The story behind the cappa magna

Last updated on: June 9, 2015 at 5:49 pm by Deacon Greg Kandra

The story behind the cappa magna 2015-06-09T17:49:54-04:00 Deacon Greg Kandra

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Every now and then, a sharp-eyed observer armed with a camera and a pair of binoculars treks into the wild, sets up a base camp and waits patiently for the arrival of a creature both rare and exotic—and perhaps, to some bird-watchers, comical.

He’s looking for the Cappa Magna Cardinal.

This seems to be what has happened, once again, with a recent piece in Crux—which, as Terry Mattingly has noted, treats Catholics devoted to tradition with a detached curiosity you normally only find in the pages of National Geographic. And it’s caused people to sit up and take notice of the image accompanying the Crux piece, and the one that illustrates the Get Religion posting: Roman Catholic cardinals (most notably, Cardinal Raymond Burke) sporting the cappa magna.

Well. It might be useful to understand the background behind this vestment.

The good people at Wikipedia, citing the Catholic Encyclopedia, explain:

The cappa magna (literally, “great cape”), a form of mantle, is a voluminous ecclesiastical vestment with a long train, proper to cardinals, bishops, and certain other honorary prelates. It is however a jurisdictional garment.

The cappa magna is not strictly a liturgical vestment, but only a glorified cappa choralis, or choir cope. That is to say, it is not used when vested as a celebrant at a liturgical service. It is worn in processions or “in choir” (i.e., attending but not celebrating services). Its colour for cardinals is ordinarily red and for bishops violet. Cardinals and papal nuncios are entitled to wear a cappa magna of watered silk.

The cappa magna is ample in volume and provided with a long train and a disproportionately large hood, the lining of the hood is ermine in winter and silk in summer, and was made in such a way as to completely cover not only the back, but also the breast and shoulders. The hood is functional and in earlier times was often placed on the head and covered with the galero. This used to be the custom when the pope created a new cardinal at a consistory. Nowadays, the hood is normally worn over the head only during penitential rites. Previously, cardinals who were members of specific religious orderswould wear a cappa magna in the color of their order. Nowadays, all cardinals wear red.

The motu proprio Valde solliciti of 30 November 1952 ordered that the train of the cappa magna should be shortened by about half (from 15 metres to 7).The 1969 Instruction on the Dress, Titles and Coats-of-arms of Cardinals, Bishops and Lesser Prelates laid down that:

The cappa magna, always without ermine, is no longer obligatory; it can be used only outside of Rome, in circumstances of very special solemnity. (§ 12)

Since then, the cappa magna is hardly ever used except in celebrations according to the pre-1969 liturgical books, as it was used for the ordination of deacons of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest in 2009.

What may be more significant, though, is the liturgical and theological symbolism behind the cappa magna.

A few years ago, after Bishop Edward James Slattery of Tulsa wore one for a Mass in Washington, a couple people wrote in to America magazine. The comments were not complimentary. This prompted Msgr. Patrick Brankin, the director of communications for Tulsa, to reply. In a letter reprinted in the National Catholic Reporter, he wrote:

Please allow me to respond to two letters that appeared in your May 31 issue concerning the liturgical use of the cappa magna at the solemn pontifical Mass celebrated by Bishop Slattery in Washington, D.C.

Bishop Slattery has received close to 2,000 letters and e-mail messages from 13 countries around the world commenting on the prayerfulness of that Mass and the depth of comfort the faithful found in his homily.

The cappa magna does indeed represent the finery of the world, its power and prestige. That is why after his entrance wearing it, the prelate is publicly stripped of this finery and humbled before the congregation. Then, vestment by vestment, the bishop is clothed in the new man of which St. Paul speaks, including the baptismal alb, the dalmatic of charity, the stole of pardon and the chasuble of mercy. When finally clothed in Christ, the prelate makes a second entrance into the church to begin the eucharistic celebration in persona Christi, the visible head of the body, the church.

It was a clear statement that the power and prestige of the world have no place at the altar, but it is expressed in a liturgical ritual or symbol, which, unfortunately, are often lacking in the contemporary rites and thus hard to grasp.

Interesting points, all. And in that context, it makes some sense.

I have to say, I’ve never seen the cappa magna in real life myself; like most contemporary Catholics, it’s something I’ve only spotted in pictures. But I have to wonder if, in this day and age, it has outlived its usefulness.

I would be hard-pressed to imagine someone like Pope Francis—he, of the frayed sleeve and scuffed shoes—wearing this sort of vestment. And I think most modern cardinals and bishops would elect to don something simpler, even for big events. If the pontiff believes bishops should smell like their sheep, it might be a challenge to find sheep who smell of watered silk. (A deacon on Facebook put it simply: “I will always fail to see how it reflects the One who was carpenter turned preacher and healer. Could anything be farther from His simple garments?”)

And, after all: in our image-saturated age, the image the cappa magna conveys today may not be what was originally intended.

Love it or hate it, no one can deny: it definitely makes a statement.

For the full cappa effect, check out the video below, from the Mass featuring Bishop Slattery:

Liturgy

Previous Post

June 9, 2015

Ordination update: 7 new deacons for Worcester

Next Post

June 10, 2015 The upcoming encyclical: “An important event in the life of the universal church”

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category "Mad Men" 9/11 advent All Things New Amazing video amazing videos amazon america Anglicans Anti-Catholicism art ascension thursday ash wednesday Atheists baltimore Bible Bishops Blogging bonnie engstrom Books bridgeport Brooklyn Chaplains children christian art christmas Church Churches CNEWA Converts criticism Deacons Death Penalty easter eastern christian Eastern Christians Ecumenism education Education Eucharist Europe euthanasia Evangelization Exorcism Family Feasts Gay rights Good Friday Great links Great Moments in Journalism Hanging with the saints heather renshaw Hispanic Catholics Hispanics History homelies Homilies Humor Hymn of the Week Immigration indianapolis Inspiration Interfaith news ireland Jesus Jews Journalism Judaism lent Liturgy logos Marriage Mary Media Medical news Mental health Middle East Monks Movies Music Muslims My world and welcome to it New Evangelization new york News Nuns Parenting Parish life peoria Persecution politics Politics Pope pope francis pope john paul Prayer Preaching Priests Pro-life Quote of the day radio rebecca frech ripp Ripped from the headlines rippred from the headlines Sacraments saints Scripture sex abuse Sex abuse crisis SEX ABUSE CRISIS TAGGED WITH: SEX ABUSE CRISIS The people in the pews the visitation project theatre This & that Thomas Merton Trappists TV Uncategorized uncategorized Vatican VATICAN vocation Vocations Voices & Views Women Worth a thousand words Writing Year of Faith year of mercy young people

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who prophesied against Tyre, predicting it would become a bare rock?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ezekiel Joel Daniel Amos

Books by This Author Books by Deacon Greg Kandra

See All Titles »