What happens with a bishop gets "the red hat"

[PacoG]

We all know the story that when a cardinal becomes pope, he places his red skull cap on an monsignor or bishop and elevates him to the cardinaliate.

However, what happens when a bishop gets the red hat?

Isn’t it really expensive? All of a sudden all your purple and purple-piped cassocks are obsolete.

I would assume that a recently-elevated cardinal would give bishops robes to a similarly statured bishop.

I know this sounds mocking. But I don’t mean it that way. It’s something I started wondering about when I saw the pictures of Cardinal Dolan getting the red hat last week.

 

[Cathryn]

I would guess that much of their new attire, cassocks with the proper pipping, and such, is given as gifts from their families, parishioners, and friends.

 

[johnnykins]

We all know the story that when a cardinal becomes pope, he places his red skull cap on an monsignor or bishop and elevates him to the cardinaliate.

However, what happens when a bishop gets the red hat?

Isn’t it really expensive? All of a sudden all your purple and purple-piped cassocks are obsolete.

I would assume that a recently-elevated cardinal would give bishops robes to a similarly statured bishop.

I know this sounds mocking. But I don’t mean it that way. It’s something I started wondering about when I saw the pictures of Cardinal Dolan getting the red hat last week.

Like all such things, I imagine it varies from individual to individual. I know that Pius XII gave his red galero to Cardinal Spellman. No doubt different vestments/dress get passed around.

 

[Jesuit_Boy_63]

We all know the story that when a cardinal becomes pope, he places his red skull cap on an monsignor or bishop and elevates him to the cardinaliate.

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Interesting, I had not heard about this practice. Would someone familiar with this please chime in and shed some light? Many thanks.

 

[edward_george]

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Interesting, I had not heard about this practice. Would someone familiar with this please chime in and shed some light? Many thanks.

Apparently Leo XIII was so nervous that when they brought him the white zucchetto, instead of placing his red Cardinalatial one on the head of the Papal sacristan, he rolled it up and put it in his pocket!

-ACEGC

 

[YoungTradCath]

I imagine they take the cardinals-designate to one of the ecclesiastical tailors when they get to Rome (I forgot which they use), which makes their cassocks, rochets, mozzettas, sashes, birettas, red cappas magna, and perhaps embroiders their new arms onto their mitre lappets. It would look awful if all the cardinals got their cardinalatial vestments from different places, as they’d all end up looking noticeably different.

 

[Leon_Bloy]

Apparently Leo XIII was so nervous that when they brought him the white zucchetto, instead of placing his red Cardinalatial one on the head of the Papal sacristan, he rolled it up and put it in his pocket!

-ACEGC

I have never heard anything about the new pope putting his old red cap on anybody else’s head (I suspect that is untrue - for one thing, the new pope vests into the white garments in a private room after his election, before going out onto the balcony).

Also, the “red hat” in question is the galero, not the red skullcap the cardinals wear. Evidently these are no longer given to cardinals, though some have them made for themselves on their own. One custom is to hang them from the ceiling of the cardinal’s cathedral. In some, you can still see those of past cardinal/bishops of that cathedral hanging up.

 

[edward_george]

I have never heard anything about the new pope putting his old red cap on anybody else’s head (I suspect that is untrue - for one thing, the new pope vests into the white garments in a private room after his election, before going out onto the balcony).

Also, the “red hat” in question is the galero, not the red skullcap the cardinals wear. Evidently these are no longer given to cardinals, though some have them made for themselves on their own. One custom is to hang them from the ceiling of the cardinal’s cathedral. In some, you can still see those of past cardinal/bishops of that cathedral hanging up.

The practice is attested to in history; I got that fact about Leo XIII from a biography of him that I have no reason to distrust (Kiefer, 1962). You can also read about it in Selecting the Pope: Uncovering the Mysteries of Papal Elections, by Tobin and Wister, page 84. Apparently as the Pope is asked what name he takes, he is presented with the white zucchetto on a pillow, at which point he responds and then bestows his red zucchetto upon whomever he chooses.

-ACEGC

 

[PacoG]

The practice is attested to in history; I got that fact about Leo XIII from a biography of him that I have no reason to distrust (Kiefer, 1962). You can also read about it in Selecting the Pope: Uncovering the Mysteries of Papal Elections, by Tobin and Wister, page 84. Apparently as the Pope is asked what name he takes, he is presented with the white zucchetto on a pillow, at which point he responds and then bestows his red zucchetto upon whomever he chooses.

Thank you. I couldn’t find any of the sources of where I’ve read it.

I think I read it in Shoes of the Fisherman but novels aren’t very reliable as sources. I might have also read it in some 1990s book by Peter Hebblewaite about the next pope (in which he dismissed the possibility of Cardinal Ratzinger being elected pope). I don’t have either book.

Thank you for backing me up.

 

[Leon_Bloy]

There are very few people indeed who could verify the accuracy of traditions involving the elections and deaths of popes, etc., in part because few have access, and because of the oath of secrecy one takes in being involved in a conclave.

The book cited above about the making of popes also describes the silver hammer procedure (used on a dead pope), which I have read in some places is a myth, so I don’t know how accurate it is…

 

[AJV]

We all know the story that when a cardinal becomes pope, he places his red skull cap on an monsignor or bishop and elevates him to the cardinaliate.

However, what happens when a bishop gets the red hat?

Isn’t it really expensive? All of a sudden all your purple and purple-piped cassocks are obsolete.

I would assume that a recently-elevated cardinal would give bishops robes to a similarly statured bishop.

I know this sounds mocking. But I don’t mean it that way. It’s something I started wondering about when I saw the pictures of Cardinal Dolan getting the red hat last week.

In the old days (i.e. pre-1965) they could just get some of the cassocks altered slightly in the matter of trimming, as cardinals also wore purple as mourning and penitential dress.

 

[superamazingman]

In the old days (i.e. pre-1965) they could just get some of the cassocks altered slightly in the matter of trimming, as cardinals also wore purple as mourning and penitential dress.

Indeed, good point. And to add to that, all bishops (except the pope) wear plain black cassocks on good friday.

 

[YoungTradCath]

And actually, I think ALL bishops have red trim on their black cassocks, that is, the piping. That’s from what I can tell, with the difference between a bishop/archbishop and a cardinal when in cassock is the color of the sash and zucchetto (amaranth versus red).

When I said cassock earlier, I meant the solid red one that cardinals sometimes wear by itself or, more commonly, as the under layer for choir dress. Those do have to be specially made over again, because bishops solid cassocks are amaranth. There is no trim on these cassocks.

 

[mfrances]

Wikipedia has some info about “Choir dress”

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choir_dress#Roman_Catholic_choir_dress

 

[AJV]

And actually, I think ALL bishops have red trim on their black cassocks, that is, the piping. That’s from what I can tell, with the difference between a bishop/archbishop and a cardinal when in cassock is the color of the sash and zucchetto (amaranth versus red).

The sash and zuchetto are not amaranth but fuscia-ish for bishops. However, this is amanath red (rubini) whereas a cardinal’s is scarlet.

When I said cassock earlier, I meant the solid red one that cardinals sometimes wear by itself or, more commonly, as the under layer for choir dress. Those do have to be specially made over again, because bishops solid cassocks are amaranth. There is no trim on these cassocks.

There is It is crimson red as you will see if you look at the buttons and the cuffs at the ends. And formerly cardinals could wear those too, during mourning/penitential periods, instead of red with a choice of trimming (amaranth or crimson).

 

[PazzoGrande]

I imagine they take the cardinals-designate to one of the ecclesiastical tailors when they get to Rome (I forgot which they use)

Is it Gammarelli? It could also be Barbaconi, but Gammarelli’s the one known for doing the Pope’s cassocks… and they don’t even have a website. Can you believe that?

 

[YoungTradCath]

Is it Gammarelli? It could also be Barbaconi, but Gammarelli’s the one known for doing the Pope’s cassocks… and they don’t even have a website. Can you believe that?

YES. It is Gammarelli. Barbaconi makes some horridly ugly vestments, if I may say so myself. Of course, a cassock isn’t a vestment in the strictest sense, but I digress…

I read an article a few months ago interviewing the main tailor at Gammarelli, and he said something like he was very sad about the state of ecclesiastical garb since the end of the Council. However, this interview was in 2005, right after Benedict’s reign began. I think we can say that vestments overall have gotten much better in Rome (if you look at pics in the blogs) since then.

 

[PazzoGrande]

Thank you. I couldn’t find any of the sources of where I’ve read it.

I think I read it in Shoes of the Fisherman but novels aren’t very reliable as sources. I might have also read it in some 1990s book by Peter Hebblewaite about the next pope (in which he dismissed the possibility of Cardinal Ratzinger being elected pope). I don’t have either book.

Thank you for backing me up.

I did my college thesis on Conclaves and I can confirm this. It was done before, the newly elected Pope would give his old scarlet zuchetto to the Secretary of the Conclave as a sign that he will be made a Cardinal in the future. It just fell into disuse.

I read it in historical non-novel books. I don’t recall which book exactly, I think it was Passing the Keys (which is a great book about Conclaves from the early twentieth century).

 

[PazzoGrande]

There are very few people indeed who could verify the accuracy of traditions involving the elections and deaths of popes, etc., in part because few have access, and because of the oath of secrecy one takes in being involved in a conclave.

The book cited above about the making of popes also describes the silver hammer procedure (used on a dead pope), which I have read in some places is a myth, so I don’t know how accurate it is…

Same here. I read Archbishop Marini, John Paul II’s Master for Liturgical Ceremonies, was quoted as dispelling the myth (I believe I read it in John Allen’s book on Benedict XVI’s election). Problem is I can’t find main sources or direct quotes. But Allen is the pro at this and I take him at his word.

 

[PazzoGrande]

The practice is attested to in history; I got that fact about Leo XIII from a biography of him that I have no reason to distrust (Kiefer, 1962). You can also read about it in Selecting the Pope: Uncovering the Mysteries of Papal Elections, by Tobin and Wister, page 84. Apparently as the Pope is asked what name he takes, he is presented with the white zucchetto on a pillow, at which point he responds and then bestows his red zucchetto upon whomever he chooses.

-ACEGC

Is that done in view of the whole college? From what I read, putting on the new zucchetto and giving his old one away is done in the Room of Tears, where he goes after he accepts and announces his new name.