The TAU : Symbol of our Redemption

An ample red chasuble in the Saint Martin style made by the Studio
and ornamented with the TAU.

Mass in the Pauline Chapel

On the Feast of Saint George, 23rd April, Pope Francis celebrated Mass in the Pauline Chapel (adjacent to the Sistine Chapel).The former Cardinal Bergoglio's Christian name was Jorge, and he wished to celebrate his patron saint's Feastday with Cardinals resident or visiting Rome and members of the Papal Household. Afterwards in a courtyard, the band of the Swiss Guards performed in the presence of the Pope and the Cardinals.

The candlesticks and crucifix on the altar were disposed in the so-called Benedictine arrangement, whilst the Papal throne stood on the Gospel side of the altar. The Pauline Chapel had been restored during the Pontificate of Pope Benedict and its altar has been arranged to allow Mass to be offered versus populum or ad orientem.

These photographs are the copyright of L'Osservatore Romano. An identification number appears below each image, so that a copy might be ordered from L'Osservatore, if desired.

Pope Francis entering the Pauline Chapel. 

Address of the Cardinal-Dean.
Note the restored freestanding altar.

Blessing of the Deacon before the Gospel.

Incensing the oblations.

The Pope is honoured with incense.

During the Canon.
Note the tabernacle behind the altar in the form of a classical portico.

During the Canon.

After Mass, Pope Francis prayed before and
venerated the Icon of the Blessed Virgin.

The TAU: Symbol of Christ

An ample chasuble made by the Saint Bede Studio.
The decorative scheme is simple and features the TAU: symbol of Christ.

The Tau and Christian vestments : 1

A late 13th century statue of
Pope Boniface VIII shewing
the TAU ornament on his chasuble.
The tiara worn by Boniface was likely
 exaggerated in proportion by the sculptor,
but is it not lofty?

The origins of the ornamentation of chasubles are largely utilitarian. Seams joining sections of fabrics together were concealed by sewing a narrow strip of fabric over the top of them: in later centuries we have come to describe these strips as braids. Similarly, strips of fabric were to used to reinforce the neckline opening in the chasuble, which is placed over the head.

These two original purposes for braids were intended for the convenient use of the vestment, not as ornamental, still less symbolic.

As such matters develop, however, these utilitarian braids became highly-ornamental, even embroidered with symbols and figures of the saints etc. It was Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) who, in his treatise De Sacro Altaris Mysterio first described the liturgical vestments in terms of their symbolism. He it was who also emphasised the TAU as a Christian symbol and from that time, especially through the spread of the Franciscan way, did the TAU become known throughout the Western Church.

Thus it was that the braids which were once used on the chasuble merely for utility, developed into a Christological symbol.

These articles are intended to illustrate the continuity of the use of the TAU as a means of ornamenting chasubles in Rome after the time of Innocent III: not quite one millenium.

We wish to start with a digression by discussing in this post the famous statue of Saint Philip Neri in the sacristy of the church of Santa Maria in Vallicella, Rome. This marvellous 3-metre tall statue was completed in 1638 by the famed Italian sculptor Alessandro Algardi.

Attached is a digitally-enhanced photograph of the statue. It is emphasised that this enhancement is NOT intended to depict actual colours or decoration. It is intended to show more clearly the form and decoration of the chasuble that Algardi sculpted.

This is a chasuble in the Roman tradition. It is very long at the back, reaching almost the full length of the alb; at the front it is slightly shorter. It has a curved shape, rather than being squared-off at the bottom. Note that the chasuble falls gracefully over the body, indicating that it is not interlined to stiffen it, as chasubles were of the later Baroque period. It largely corresponds to dimensions set down by Saint Charles Borromeo (whilst Archbishop of Milan 1560-1584), but it is slightly narrower, since as sculpted it falls only slightly beyond the elbow, rather than approaching the wrist.

Very prominent on the chasuble is the oversized TAU, with adjoining panels supporting the neckline. Almost certainly, the rear of the chasuble would have been ornamented with a single column. These ornaments are formed from a floral scrollwork damask, outlined with a galloon (probably 3cm wide).

In terms of studying the history of the development of the chasuble, this statue is most significant. It is important to note that the statue was sculpted within the living memory of Saint Philip (he died in 1595). And yet, it reflects a style of chasuble found in the first quarter of the 17th century.

Next post: The Tau, Pope Innocent III and Saint Francis.

Ordinations in the Vatican Basilica

Commemorating World Vocations Day, Pope Francis today ordained ten men to the Sacred Priesthood in Saint Peter's Basilica.

On this occasion, Pope Francis wore a new mitre, similar in appearance to those mitres he has worn since his election. Made of cream-coloured silk, it is simply, but tastefully ornamented. The Pope and his deacons-assistant wore white vestments which were made for the use of the Blessed John Paul II, employing an unusual ornamental scheme in blue and gold, derived from symbols and decorative motifs of early Christian Rome.

The following photographs are from the Archive of Getty Images and Alessandro Benedetti.

Chasubles Styles of the Roman Rite : 2 Republished

PART TWO: THE SEMI-CONICAL CHASUBLE

Semi-conical chasuble made by the Studio
for the Church of S' Birinus in Oxfordshire, UK.

Frequently, the Studio receives enquiries asking about the distinctions between the different styles of chasubles. Comments are also often seen on websites which indicate that this subject matter is still not well-known. Although this has been written about before on the blog, we wish to present a series of articles describing the styles of chasuble down the centuries until our own time.

Semi-conical chasuble of S' Bernard kept at the Aachen Cathedral.

The modification of the shape of the chasuble which was handed on from the earliest centuries of the Church, and which was discussed in our previous article, seems to have been initiated solely for convenience to the wearer: the enveloping conical form greatly restricted arm movement. Although many authors specify the Thirteenth century as the period for the modification to the form, we find surviving chasubles  from the Twelfth century in the semi-conical form.

Semi-conical chasuble of S' Thomas Becket at the Sens Cathedral
Photograph reproduced under licence from Kornbluth Photography.

In the Thirteenth century, three further significant reasons brought about a desire to reduce the dimensions of the chasuble. The first was the introduction of the Elevations during the Canon of the Mass. The second was the rise of the private Mass, in other words, a Mass where the celebrant would not be assisted by a deacon and subdeacon (who were to lift and hold back the chasuble at certain points in the Mass to free the arms of the celebrant). Consequently, the celebrant had the need for a greater freedom of movement for his arms and the chasuble was redesigned in order to accommodate that. Additionally, the types of fabrics used for vestments changed from the Thirteenth century, and were heavier (often embroidered) and stiffer than the silks and wools used in previous centuries. In short, there were practical reasons to modify the dimensions of the chasuble.

Detail of a 15th century painting depicting S' Augustine wearing a semi-conical chasuble.

How was the chasuble form modified? Modification happened in stages and not uniformly across the Church in the West. In the first instance, the semi-circular shape of the chasuble was cut back in such a way that the bulk of fabric to be supported on the arms was reduced. The chasubles depicted above, said to have been worn by Saint Bernard (1090-1153) and Saint Thomas Becket (1118-1170) are examples of this earliest modification. Notice that what had been a bell-shaped garment has become pointed. According to some scholars, the introduction of shoulder seams allowed the width of the chasuble form progressively to be reduced from the traditional conical form, but this will be discussed in the third article in this series.

The photograph of S' Thomas Becket's chasuble was made available by Dr Genevra Kornbluth.  It may not be reproduced.  Other images of the Becket vestments may be seen at the same site.

The back and front of a semi-conical chasuble made by the Saint Bede Studio.

Click on the images for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Liturgical Aesthetics of Pope Francis : 3

Cardinal Bergoglio.

When Cardinal Bergoglio arrived in Rome for the Papal Conclave, he brought with him the mitre which he wore as Archbishop of Buenos Aires. That mitre he determined he would continue to wear as Pope Francis. It is a simple affair of white fabric, ornamented in the classical manner with circulus and titulus and nothing more. The titulus ornaments the front but, somewhat oddly, not the back.

And for the Mass which Inaugurated his Petrine Ministry, lo! what did we see? New vestments had been made for Pope Francis and his deacons-assistant which matched the mitre he already owned. The chasuble and dalmatics were full and free-flowing, unlined, made from plain fabrics and ornamented with great simplicity. A great blessing was the absence of those roll-over collars which are often very unfortunate.

Pope Francis at the Good Friday Solemn Papal Liturgy.

A few days later, on Palm Sunday, the Pope appeared in a set of new red vestments (as did the Cardinal deacons assisting him), matching the white set. Once again, full and free-flowing, unlined, made from plain fabrics and ornamented with great simplicity. We will pass over without comment the red cope which also appeared on that day. The red chasuble has a certain nobility about it, which its white counterpart does not.

The ornament on these two chasubles, red and white, is exactly the same, consisting of a column back and front, but an unusual decoration of the neckline, which is angular. This ornament is not an innovation, but is indeed very ancient, as can be seen from the adjacent image.

Two bishops in attendance at the
Enthronement of the Emperor Otto III:
an illumination of the late 10th century.

This is a detail from an illumination in the Gospel Book of Otto III,  produced at Reichenau Abbey, Germany in the last years of the 10th century.  The entire illumination, which is shewn in full below, depicts the Enthronement of Otto III as Holy Roman Emperor in the year 996. The detail shews two bishops, both clad in Mass vestments standing at the right side of Emperor Otto. The bishop standing in the background has an ornamentation around the neckline of his chasuble almost identical with the new vestments of Pope Francis.

Does such an ornament have any particular significance or symbolism? No. Its purpose is purely to strengthen the opening in the chasuble which sits around the neck. It will be noticed that the ornament in the the chasubles worn by the two Ottonian bishops is perfectly plain. This is of the period when vestments were not always embroidered and otherwise decorated and the ornaments themselves were merely for utility not symbolic. The chasubles depicted are, of course, not in the same style as our modern chasubles, but rather in the conical form: a shape of chasuble which had been worn from the earliest days of the Church.

As an aside, we can see quite clearly that each bishop is vested in albe, stole, pontifical dalmatic and chasuble, over the top of which is worn a beautifully long pallium. But something else is evident: these bishops are not wearing mitres. This illumination predates that period when the mitre was universally worn by bishops.

So, the new Papal vestments have an ancient precedent in their decoration. The General Instruction on the 2007 Missale Romanum says this about sacred vestments:

343. In additional to the traditional materials, natural fabrics proper to the region may be used for making sacred vestments: artificial fabrics that are in keeping with the dignity of the sacred action and the person wearing them may also be used. The Conference of Bishops will be the judge in this matter. 

344. It is fitting that the beauty and nobility of each vestment derive not from abundance of overly-lavish ornamentation but rather from the material that is used and from the design. Ornamentation on vestments should, moreover, consist only of figures, that is, of images or symbols, which evoke sacred use, avoiding thereby anything unbecoming.

Do the new Papal vestments conform with these directives? Broadly speaking yes, but perhaps more might be said. We are not discussing vestments for a simple priest, for Parish use, or even of a bishop, but of the Pope. There is nothing inappropriate about Pope Francis wishing to embrace an aesthetic for Papal vestments which is simple, not ornate. Two points might be made, however, respectfully.

Would it be more fitting if the vestments made for use of the Pope were made from traditional materials (as the Instruction puts it), namely silk or even wool: natural fabrics?  These have always been esteemed by the Church.

Although there is nothing unworthy about the decorative scheme of the new Papal vestments, is it not odd that the vestments of the Vicar of Christ lack any form of Christological symbolism?  Alternatively, this symbolism can also be expressed in the manner of the orphrey, most particularly the TAU orphrey and the Y-shaped orphrey, both of which represent the Cross.

Lastly, we might hope that these new vestments do not have a long life and when they have become unfit for use, Pope Francis takes advantage of the many, many vestments stored in the Papal Sacristy which belonged to his predecessors Paul VI and John Paul II, which do conform to the two principles mentioned in the General Instructions.

Next post: The "TAU" and continuity in the decoration of the chasuble in Rome.

The Blessed John Paul II
wearing a chasuble of no particular beauty
but with prominent Christological symbolism.

The Enthronement of Otto III
(tenth century).

Tiara of Pope Honorius III

Pope Honorius III.

In the Upper Church of the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi is painted a cycle of 28 frescoes, known as The Legend of Saint Francis. They were painted between1297-1300. These frescoes tradition has  attributed to Giotto de Bondone or at the least, the credit for having designed them.

One of the frescoes, a detail of which is shewn above is a scene where Saint Francis is preaching a homily in the presence of Pope Honorius III (reigned 1216-1227).  This has recently caught our eye, during research into the Papal tiara, which was the subject of a previous post.

Below is the much-disliked triple tiara of Pope Paul VI, made of platinum and gold and presented to Paul by the Faithful of his former archdiocese, Milan, in 1963. It is certain that Pope Paul oversaw the design of his triple tiara, but until now the striking similarity between it and the tiara of Pope Honorius III has not been discussed, so far as we are aware. Whilst the Paul VI tiara is entirely metallic, that of Honorius would have been made from silk or velvet, which was embroidered and over which a single crown was placed.  Next time someone denounces the "bullet tiara" or the "space age tiara" of Pope Paul, you can refer them to these images.

Triple tiara of Pope Paul VI :
intended as a replica of the Giotto tiara?

We might also comment on the vestments worn by Pope Honorius. This fresco was painted 70 years after Honorius' death, so it is not intended that the fresco depicted his actual vestments, but rather the style of vestments worn by a bishop at the very end of the Thirteenth century. The visible vestments are the amice, alb, dalmatic, chasuble and the pallium.

Not much of the albe is visible, except its close-fitting sleeves. The amice is voluminous and worn in the style of a thrown-back hood. The pontifical dalmatic is made from an especially rich brocaded silk, its woven pattern being reminiscent of Cosmati tile work or forms of ornament pre-dating the Gothic style; it also has apparels attached to its lower edge and to its cuffs. Interestingly, the artist presents a simpler red chasuble, in the semi-conical form, lined in blue and ornamented subtly with an embroidered orphrey in red and gold.

Most notable is the older and noble form of the pallium, which is highly visible. Contrast this with the mean affair presently used by the Bishop of Rome, a mere shadow of the ancient form. Because of its size, this more ancient form of pallium becomes the principal ornament of the chasuble and a worthy symbol of the Petrine Office. We can hope for its return to Papal Liturgies.

The fresco in the Upper Church at Assisi.

The Papal Staff of Pope Paul VI

At the Lateran Basilica

On Low Sunday, when Pope Francis took possession of the Lateran Basilica as the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, he chose to use the well-known staff or ferula of Pope Paul VI, designed by Italian sculptor Lello Scorzelli (1921 - 1997) in 1963 and used for the first time at the Closing of the Second Vatican Council on 8th December, 1965.

The return of this ferula, which had ceased to be used by Pope Benedict in 2008, has occasioned a reaction on some websites. We have no idea whether Pope Francis intends to use this staff regularly, occasionally or usually. We should just wait and see.

The Blessed John Paul II made exclusive use of the Scorzelli staff, but in 1990, Scorzelli made a copy of it to present to John Paul, which the Pope used from that time onward.

Surprisingly, however, Pope Paul did not use that particular Scorzelli staff exclusively. He also made use of three others, which are shewn in photographs at a previous post in our Papal Retrospective: here. We cannot say whether these three other staffs were also designed by Lello Scorzelli.

The Lateran Basilica

The Pope is handed his Pastoral Staff as Bishop of Rome.

On the Octave Day of Easter, Pope Francis took possession of the Lateran Basilica, his Cathedral as Bishop of Rome. The Pope concelebrated the Mass with priests of the Diocese of Rome at the ancient basilica. These photographs illustrate the occasion.

Pope Francis chose to use the Pastoral Staff of his predecessors Paul VI and the Blessed John Paul II.

These photographs are the copyright of Getty Images and Alessandra Benedetti.

At the Cathedra of S' John Lateran.
No celebrant other than the Pope may sit at this throne.

The Papal Staff of Pope Paul VI.

Blessing with the Evangelarium

During the Preface.

At the Doxology.

The Liturgical Aesthetics of Pope Francis : 2

In a previous post, as part of our Retrospective on the Papacy, we traced briefly how the aesthetics of Papal Liturgy had changed in the second half of the twentieth century (notably from 1965 onward) and the beginning of the 21st.

Now we have a new Pope and once again the aesthetic of Papal vestments has changed. A distinction must be made, however, between changing aesthetics in the Pontificate of Benedict XVI and that of Francis. Pope Benedict accepted two different aesthetics presented to him by two different Papal Masters of Ceremonies: Piero Marini and Guido Marini. This time, the changed aesthetic is obviously the manifest wish of Pope Francis, not of his Master of Ceremonies.

Since Pope Francis has occupied the See of Peter for not even a month, we should not try to draw firm conclusions about what has been seen thus far.  Nevertheless, the intervening rites of Holy Week have given sufficient information for us to make some comments.

In the previous post, we wrote about continuity between the Papal Liturgies of Benedict XVI and Francis.  In this post, we wish to mention specific differences which have emerged thus far.  To be specific:

• The Pope will not sing a note, so that the Invitations, Orations and the Preface of the Mass are all read instead of being sung. See here for a discussion of the Pope's tone-deafness.

• The use of albes and surplices by the Pope and his ministers which are decorated with flounces of lace has been discontinued.

• A very simple aesthetic has been adopted for the vestments used by the Pope and his ministers.

• Holy Communion is distributed to the Ministers of the Papal Mass on the tongue, whilst they are kneeling, but under both Species by the practice of Intinction. 

• The use of the Pontifical dalmatic beneath the chasuble of the Pope, which was reintroduced by Pope Benedict, has been discontinued. 

• The Pope only uses one Pectoral Cross, which is suspended upon a simple chain.  He has not used the choir cord with this Cross.

• The Pope has not generally distributed Holy Communion during the Solemn Celebrations of the Papal Mass.

• The Pope preaches whilst standing at the Papal Throne, using a lectern.

• An announced period of silence is observed at the end of the Homily and after the Distribution of Holy Communion at the Solemn Papal Masses.

All of the above would seem to have been implemented for the celebration of the Papal Liturgy at the explicit request of Pope Francis.

Some comments on the above observations are not out of place. Pope Francis does not seem to be particularly liturgically-minded. We will avoid the stereotype about being as "lost as a Jesuit in Holy Week". His offering of Mass is very reverent and recollected but he manifests impatience with drawn-out ceremonial. He clearly shuns personal ostentation and wishes to see the ministers attending him dressed simply. Although much could be speculated about (and has been at other Blogs), this is all that can be written with certainty about the Pope's aesthetical philosophy, since he has not spoken explicitly about it or his liturgical preferences.

Next post: the new vestments of Pope Francis.

Chasubles of the Roman Rite : 1 Republished

PART ONE: THE CONICAL CHASUBLE

Frequently, the Studio receives enquiries asking about the distinctions between the different styles of chasubles.  Comments are also often seen on websites which indicate that this subject matter is still not well-known.  Although this has been written about before on the blog, we wish to present a series of articles describing the styles of chasuble down the centuries until our own time.

Well-preserved conical chasuble of S' Vitalis, dating from 11th century.
Note the "TAU" orphrey, ornamenting the chasuble.

The ancestor of the liturgical vestment called the chasuble is a Roman garment called the paenula. It was a semi-circular cloak, sewn together down the front and completely covering the arms. It was a garment for everyday wear by the lower classes, but was also worn by the upper classes and by women for travel and in bad weather.  From the Fifth century, a garment of similar shape but made in richer material was adopted by the Roman upper classes for ceremonial wear and this planeta was the immediate ancestor of our chasuble. Then, from the 9th century, a third name was given to a cloak which was still in the shape of the early paenula, and like it was a protective outer garment for the poor: casula (Latin for “little house”). For a time, the secular and liturgical use of these three similar garments continued side by side. It was the shape of these garments, rather than their use which came to be associated with the liturgical chasuble.

Small, but beautiful conical chasuble of the 13th century preserved
in the Church of S' Yves de Louannec.
Note that this chasuble is devoid of ornament.

From the Tenth century, what we know as the chasuble consisted of a semi-circle of material with the two halves of the straight edge folded together and sewn down the front leaving an opening at the neck. The neck opening was sometimes widened slightly, leaving a short horizontal opening near the top of the centre seam. This shape is referred to as the conical or bell chasuble. It was not until the turn of the Tenth and Eleventh centuries that the chasuble was recognised everywhere as the vestment exclusively to be used for the Mass. But even until well into the Eleventh century, it continued to be worn by deacons, lectors and acolytes, not exclusively by priests.

For readers who may be unfamiliar with this style, the shape of a conical chasuble is very similar to that of a bell. Consequently, in order for the wearer to use his arms, the conical chasuble must be pulled up at the sides and the fabric allowed to rest in the small of the arms. When this happens, the vestment folds upward from the bottom in a manner quite distinctive.  Many illustrations, statues and monuments from late Antiquity to the Middle Ages regularly show vestments with precisely these folds.

A conical chasuble is not for celebrants who like to wave their arms around a lot, but it is quite manageable if the arms always remain extended or joined. Unlike the more commonly-found chasubles, the conical chasuble must be tailored to the shape of the wearer's shoulders, otherwise it fits very ill.

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Maria Regina vestments

The Studio has recently completed these vestments for an ordinand in the United Kingdom. This is a simpler form of the chasuble Maria Regina.  Made of an ivory-coloured dupion silk, this set is lined in taffeta.  It is extremely lightweight.

Enquiries: stbede62@gmail.com

Click on the image for an enlarged view.

The Liturgical Aesthetics of Pope Francis : 1

In a previous post, as part of our Retrospective on the Papacy, we traced briefly how the aesthetics of Papal Liturgy had changed in the second half of the twentieth century (notably from 1965 onward) and the beginning of the 21st.

Now we have a new Pope and once again the aesthetic of Papal vestments has changed. A distinction must be made, however, between changing aesthetics in the Pontificate of Benedict XVI and that of Francis. Pope Benedict accepted two different aesthetics presented to him by two different Papal Masters of Ceremonies: Piero Marini and Guido Marini. This time, the changed aesthetic is obviously the manifest wish of Pope Francis, not of his Master of Ceremonies.

Since Pope Francis has been Bishop of Rome for not even three weeks, we should not try to draw firm conclusions about what has been seen thus far.  Nevertheless, the intervening rites of Holy Week have given sufficient information for us to make some comments.

In previous posts, we have already spoken about continuity between the Papal Liturgies of Benedict XVI and Francis.  To be specific:

• The Papal altars have been decorated with the magnificent embroidered antependia which have been in use for more than a century (further research is needed to clarify when these frontals were made for the Altar of the Confession in S' Peter's).

• Upon the Papal altars, a large central Crucifix is always placed, flanked by six lofty candlesticks from the Papal treasury and augmented by a seventh matching candlestick for the more Solemn Liturgies. This practice was reintroduced during the Pontificate of Benedict XVI.

• A Papal throne upholstered in red velvet with gilded wooden carvings (again made for one of Francis' predecessors) is used for all the Papal Liturgies, rather than the simpler white chair that had been used in years past. This throne is raised upon a platform. This practice was introduced during the Pontificate of Benedict XVI.

• The Papal throne was raised upon a lofty platform approached by a flight of stairs on the Gospel side of the Altar of the Confession for the Good Friday Solemn Liturgy. This practice was introduced for certain occasions during the Pontificate of Benedict XVI.

• For those Papal Liturgies which have been held in S' Peter's Square (the Mass Inaugurating the Pontificate, the Mass of Palm Sunday and of Easter Day) the throne has also been set upon steps immediately before the facade of the Basilica and decorated with a backdrop of velvet drapes. This practice was reintroduced during the Pontificate of Benedict XVI.

• Holy Communion is distributed to the Ministers of the Papal Mass on the tongue, whilst they are kneeling. This practice was reintroduced during the Pontificate of Benedict XVI.

• The ferula or Pastoral Cross presented to Pope Benedict XVI has continued to be used by Pope Francis. There has been no attempt to reintroduce the staff used by Pope Paul VI and John Paul II.

• The pallium placed upon the shoulders of Pope Francis by the Cardinal proto-deacon at his Inauguration is in the same style as that worn by Pope Benedict from 2008 onwards.

All of the above continue because Pope Francis is happy with their expression of Papal Liturgy.

Our next post: the Changes and those new Papal vestments.