Semper Fidelis

Mar 20, '09 1:27 PM
for everyone

Contrary to popular belief, the term “Red Hat” used to refer to the office of Cardinal does not originate from the scarlet biretta distinctive among cardinals today. During the Medieval Era, when horses were the only modes of transportation, prelates, like the rest of the traveling folk, used hats to protect themselves from the elements and to shade their faces against heat and glare.

Initially, the galero was only worn by legati a laetare (cardinals who are papal envoys). Eventually, the exclusive use of the scarlet galero for all secular cardinals was decreed by Innocent IV in 1245 in the First Synod of Lyons. The privileges were then extended to religious cardinals by Gregory XIV in 1591. As time went by the galero grew to extensive proportions, especially the brim, while the dome of the crown started to become shallower. During the Renaissance, when Papal splendor was at its fullest, the galero was worn by cardinals during Solemn Cavalcades on very special occasions (i.e. Coronation of the new Pope). This was also worn by cardinals when traveling together with his household.

a detail from Rapahel's painting entitled "The meeting between Leo the Great and Attila" you can see the practical purpose of the galero, and you can also see its normal size.

The galero is a scarlet colored hat, appareled with fifteen tassels, arranged in triangular order of 1,2,3,4 and 5 tassels, on either side of the brim, thus totaling to 30 tassels on both sides. There is also an adjustable cord, to secure the hat under the cardinal’s chin to avoid it from being blown off by the wind. The cords and tassels are made of scarlet silk. During the time when the galero still served a practical purpose, it was never worn directly over the cardinal’s bear head. It was always worn over the hood of the cappa magna (therefore it is always worn with the cappa magna).

In modern use, the galero was given to the newly created cardinals during the Public Consistory. Unlike today, there were three Consistories attended by the newly created Cardinals, namely: The Secret Consistory, The Semi Public Consistory and the Public Consistory. It was normally on the Semi Public Consistory that the biretta was given to the cardinal-designate, while reserving the more resplendent galero for the Public Consistory. The galero represents the cardinal’s dignity as “Prince of the Church”.

On the Public Consistory, the cardinals, dressed in choir dress and cappa magna ascend the throne where the Holy Father imposes the galero on their (hooded) heads while saying the traditional prayer: "Ad laudem omnipotentis Dei et Sanctae Sedis ornamentum, accipe galerum rubrum, insigne singularis dignitatis cardinalatus, per quod designatur quod usque ad mortem et sanguinis effusionem inclusive pro exaltatione sanctae fidei, pace et quiete populi christiani, augmento et statu sacrosanctae romanae Ecclesiae, te intrepidum exhibere debeas, in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti." (To the praise of Almighty God and the honor of His Holy See, receive this red hat, the distinctive sign of the Cardinal’s dignity, by which is meant that even unto death and the shedding of blood you will show yourself courageous for the exaltation of Our Holy Father, for the peace and outlet of the Christian people and for the augmentation of the Holy Roman Catholic Church. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.)

A photo showing Pius XII imposing a galero on a newly created cardinal in a Public Consistory. Note that the hood of the cardinal's cappa magna is pulled over his head.

After the Consistory, the galero is delivered to the residence of the cardinal where it is displayed conspicuously in the cardinal’s residence. On the death of the cardinal, the galero is put on his feet, if he is displayed outside of a coffin (or at the foot of his coffin). If he is a diocesan archbishop, his galero is suspended above his tomb in the cathedral Church. Legend has it that the cardinal will remain in purgatory as long as his galero does not disintegrate completely. This is the reason why political enemies of Cardinal Richelieu keep on replacing the cord on which his galero was hanging to prolong the cardinal’s stay in purgatory. (or so they thought)

a galero held by Fr. Bede Row

The same galero worn by Fr. Rowe. Notice the width of the brim, shallowness of the crown and size of the tassels.

Josyf Cardinal Slipyj of the Ukranian Greek Catholic Church. Eastern Rite cardinals had their own peculiar way of wearing the galero.

a galero, "in spledoribus"

After the Conciliar Reform, the ceremony of imposing the galero was abolished and replace with the simpler imposition of the biretta. Although no longer necessary, some cardinals still acquire the galero from ecclesiastical tailors to continue the tradition of hanging them above their tombs.