Benedictine abbots, hoods and mitres

[Facite]

Hello!

I attended a beautiful Mass at a Benedictine monastery presided by its Abbot. An interesting aspect of the liturgy was that all the concelebrating monks would wear their amices over their hoods as usual, but the Abbot, who indeed has a hood as a part of him usual habit, didn’t seem to have a hood at all when celebrating High Mass woth the mitre. What is interesting though is that when the same Abbot celebrated Low Mass without a mitre and just with a zucchetto, he did have wear a hood and amice over top during Mass. Can anyone explain this?

 

[phil19034]

Hello!

I attended a beautiful Mass at a Benedictine monastery presided by its Abbot. An interesting aspect of the liturgy was that all the concelebrating monks would wear their amices over their hoods as usual, but the Abbot, who indeed has a hood as a part of him usual habit, didn’t seem to have a hood at all when celebrating High Mass woth the mitre. What is interesting though is that when the same Abbot celebrated Low Mass without a mitre and just with a zucchetto, he did have wear a hood and amice over top during Mass. Can anyone explain this?

I’m interested in this, as I’ve seen an Axillary Bishop celebrate a Sunday “low mass” in the Ordinary Form without a mitre and just with a zucchetto before.

 

[OraLabora]

I’m interested in this, as I’ve seen an Axillary Bishop celebrate a Sunday “low mass” in the Ordinary Form without a mitre and just with a zucchetto before.

A Benedictine abbot generally only wears the mitre on solemn occasions. Ours doesn’t at Sunday Mass. No zucchetto either.

There isn’t really a “low Mass” or “High Mass” in the OF, just the Mass celebrated with different degrees of solemnity.

 

[malphono]

Of course I wasn’t there so I can’t say for certain, but I doubt that the Abbot abandoned his cowl just because he was using a mitre. In such case, IIRC, the cowl wouldn’t be worn up. Most likely, it (along with the amice) was dropped back over the chasuble. Monk priests traditionally vest over the habit, and the cowl is part of the habit.

A Benedictine abbot generally only wears the mitre on solemn occasions. Ours doesn’t at Sunday Mass. No zucchetto either.

It’s not exactly a zucchetto, but I seem to recall that OSBs do have something similar. It was more common in days past, but IIRC it still exists, albeit it may be optional. Whether it was ever used at Mass I don’t remember.

 

[phil19034]

A Benedictine abbot generally only wears the mitre on solemn occasions. Ours doesn’t at Sunday Mass. No zucchetto either.

There isn’t really a “low Mass” or “High Mass” in the OF, just the Mass celebrated with different degrees of solemnity.

yes, I know. That’s why I said “low Mass” in quotes. My point was that I was at a Mass where one of the auxiliary bishops was leading the Mass and he only had his zucchetto. No one was assisting him, except for one altar boy (no deacon). That’s why I said “low mass” as in there were not the number of altar servers you normally have when a bishop is celebrating Mass at your parish.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

It’s not exactly a zucchetto, but I seem to recall that OSBs do have something similar. It was more common in days past, but IIRC it still exists, albeit it may be optional. Whether it was ever used at Mass I don’t remember.

An abbot indeed may wear a zucchetto of the appropriate colour, including while celebrating the liturgy. Not all choose to do so. For most Benedictine abbots, the zucchetto would be black. Indeed, priests outside the liturgy may also wear a black zucchetto, for that matter. Personally, I will be buried with mine.

 

[phil19034]

An abbot indeed may wear a zucchetto of the appropriate colour, including while celebrating the liturgy. Not all choose to do so. For most Benedictine abbots, the zucchetto would be black. Indeed, priests outside the liturgy may also wear a black zucchetto, for that matter. Personally, I will be buried with mine.

Father, do you wear your black zucchetto around the parish? If so, do you wear it all the time or just when your are wearing cassock?

Just courious

God Bless

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Father, do you wear your black zucchetto around the parish? If so, do you wear it all the time or just when your are wearing cassock?

Just courious

God Bless

Conventionally, the zucchetto only goes with the cassock or the habit…not with the clerical suit or the clerical shirt. I tend to wear it more in winter, honestly, or when I am in the confessional. Wearing it out of doors is tricky because of gusts of wind and so I don’t wear it outside, normally.

 

[OraLabora]

An abbot indeed may wear a zucchetto of the appropriate colour, including while celebrating the liturgy. Not all choose to do so. For most Benedictine abbots, the zucchetto would be black. Indeed, priests outside the liturgy may also wear a black zucchetto, for that matter. Personally, I will be buried with mine.

I’ve seen the abbot of Monte Cassino wear a purple one but he’s abbot nullius of a territorial abbey so is the de facto ordinary of the territory. I took this picture at the 2009 World Oblate’s Congress which I attended.

i179.photobucket.com/albums/w312/OraLabora/Italy%202009/8af0e128-f783-4ed4-b0eb-9d19bb19ae92_zpsadywys7s.jpg

 

[Facite]

Of course I wasn’t there so I can’t say for certain, but I doubt that the Abbot abandoned his cowl just because he was using a mitre. In such case, IIRC, the cowl wouldn’t be worn up. Most likely, it (along with the amice) was dropped back over the chasuble. Monk priests traditionally vest over the habit, and the cowl is part of the habit.

That could very well be! Although I imagine if this was the case, there may have been a noticeable bulge in that area over the chasuble which I never caught.

It’s not exactly a zucchetto, but I seem to recall that OSBs do have something similar. It was more common in days past, but IIRC it still exists, albeit it may be optional. Whether it was ever used at Mass I don’t remember.