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A look at a bishop's adornments and what they mean
Published January 23, 2009
When a priest of the Roman Catholic Church becomes a bishop, he is entitled to wear certain vestments and utilize specific liturgical adornments. In addition to the colorful cassock and sash, bishops are identified by the following articles: a miter, a crozier, a ring and a pectoral cross.
Archbishop Vigneron would have worn these adornments previously as bishop of the Diocese of Oakland, but the miter and crozier are to be given to him again at his installation Mass to signify his new role as leader of the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Miter (or mitre): This is the liturgical headdress worn by bishops on formal occasions, including some parts of the Mass. The pointed headwear is worn only by the pope, cardinals, bishops and occasionally abbots and monsignors. The miter is of Roman origin, derived from a non-liturgical papal head covering call the "camelaucum," a helmet-shaped cap. Use of the miter began as early as the eighth century and has evolved through many shapes and designs. By about 1100-1150, the custom of wearing the miter was general among bishops.
Crozier: This is the ceremonial staff carried by a bishop, hooked at one end like a shepherd's crook. It has been symbol of episcopal office since the early days of the Church. Durandus, an early Church writer, explained the significance of the crozier: "The end is sharp to goad the slothful, the middle is straight to signify righteous rule, while the head is bent to draw in and attract souls to the way of God." In the past, bishops and archbishops carried their croziers with the crook turned outward, while auxiliaries carried them with the crook facing inward.
Ring: The ring of a bishop is worn on the fourth finger of the right hand, a sign of a bishop's betrothal to his Church. A decree from Pope Boniface IV in 610 and documents from the Fourth Council of Toledo in 633 are the first recorded mentions of a ring as an ornament of the office of bishop. Also in the 600s, St. Isidore of Seville declared that the ring of a bishop is "an emblem of pontifical dignity."
Pectoral cross: The pectoral cross is the latest episcopal ornament to be adopted and worn by the pope, cardinals, bishops, abbots and other prelates entitled to use the pontifical insignia. The first mention made of the pectoral cross as part of pontifical ornament is by Pope Innocent III, and its use as such only became customary toward the close of the middle ages. It is worn on the chest attached to a chain or silken cord. While the pectoral crosses in use today are relatively modest, they are made of some precious metal.
Cathedra: The bishop's chair. This is where the head of a diocese or archdiocese sits in the principal church, in this case the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Archbishop-designate Vigneron becomes the ordinary of Detroit once he sits in the cathedra, and Cardinal Maida won't sit in the chair again after that.
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