Why the pope dresses like that

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Published 2021-12-02
The hidden meaning behind Pope Francis’s clothes.

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The pope is one of the most recognizable figures in the world, in large part because of the clothes he wears: all white, ornate ponchos, various hats. But all popes don’t actually dress alike. There are different articles of clothing that correspond to different events and times of year, and there is a certain amount of personal choice involved.

Pope Francis has made waves across the Catholic Church with his relatively progressive, modern takes on church doctrine and tradition, and his clothing is a visual shorthand for those policies.

To learn more about the history of papal clothing, see The Church Visible: the ceremonial life and protocol of the Roman Catholic Church by James-Charles Noonan archive.org/details/churchvisiblecer0000noon

For a deep dive about Pope Francis’s visit to Lampedusa, check out Making Immigrants Visible in Lampedusa: Pope Francis, Migration, and the State by Tina Catania www.academia.edu/18158629/Making_Immigrants_Visibl…

And to look at a whole range of Catholic and Catholic-inspired clothing, see the catalog for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2018 exhibit Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2018/heaven…

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All Comments (21)
  • @virgo9895
    The Pope is using the most default skin for priest class.
  • @delliebby2296
    People tend to forget that Pope Francis is the first JESUIT pope and a Jesuit's basic teaching is humbleness. You cannot expect a Jesuit to wear extravagant clothing/accessories because it goes against their beliefs of humility.
  • @nathanli3024
    One correction. In the church hierarchy, cardinals are not “higher” than bishop but rather bishops with a special duty of electing the pope.
  • He is the first pope in my lifetime that gives me the impression of someone putting emphasis on humility and care. It is an inspiring message in a time that also contains so many who have forgotten those virtues.
  • @ruffeyx
    Im not a catholic nor a christian but this man humbleness really humbled me down
  • @AJB9806
    I am not Catholic, but he was appointed pope my freshman year at a Catholic high school. He is the only reason I ever considered Catholicism. I really respect everything I know about him and what he preaches. Humility, charity, kindness. The world needs more people like that.
  • + defence 10 + magic defence 20 + holy defence 120 + healing attribute increase 10% + dark immunity 15% - movement speed 30%
  • @2keyblades
    “Why does it cost so much to repair the Pope’s clothes? Because they so holy.” I’ll see my self out
  • A few points on liturgical terms: - A priest does not "perform" Mass, he celebrates and presides over Mass. - The Pallium is reserved for all Metropolitans (Archbishops) not just the pope. - The Chasuble is worn by all celebrants of Mass. - Liturgically, we refer to pink as Rose, as on Gaudete Sunday during Advent and Laetare Sunday during Lent. This break from purple represents the joy of the coming Christmas and Easter solemnities, respectively. - Nobody but Christ "builds" or rebuilds the Church. Even hymns that use such language are discouraged.
  • @IanZainea1990
    Fun Fact: The bird called a Cardinal was named after the Catholic Cardinal position and vestments.
  • @cubes7805
    Remember what oversimplified said: "'he's holy, lowly he eats ravioli."
  • In addition, countries which the Pope visits tend to make liturgical vestments which he may choose to wear again. For many Filipino Catholics, it was a point of pride when he wore a chasuble with the image of Santo Niño de Cebu to a mass in Vatican City. The garment was made specifically for his 2015 visit.
  • @mr.mrs.d.7015
    They are supposed to be humble servants of God. I love him for this.
  • Great video! Simple correction: the pallium is not reserved only to the pope. It is usually worn by all archbishops and by the dean of the college of Cardinals.
  • As a roman catholic, I never knew any of this. Thank you Vox for making the traditions more fascinating and intriguing.
  • @verward
    A note on the red shoes: In roman times red shoes/boots were a royal garment. An example is that caesar wore them to signify his status equal to that of a king. The pope is also king of the vatican and historically has rivalled kings and emperors in status. I'm not sure if this is coincidence but I can't imagine.
  • I'm an atheist, which may or may not affect things, but this guy... he's the best.
  • @peterthepanda
    There are several inaccuracies in this video: 1. Metropolitan archbishops also wear the pallium, not just the Pope. 2. It was believed that Popes started wearing white during the 15th century when a Dominican, Pius V, was elected Pope, he chose to keep his white Dominican habit. Traditionally, Popes wore red. 3. Pope Francis' crucifix, called a pectoral cross, is made of silver and not iron.