Why Bishops wear this Small Round Cap and the Name

It is worthy of note that, this small round cap wore by bishops is calked “skull cap” or “Zuchetto”, and it is a symbol that marks them out as the bishop. On the other hand, the large pointed hat that they wear is called the “mitre”. The miter is a symbol of their office as princes of the Catholics Church.

The mitre (large hat) is an official liturgical vestment and he wears it at Mass and while conducting other formal Church functions.

In the church’s hierarchy, the color of the zucchetto (skull cap) denotes the wearer’s rank, for instance, the Pope’s zucchetto (skull cap) is white, those worn by cardinals are red or scarlet, and those of bishops, territorial abbots and territorial prelates are purple.

During the celebration of Mass, the bishop removes his skull cap at the commencement of the conecration, and put it on again at the conclusion of the Communion as a sign of respect for the “real presence” of Christ in body, soul and divinity.

You will notice that, during Mass, the bishop takes his mitre on and off, depending on what is happening in the liturgy.

Although there is some dispute about how longstanding the tradition of wearing the skull cap and the mitre is (some people claim it is from the time of the apostles!) but there is no question that mitres have been worn by bishops for at least a thousand years.

The shape of the mitre is supposed to represent the tongues of fire that rested on the heads of the disciples gathered in the upper room on the Day of Pentecost, when God sent the Holy Spirit to the Church.

A bishop receives a mitre during his ordination as a bishop, when the Holy Spirit comes to the new bishop in the same way that the Holy Spirit came to the first disciples.

The pointed shape of the mitre represents the tongues of fire of the Holy Spirit and links the bishop to the apostles at the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2).

In addition to his vestments at Mass, an archbishop wears a Pallium, A narrow white woolen ban worn around the shoulders over his outer vestment (chasuble).

The pallium has two short woolen pendants, one hanging down the front, the other down the back, and ornamented with six black crosses.

The Paillum is worn by the Pope and Archbishops as a sign of their authority. An archbishop with a pallium is usually the head (metrpolitan) of all the other bishops (suffragans) in the province.

At his ordination, he also receives a Pectoral Cross which he must hang around his neck always.

NB: The Shepherd’s Cane that the bishop carries is called the shepherd’s crook or crozier or pastoral staff. He carries the staff at liturgical functions as a sign that he is chief shepherd of the flock of God’s people and directs them in the way of the Lord with the shepherd’s staff.

The bishop also wears a ring which has the bishop’s seal as its face. This ring is a symbol of the bishop’s faithfulness to God and the Church. The Bishop always wears the ring, the symbol of his fidelity and nuptial bond with the Church, the diocese, (his spouse), of which he is bishop.

Kindly comment your opinion on this, and share to your friends to know.