Friday, June 02, 2006

One thing I never really understood

Hi gang.

I'm up to my eyebrows in studies but I am going to take the time anyway to present a couple of photographs and a question: Whenever I read something about the cappa magna, it always says that it is made of watered silk for cardinals and of wool for bishops. So why is it that ever so often I see pictures of bishops wearing a cappa that is definately not made of wool but of silk (not that I mind)? "Ma abbiamo il privilegio!" Does it boil down to that? Or does anybody know anything I should know?

Whatever: Here are the pics. Enjoy!



1.) I know, this photo lacks quality. But the "silkness" of the cappa magna of Loras T. Lane, sixth Bishop of Rockford is so obvious, that I just wanted to share this.



2.) Bishop O'Dea of Seattle, before it became an archdiocese. "Wool? Come five steps closer and say that again!". I love that army of tiny trainbearers.



3.) Bishop Shaugnessy, also of the still un-arched diocese of Seattle, probably sporting the cappa of his predecessor without the ermine.



4.) Sorry, bad quality again. But this shot just had to be shown, because Bishop Walsh of Newark is wearing cappa and cassock made of silk. According to the source this was even before Newark became an Archdiocese in 1937.



5.) "Silken cappa and silken cassock? I can do that!" thinks Bishop Stangl (right) of Würzburg, while walking next to Archbishop Schneider of Bamberg. The Archbishop is wearing a watered-silk cappa, but only a woolen cassock.



6.) Bishop Stangl again, this time in color.


Well, that's it for my "Bishops in silk"-special. Tell me what you think, tell me what you know. And please: If you have any nice Cappa-Magna-photographs do mail them along. I am always looking for new material and if for some reason you don't want to see the pictures published just say so. They will end up in my collection and nobody will ever see them but me.

Alright, enough begging. Have a nice day.