Saturday, July 26, 2008

From the Vatican: your tonsure needs a zucchetto...


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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've never, ever (even in pictures of priests before Vatican II) seen this. Back then, the priests just let their tonsure show. Diosecean priests and those serving in the Vatican had small tonsures perhaps the size of a silver dollar...but it was the monks and friars that had the full "monastic corona" or tonsure.
This looks more like a yamulke for Jews.

9:55 AM
Anonymous said...

Well, it is part of Catholic tradition and should be encouraged as such. If I were a priest, I'd definitely wear one.

-Garrett

3:55 PM
Anonymous said...

I have seen priests in the London Oratory wearing the black zuchetto. I don't know whether this was customary for priests in Rome or only in northern climes.

4:14 PM
Anonymous said...

Anonymous, the black zucchetto, although seldom used, is perfectly legitimate. Strange comment the one you made.

4:42 PM
humboldt said...

Yeah, bring back the zucchetto for all priests, and the cassock.

6:37 PM
Anonymous said...

It's just that I've NEVER seen this on diosecean or secular priests in Rome or the Vatican (even long before Vatican II).
If I didn' know it was a priest, because it was a photo from the back, I would swear it was a Jewish person with a yamulke.

I've seen photos of Franciscan, Dominican, Pauline (Polish Order of St. Paul the First Hermit), and Trappists wearing the zuccheto the color of their habits to cover their monastic tonsure. That is totally traditional.
But even though legitimate, I've never seen this worn by secular/diosecean priests.
What I'd like to see brought back (and I wouldn't be surprised if some traditionalist priests in France do bring it back), is the distinctly French type of clerical collar worn with soutane that diosecean priests wore in France (and perhaps other countries), for centuries, all the way up to Vatican II.

7:30 AM
Anonymous said...

Well, it is a fact that it is used and it was used by secular priests. An oddity nowadays perhaps, but someone must keep the old things alive.

4:58 PM
humboldt said...

I have never seen a priest use the black zucchetto.

7:07 AM
Anonymous said...

I have.

5:45 AM
Laurentius said...

Regular (i.e. secular, or diocesan priests) may not wear the zucchetto DURING Mass unless they are Prothonotaries Apostolic or have been granted some special dignity by the pontiff, and some have the right by immemorial custom. All may wear a zucchetto of the appropriate color outside of Mass, and of course many religious order priests are regulated, within their order by the regulations of the order regarding such things as zucchettos (where often they still serve a practical purpose). Among diocesan clergy the practice of wearing a zucchetto, even outside of Mass, died ages ago, so that it is only left over for prelates and those who have received certain honors.

4:40 PM

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