Biretta Rules?

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Hello. I was wondering, does the priest’s Biretta has any rules in terms of what it can be made of?
What about when it must be taken off during the Mass?

Thanks in advance.
 
The biretta my priest wears looks to be made of black cotton or black serge with some sort of stiff interfacing to hold the shape.

He was telling us that it is a sign of his authority in that he represents Christ and the Church. He takes it off whenever the holy Name of Jesus is said. He also takes it off when he reaches the altar steps at the beginning of Mass, and puts it back on when he is sitting during the Gloria and the Creed, but takes it off during certain phrases that refer to Our Lord.

At the end of Mass, he puts it back on to process out of the Mass. I always marvel at our altar servers during a Mass with more than one priest celebrating, because they have to make sure the right biretta gets back to the right priest, in a hurry!

Our priest isn’t in the habit of wearing his biretta unless he is in his Mass vestments.

I’m sure there are others who know more about this than I do, and I await their comments. Hope this helped a bit.🙂
 
Oh, My.

Now, more questions: is there a rule that says who can make one?

Can the Biretta be worn up to the altar steps, taken off for reading entirely and replaced at other times?

What about Easter? When is it on and off, then?
 
Jitterbug said:
Oh, My.

Now, more questions: is there a rule that says who can make one?

Can the Biretta be worn up to the altar steps, taken off for reading entirely and replaced at other times?

What about Easter? When is it on and off, then?
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No, there are no restrictions on who can make them, but few individuals would be in a position to make one properly. It would be better to order one from a church supplier.

As the previous poster mentioned, the priest removes the biretta when he reaches the steps of the sanctuary. He typically hands it to a server to put down, or else he must set it down on the altar steps or nearby, himself.

I do not understand what you are asking about reading. If it is a High Mass and the priest sits to listen to readings sung by someone else, then he wears it while seated. If he remains at the altar to read himself from the missal, then naturally he does not wear the biretta.

I do not understand what you are asking about Easter.
 
Ok. Thank you.

In terms of Easter, since more happens, I was wondering what checkpoints it should be removed and replaced.
 
Jitterbug said:
Ok. Thank you.

In terms of Easter, since more happens, I was wondering what checkpoints it should be removed and replaced.
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By “more happens,” are you referring to the Easter Vigil liturgy? :confused: Easter Day Mass is pretty much the same as other Masses.

Generally, the rule is the the celebrant wears the biretta when walking in procession, or sitting during Mass. He may also wear it while preaching, though this is not terribly common. Clergy in choir wear is while processing outside, and remove it when processing indoors, though I see this rule violated often. They also wear while sitting in choir. A biretta is never worn while kneeling, or when a priest is reciting prayers.
 
I meant the Vigil on Saturday night, the one (that I’ve heard) is three hours long.

I wanted to get My priest one for special occasions…or Mass or just use as he saw fit. I always think It’s polite to tell someone how to use a gift when you give it to them.

I just don’t want him to have it on at the wrong time and it be MY fault for informing him incorrectly.
 
Jitterbug said:
I meant the Vigil on Saturday night, the one (that I’ve heard) is three hours long.

I wanted to get My priest one for special occasions…or Mass or just use as he saw fit. I always think It’s polite to tell someone how to use a gift when you give it to them.

I just don’t want him to have it on at the wrong time and it be MY fault for informing him incorrectly.
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I really feel that you must leave it to the priest to decide when he wears it or not. He can always ask someone or look it up.

Are you sure he actually wants one?
 
I figured that I’d still ask to save him trouble.

Thank you all for your answers. At least I have a general idea.
 
If your priest celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass, then he should probably have one, and would more likely appreciate it. I would not worry about telling him how to use it–he is the priest, and if he has learned the rubrics of the EF, then he can easily learn when and how to wear a biretta. In other words, it’s not your place to tell him when and how to use it, especially since you really do not know, yourself.

However, if he does not celebrate the old Mass, he may not appreciate being given a biretta. If he is into elaborate vestments, courtly and/or Roman things, he may like it. If not, he may not, since one rarely sees birettas in the OF.
 
As Chatter163 correctly pointed out [post=9067003]earlier[/post], in theory anyone can make a biretta, just as anyone can make vestments, or cassocks, etc. Many years ago I knew a priest who had a very unusual biretta: it was fashioned of good quality black serge, (that part, of course, is not unusual at all), was quite soft, and had a rather long, braided tassel instead of a pom. As he explained at the time, it was in the old Breton style, a gift from a lady he knew in Brittany who made such things for clergy. I’ve since seen similar in old photos from France but that was the only one I’ve seen in the US.
 
Thank you all for your help. I’m going to assume he knows how to wear it.
 
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