Mozzetta
|
Altar servers in Romania wearing a red shoulder-cape, not a mozzetta |
The
mozzetta is a short elbow-length cape that covers the shoulders and is buttoned over the breast. It is worn as part of
choir dress by some of the
clergy of the
Roman Catholic Church, among them the
Pope,
cardinals,
bishops and
abbots. It is also often worn by
Anglican clergy. It used to have a small hood on the back but this was discontinued by
Pope Paul VI.
A shoulder-cape, shorter than a mozzetta, is sometimes worn by altar servers according to local customs.
The color of the mozzetta, which is always worn with a
cassock and sometimes other choral
vestments, represents the hierarchical rank of the person wearing it. Bishops wear a
purple and cardinals a
scarlet mozzetta. Since they seldom wear cassocks, most secular priests do not now wear the mozzetta, though some religious orders have, as part of their
religious habit, a black mozzetta (notably the
Congregation of Holy Cross). The Pope wears two versions of the mozzetta: one, an unlined satin mozzetta and another a crimson velvet ermine-trimmed mozzetta.
One version of the papal mozzetta fell into disuse during the pontificate of
John Paul II (1978-2005).
Pope Benedict XVI, however, wore the red velvet mozzetta trimmed in
ermine during the
papal station at the image of the
Madonna near the
Spanish Steps that traditionally marks the beginning of
Rome's
Christmas season, and he wears it on all the occasions where this cloth is necessary.
The papal mozzetta, with its regal trimming, is reminiscent of the days of papal temporal power. It was worn year-round by pontiffs of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Later, it has been worn largely in wintertime. The rest of the year, the popes wear the same light-wool cloak cardinals used.
Image:Juanpablouno.jpg|Pope John Paul I
(Pope 1978) Pope wearing the papal electoral mozzettaImage:Bento vestes tradicionais.jpg|Pope Benedict XVI
(Pope 2005-reigning) Pope wearing the papal mozzettaImage:Franciscardinalgeorge.jpg|Francis Cardinal George
Cardinal wearing the scarlet mozzettaImage:Bishopgonzaleznieves.jpg|Roberto González Nieves
Bishop wearing the purple mozzetta
