Bishop & Apostle Attire

Zuchetto - Bishops Attire

 

Zucchetto - The small, round skullcap of the ecclesiastic. The official name is pileolus; other designations are: berettino, calotte, subbiretum (because worn under the biretta), submitrale (because worn under the mitre), soli-deo. The pope's zucchetto is white, that of the cardinals red,. The pileolus of the bishops is violet, that of other ecclesiastics, including the prelates, unless a special privilege to wear violet is granted, black.

Bishops and cardinals wear it at Mass, except during the Canon; other ecclesiastics may not wear it at Mass without special papal permission. However, according to a decision of the Sacred Congregation of Rites (23 September, 1837), a bishop also may not wear it while giving Benediction. It cannot be said positively when the zucchetto became customary, but it was probably not before the thirteenth century.

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