Monday 22 October 2012

The Papal Fanon

Readers will, I hope, excuse my excitement about the return to use of the Papal Fanon.  It was worn by Pope Benedict for the first time in his reign yesterday on the wonderful occasion of the Canonisation of seven new saints.  Pope Paul VI gave up using the Fanon for Papal Masses in the late 1960's.

Read a little more about the significance of the Fanon - a vestment unique to the Roman Pontiff - here.

It was also pleasing, after recent infelicitous ensembles, to see the Pope wearing a rather tasteful chasuble and mitre of white damask derived from the Italian style of the 14th and 15th centuries (before Papal Rome was Baroque).

These images on this post are taken from the website of the Italian photographer Spaziani.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.