The Irish standard., 1908-08-15
Oriain of the Biretta.

Origin Of the Biretta,
The origin of some portions Of clerl-
cal costume Is a much discussed qres-
ton, and anything that tends to throw
light upon it is eagerly welcora ID not
alone by the clergy, but by those of
the laity with an investigating turn Of
mind.
Father Thurston has contributed an
2, ticle to the Catholic Encyclopedia"
on the "Biretta." which is a Welcome
supplement to the meager material on
that subject.
THE Biretta.' he says. lis square
cap with three ridges or peaks on its
III per surface, now commonly worn
by clerics of all grades. from cardinals
downwards. The use of such a cap is
prescribed by the rubrics both 1t SOL
emn Mass and In other ecclesiastical
functions Etymologically. the wort;
biretta is Italian in origin. and would
more correctly be written beretta (cf
however the French barette and the
Spanish bireta.) 1t probably comes
from hirrus, rough cloak with a
hood, from the Greek flame
colored, and the blrretum may orig
of the birettum in the tenth centu~s
but like most other questions OF cts-
tune, the history is extremely per-
picked. The wearing of any he III :
covering, other than hood or cowl, OF,
state occasions within doors seems &c
have originally been a distinction re-
served for the privileged few. The
constitutions Of Cardinal ottoponi Is
sued by him for England In 1868. s,r
bid the wearing Of caps vulgarl., cat
ed coyphae' (cf the coil of the SER
geant-atlaw) to clerics. except when
on journeys. In church and waen In
the presence Of their superiors their
heads are to remain uncovered. F~on,
this law the higher graduates Of The
universities were excepted, thus Gu.
vanni d'Andrea. In his gloss on the
Ciementine Decretals, declares &C.
1920 that at Bologna the insignia of
the Doctorate were the cathedrn
(chair) and the birettum.
At first the birettum was a. kind OF
eL k,,R ~ =
ve'loped into soft round cap easily
tndented by the fingers in putting IL
on and of. and it acquired in this way
the rudimentary outline Of It's present
three peaks. We may find such cap
Gelineated in many drawings OF the
fifteenth century. one OF which, repr4.
senting university dignitaries at the
Council OF Constance. who are tlescrih-
ed in the accompanying text as birrec-
t"ti is here reproduced. The same
kind OF cap Is worn by the cardinals
sitting in conclave and depicted in
the same contemporary series Of draw
ings. as also by preachers addressing
the assembly. The privilege of Wear
IL & some such feaddress was extend
ed in the course Of the sixteenth csn-
fury to the lower grades Of the cler.
gy. and after a while the chief DIS
t.nction became one Of color. tia car
dinals always wearing red birettas
end bishops violet. The shape dur
ing the sixteenth and sevanyaenti
ably modified, and. though the que.
ton is very complicated, there seem.
no good reason to reject the identifi
cation. proposed by several mod.rr
writer's. Of the old Doctors bircttum
with the square college cap. popula RI,
known as the mortar board" of III:
modern English universities. Tho CO...
lcge cap and ecclesia stical biretta has.
probably developed from the same or
at the present day birettas vary con.
siderably IN shape. Those worn +,
the French. German and Spanish cler
gy as rule have four peaks instead o.
three; while Roman custom pres .ripe,
that cardinals biretta shou.l h~v.
no tassel AS regards usage in wear
ing the biretta, the reader must he re
ferred for details to some Of the work
mentioned in the photography. It ma!
be said In general that the biratta /!
! ns also when the priest Is performing.
! aEy act Of jurisdiction. e. g.. recon:l