Biretta

A traditional biretta

A Cardinal's biretta

The biretta is a square cap with three ridges or peaks, surmounted by a tuft, traditionally worn by Roman Catholic clergy, as well as by some clergy of the Anglican Churches. Historically, the biretta was used by all ranks of the clergy from Cardinals to priests and deacons. It is also part of the Court dress of Advocates in the Channel Islands. Contrary to common opinion, the biretta has not been abolished as a result of changes in regulation of clerical dress and vesture following the Second Vatican Council, but is not often used, and is therefore most commonly seen in use by clerics of episcopal rank on occasions where its use is mandated by church rubrics.

Its origins are uncertain but is mentioned as early as the tenth century. The most probable origin of the biretta is the academic hat of the high middle ages, which was a soft, square cap. The medieval academic hat is also the ancestor of the modern mortarboard hat or 'dink' used today in secular universities.

Those worn by Cardinals are scarlet red, those by bishops are purple, while those worn by priests, deacons, and seminarians are black. Cardinals uniquely wear silk birettas, though the biretta traditionally used at their installation and worn only then is wool. The pope does not make use of the biretta, instead he makes use of the camauro. On 'peaked' birettas, worn by most ranks of the clergy, the 'peak-less' corner should be worn on the left side of the head. Variations in the color of the tuft of the priest's biretta denote a privileged office. For example, protonotaries apostolic de numero wear a black biretta with a red tuft. Birettas worn by cardinals, deacons, and seminarians do not have a tuft and those worn by priests in most religious orders (for example, Jesuits, as distinguished from diocesan priests) also do not have tufts or poms.

Academic or doctoral biretta

In commencement ceremonies and other academic settings, clergy normally wear the biretta rather than the mortarboard. In such cases, clergy who hold doctorates would wear a biretta with four ridges, which is piped and tufted with the color indicating the field of expertise, thus, for example, emerald green for canon law and dark red for theology.[link][link] The academic biretta is not worn in the liturgy.

The doctoral biretta is sometimes seen in depictions of St. Teresa of Ávila, because she was declared a doctor by the University of Salamanca.[link] She was also declared a doctor of the Church. The doctoral biretta has been used in depictions of another doctor of the Church, St. Thérèse de Lisieux.[link]

External links

[History and use of the Biretta in the Roman Catholic church]
[Picture of biretta]
[Additional pictures of birettas in various settings]
"Instruction on the dress, titles and coat-of-arms of cardinals, bishops and lesser prelates." L'Osservatore Romano, English ed. 17 Apr. 1969: 4. ISSN 0391-668X. Online at [http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/instruction69.htm]

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