Benedict's Pallium Stole (Installation Mass)

[FrRobSST]

Good morning, everyone!

I was wondering, sitting here watching Pope Benedict’s installation Mass…

I noticed that the Pope is wearing a more ancient form of the Pallium stole. How frequently does the Roman Pontiff wear this particular style of pallium? I can’t say that I recall John Paul II or any of his predecessors wearing them in any video or still photographs.

Rob+

 

[Titus]

I heard on thr tv that that pallium was made especially for the mass, and is a copy of the ones worn by the first popes. other than that, i dont know.

 

[chuffle]

I was wondering about that myself…thanks, Fr. Rob, for bringing that question up.

Joe

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

FrRobSST:

Good morning, everyone!

I was wondering, sitting here watching Pope Benedict’s installation Mass…

I noticed that the Pope is wearing a more ancient form of the Pallium stole. How frequently does the Roman Pontiff wear this particular style of pallium? I can’t say that I recall John Paul II or any of his predecessors wearing them in any video or still photographs.

Rob+

I have only read that it is longer than the one worn by JPII, JPI, Paul VI or John XXIII. It has 5 red crosses instead of 6, for the 5 wounds of Christ and three “pins” representing the three nails. It hasn’t been seen since before at least Vatican II.

 

[chicago]

It may well be the personal prerogative of the pope as to what he choses to wear in this regard. Perhaps he will even give the same sort of pallia to new archbishops? It may well be indicative of his intent of ministry. In his homily, he gave a long reflection on the meaning of the pallium and how it represents Christ identifying himself with his lambs.

 

[Hesychios]

Christ is Among Us!
It has been said that the Pallium was a version of the omophorion still in use by all bishops of the East. However the size and fold of it as used by His Holiness Pope John Paul II it was really hard to imagine.

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/img/gpii_index.jpg

Now with this new larger size, we can see it folded and worn according to the traditional usage in the Eastern church. For the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with the omophorion, I included two pictures of Russian bishops in black and white.



http://www.skete.com/images/icons/S356.JPG

The first is of bishop Katkoff of the Russian Orthodox in communion with Rome.

http://rumkatkilise.org/bpakatkoff.jpg
The next is of three Russian Orthodox bishops on the occasion of granting autocephaly to the metropolia in America.

http://ocaphoto.oca.org/filetmp/MISC/926/Detail/27.jpg

To me it seems that in small subtle ways, Pope Bendict may be trying to renew an association in our minds between the church of the first millenium and the church of today, and also between the church of the East and the church of the West.

We are one in Christ.