[Article] The use of Biretta in the ordinary form of the Mass?

From the 16th century, the now rarely used biretta has been used ordinarily by almost all ecclesiastical ranks including seminarians. The ranks, though, have been distinguished with colors: scarlet red for cardinals, purple for bishops and priests given such privilege, and black for lower ranks like priests, deacons, and seminarians.

At will, its patronage as a clerical vesture is still allowed, and can even be used by the laity in some academic forums of the Church. Although sensitive it may be, this article will be restricted to the clerical usage of biretta in the ORDINARY FORM of the Mass.

The Pre-Vatican Council II celebrations of liturgies like the Eucharistic celebrations, presupposed ministers to approach the altar «capite cooperto» (with his head covered). As promulgated by Pope John XXIII, the Rubrics of the 1962 Roman Missal (Ritus Servandus in celebratione Missae) II:I states: «capite cooperto accedit ad Altare» (he goes to the Altar with his head covered), and the II:II of the same rubrics continues: «cum pervenerit ad altare, stans ante illius infimum gradum, caput detegit, biretum ministro porrigit, et Altari, seu imagini Crucifixi desuper positæ, profunde se inclinat» (When he arrives before the Altar, standing before the lowest step, he uncovers his head, and hands his Biretta to the minister. He then makes a profound bow to the Altar or the image of the Crucifix above it).

Post-Vatican Council II however, the explicit rubrics for ministers to cover their heads with biretta for liturgical celebrations, was conspicuously missing in the Roman Missal. Although the loud silence commonly presumed a disallowance, interested persons still capitalized on the rubrical silence as a grey spot to use the biretta as a liturgical vesture, until the dawn of the Instruction, Ut sive Solicita (6) by the Secretariat of State on 31st of March 1969.

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The document preserved the use of biretta for clerical choir dress, and disallowed its usage as a liturgical vesture in the words: Biretum, ex undulato serico rubri coloris, una tantum cum chorali veste, non autem pro communi capitis tegumento, adhiberi potest (The biretta of red watered-silk can be used with choir dress, but not as a common head covering).

Thus, from the time the Instruction came into force, biretta could not be used as common head covering for liturgical celebrations like Divine Office or for the Mass (not even as vesture for candidates in episcopal ordinations), except with choir dress often used for functions like talks, receptions, non-eucharistic parades and processions, etc. Apart from the standard example of Papal liturgical celebrations, the limitation in the usage of biretta for liturgies, is again made obvious in the 1984 Ceremonial Bishops (cf. nos. 63, 65-66, 1199) and GIRM (cf. 336-342).

Knowing very well that ‘liturgical vestments comprise a special case of ceremonial clothing and are, therefore, part of a complex pattern of communication.

They serve both to express the nature of the occasion when they are worn and to distinguish the respective role and rank of each participant’ (Aa. Vv., The Study of Liturgy, SPCK, London 1992). Without prejudice to the rank in degree and color therefore, the ministerial use of Biretta in the ORDINARY FORM of the Mass, is not anticipated in the present rubrics in force.