Benedict XVI : 9

Mitre of Pius IX

After Monsignor Guido Marini became Papal Master of Ceremonies in 2007, there was an increased use by Pope Benedict of historic chasubles, copes and mitres from the Papal Treasury. In this post, we feature two renowned mitres.

The first mitre was caused to be made by Pope Piux IX (1846 - 1878) to coincide with the promulgation of the Definition of the Immaculate Conception in 1854. The mitre features pictorial embroideries of the Blessed Virgin and the Christ the Good Shepherd. The mitre had subsequently been used by Pope John Paul II. A little known fact about Pius IX is that he did not favour very tall mitres, but something more proportionate.

The second mitre was the famous mitre of Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922) and which was subsequently used by  Pius XII, John XXIII and Paul VI. This splendid jewelled mitre, although perhaps a little tall for a man of the stature of Josef Ratzinger, preserves the traditional form for the ornamentation of a mitre: the circulus and titulus, namely those bands of ornament running around the head and vertically up the centre of the mitre.  Unhappily, many baroque mitres abandoned this ancient ornament in favour of something far less tasteful.  We will spare readers such creations.

Mitre of Benedict XV