Black cap

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mardukm

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I went to a Latin Rite mass today (NO). The priest was wearing a black cap - like a black yarmulke. I’ve been to mass at this church twice before, and the priest has not worn that cap. Is today a special day to wear that cap? Also, what does the black cap signify?

Thanks.

Marduk
 
I didn’t think that a priest could wear a zuchetto during the Mass they or their parish have been allowed to by the Holy Father or one of his predecessors. They are free to do so outside of Mass but I’m not so sure about during Mass. I would be interested in hearing more about this
 
They are, and always have been, allowed at certain points during the Mass. They are NOT allowed during the Consecration.

Watch a Papal Mass sometime, and you will see exactly where they are allowed, and where they are not. It is however, highly unusual for an ordinary Priest to wear one in this country.
 
“Normal” priests are allowed to wear a simple black zuccheto, just not when they are celebrating Mass. They might be allowed one when in choir though. I’m not sure.

However, an Apostolic Protonotary, a very rare class of Monsignor (there’s only one (1) in my state that is living). They are allowed to wear a black one with red piping. They remove it just before the preface dialog, and replace it after communion (to be precise, after the tabernacle is closed).
 
mardukm said:
I went to a Latin Rite mass today (NO). The priest was wearing a black cap - like a black yarmulke. I’ve been to mass at this church twice before, and the priest has not worn that cap. Is today a special day to wear that cap? Also, what does the black cap signify?
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Yes, it sounds like a zuchetto. And I’ve no idea why it was worn during Mass.

Prior to the reforms of clerical dress by Pius IX, the zuchetto was commonly worn by secular priests, (the Curé d’Ars, e.g., is often shown wearing one) but never liturgically: liturgical use of a zuchetto has always been reserved to bishops (and, AFAIK, the one exception to that was (and is) Protonotaries Apostolic). Since that time, the zuchetto seems to have fallen out of use for non-liturgical wear among priests, although it is sometimes used (again, non-liturgically) by canon lawyers (who also wear their doctoral ring, but again, not liturgically).

BTW, certain religious (e.g. monks, at least some mendicants, and at least some Canons Regular) also wear a zuchetto, but AFAIK, it is not (with the exception of abbots) worn liturgically by them either.
 
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