariate, could their be a section of the C.Ss.R in it?
ReplyDeleteIn my day (1970's) in Roma we students wore three-angled birettas with the bobble. But ours was one of the last collegii to wear the biretta. The older priests also wore the three-angled biretta with the bobble on top. I don't know how to explain it better.I stil own the exact same biretta.
ReplyDeleteAs for as being pom-pomless, the only examples of which I am aware are religious orders or societies of apostolic life. (Btw, many of these I have seen wearing the cassock without buttons visible.) Therefore I suspect that you secular clergy will be permitted to retain your pom-poms, if you wish. As far as Canterbury caps, I cannot see any objection to that either, but I understand that, unlike the biretta, they are only worn out-of-doors. You may have to settle for a skull cap to cover your bald spots. As for me, I have to be content with my cocolla and cross, which, having no hood in our case, means I shall be bareheaded.
ReplyDeleteMortar-boards?
ReplyDelete(And may they be worn inside church?)
Sorry. Having read the other postings, i now see that the thing on top of our birettas is called ''pom-pom'' in English. Yes, in Roma the priest's biretta, as far as I remember, always had a black pom-pom on top of it. But, unlike the German biretta, our Roman one has only three corners to it.
ReplyDeleteThe biretta of Roman Rite secular clergy and prelates (whether they were secular or religious) is defined with a pom-pom or "tuft" (a much more dignified term). Paul VI issued that definition with his 1968 motu proprio modifying prelatical dress. Thus the use of a tuft, or not, is not an option but a requirement.
ReplyDeleteCardinals and members of most religious Congregations, Societies and Orders do not, however, use a tufted biretta.
Having written all of the above, is it not so much nonsense?
The extravagant pom-poms worn upon birettas in the USA are best left uncommented upon.
But what are Spanish birettas? Someone told me they were sometimes worn at Holy Trinity Reading but I don't know what they look like
ReplyDeleteShould Anglicans stick to Canterbury caps, the 39 Articles and the Book of Common Prsyer? After all, during their Anglican phase they all swore only to use those liturgical books approved by canon - not including the Missale Romanum.
ReplyDeleteThe one truism about the Ordinariate is that they spent their lives as Protestants playing at being Catholics, and now they want to be Catholics playing at being Anglicans. Weird.
@Andrew: no.
ReplyDelete@Andrew: No, because once Anglican clergy resign their orders they are no longer subject to their oath of canonical obedience.
ReplyDeleteAnd your truism would be better if it were actually true. I am (presently!) a member of the Church of England which is catholic and reformed. It is not (yet) Protestant, and I shall never be.
@Another Andrew:
ReplyDeleteSo what of the Queen's coronation oath?
@Another Andrew:
ReplyDeleteSo what of the Queen's coronation oath?