the.com/zucchetto
the skullcap that ranks you by color, from priestly black to papal white.
means A small round skullcap worn by Catholic clergy, its color signaling the wearer's rank — black for priests, purple for bishops, red for cardinals, white for the pope.
from From Italian zucchetto, a diminutive of zucca, "gourd" or "pumpkin" — the cap perched on the crown of the head like a little dome of squash. Zucca itself likely descends from Latin cucutia. The same gourd-word, by the way, gives us zucchini — the cap and the vegetable are vegetable cousins, both named for their rounded shape.
- name origin
- Italian for small gourd, mocking the bald head
- color code
- White pope, red cardinal, purple bishop, black priest
- removal rule
- Comes off only during the Eucharistic prayer
- gift custom
- Worn briefly by the pope, then returned to giver
- eight panels
- Sewn from gores meeting at a tiny stem
papal zucchetto — small white skullcap worn by the pope during liturgical services, part of papal vestments since the 16th century
cardinal zucchetto — scarlet or purple skullcap worn by catholic cardinals, distinguishing them from bishops who wear violet