Wednesday, February 4, 2009

I love it!

Check out this proud and well-dressed fellow:

António Alves Martins, O.F.M., bishop of Viseu, Portugal from 1862 to 1882.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

fascinating... thanks for the great pics

leo said...

You're welcome!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this picture, Leo. I am very surprised for this photo, as I did not know that bishops could use these secular-like clothes in the XIX century (above all regular prelates). Could anyone inform me about this matter? (And sorry about my deficient English).

Greetings from Spain,

Xavier.

Anonymous said...

Xavier,

I think that the cassock as we know today was an invention of the Blessed Pope Pius IX.

Anonymous said...

What SMJ said. I think that this was the normal "street wear" for prelates (as opposed to choir dress, which was of course also worn for extraliturgical official functions) before the introduction of the abito Piano.

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much, SMJ and Gregor, for your responses.