Why popes wear a white cassock

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Rob2

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St Pius V

Celebrated on April 30th

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Anthony Ghislieri was born in 1504 in Piedmont, Italy. He joined the Dominicans in 1518, was ordained in 1540 and then taught philosophy and theology for 16 years before becoming bishop of Suiri in 1556. He was made a cardinal in 1557 and elected Pope in 1565.

His first task was to begin implementing the sweeping reforms called for by the Council. He ordered the founding of seminaries and published a new missal, a new breviary, and a new catechism as well as establishing the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes for the young.

Pius built hospitals, provided food for the hungry and gave money customarily used for the papal banquets to poor Roman converts. His decision to keep wearing his Dominican habit led to the custom of the pope wearing a white cassock.

In striving to reform both Church and state, Pius encountered strong opposition from England’s Queen Elizabeth and the Roman Emperor Maximilian II. Problems in France and in the Netherlands also hindered Pius’s hopes for a Europe united against the Ottoman Turks.

Only at the last minute was he able to organize a fleet which won a decisive victory in the Gulf of Lepanto, off Greece, on October 7, 1571.

Pius spent long hours in prayer, fasted rigorously, deprived himself of many customary papal luxuries and faithfully observed the Dominican Rule. He died in 1572 and was canonised in 1712.

(from ICN)
 
I learned something interesting recently about how his election came about. It’s an interesting story of God bringing good out of evil.

Pius IV, a member of the Medici family, one of the most wealthy and politically influential families of the time who had already produced two Popes (Leo X and Clement VII), was elected Pope. Embracing the practice of nepotism, he made his nephew, a descendant of one of the most wealthy and influential families in Lombardy, a lay cardinal-nephew and protonotary apostolic in Rome. He then made him Cardinal Archbishop of Milan. This nephew incidentally was a very holy guy: St. Charles Borromeo. After Pius IV died, during the conclave of 1565-6, St. Charles pretty much used the influence of his office and family background to push through the strict clerical reformer and ascetic Michele Ghislieri, who would become St. Pius V. Interestingly enough, Ghislieri had previously been demoted after getting himself into trouble with St. Charles’ uncle and benefactor, Pius IV, for staunchly opposing his practice of nepotism! (the final straw being Ferdinand de Medici being proposed for the Cardinalate at the age of 13).
 
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Rob2 said:
Pius spent long hours in prayer, fasted rigorously, deprived himself of many customary papal luxuries and faithfully observed the Dominican Rule.
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Did he? I wonder if he was roundly criticized for doing so?
 
mrsdizzyd said:
Did he? I wonder if he was roundly criticized for doing so?
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Who knows, I’m sure somebody probably did–I read an article once about a major-domo complaining about similar practices by St. Pius X–but neither saint mistook what was about glorifying God from what was about himself. Both made full use of those precious vestments, vessels, etc. lavished on the liturgy and other official purposes for the glory of God and for the exaltation of Holy Church. It would actually be a problem if a Pope narcissistically thought these things were all about him and discarded them in a misplaced show of humility.
 
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So the Dominicans gave us CCD, the Rosary, the Angelic Doctor, and the papal cassock!? Can we all say Best. Darn. Order. Ever!?

I bet they’re Jesus’ favorite. There, I said it.

(Pay no heed to my username or avatar. They’re not relevant and I’m totally not biased)
 
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AlbertDerGrosse said:
So the Dominicans gave us CCD, the Rosary, the Angelic Doctor, and the papal cassock!? Can we all say Best. Darn. Order. Ever!?

I bet they’re Jesus’ favorite. There, I said it.

(Pay no heed to my username or avatar. They’re not relevant and I’m totally not biased)
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I do believe you’re on to something, my fellow unbiased friend who also happens to have a Dominican avatar! 😜
 
I never before actually zoomed in on your avatar. I think if St. Thomas saw it before he wrote the Summa he’d probably reconsider his position on animals in heaven. At least that one.

By the way, the first time I ever saw Dominicans was in college and I wasn’t yet Catholic. They have a priory like a mile and a half down the street from my university campus. Between the idyllic priory building and the medieval habits it took me a while to learn that they weren’t grown men Harry Potter LARPers.
 
AlbertDerGrosse said:
I never before actually zoomed in on your avatar. I think if St. Thomas saw it before he wrote the Summa he’d probably reconsider his position on animals in heaven. At least that one .
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I found a few pictures of teddy bears dressed in Dominican habits. I obviously love the Order and I’m a sucker for stuffed animals, so it was perfect. 🤣
AlbertDerGrosse said:
By the way, the first time I ever saw Dominicans was in college and I wasn’t yet Catholic. They have a priory like a mile and a half down the street from my university campus. Between the idyllic priory building and the medieval habits it took me a while to learn that they weren’t grown men Harry Potter LARPers.
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It’s better than one story I heard where a Dominican priest was mistaken for a member of the KKK and his rosary was thought to be a whip!
 
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