Monday, June 1, 2009

Canon-Confusion

Reader Carl sent in these photos from this year's Precious Blood procession in Bruges


In this first photo you see the bishop with two of his canons in proper dress: Black cassock, rochet and black silk mozzetta with red buttons and piping.


This photo raises two questions: Why is the black bishop not wearing a purple cassock (or is he no bishop)? And why does the canon to the left wear a purple cassock? Help!


And is this just some canon who does not belong to the Bruges Cathedral chapter or did he get it all wrong (purple cassock; no-silk mozzetta)? Help again!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The bishop in black cassock is Msgr. Zacchaeus Okoth; the Canon in purple (a Roman prelate) Msgr. Alfred Vanneste

(msgr. dr.) L. De Maere, Antwerp (B)

carl said...

strange, why is Mgr. Okoth wearing a silk mozetta? and a not one of coton, and is suppose he forget his clothes at home. right? not good.

Ttony said...

"Why is the black bishop not wearing a purple cassock (or is he no bishop)? And why does the canon to the left wear a purple cassock? Help!"

Perhaps they were swapped at birth.

Anonymous said...

the bishop may not own a purple cassock and the canon's wear the cassock to which they are entitled, hence, if a msgr, they wear a purple cassock

Anonymous said...

The bishop is most probably travelling and he only has with him the usual abito piano (look attentively and you'll see that he is wearing the purple sash and the filetatta) borrowing the purple mozzetta. The canon with purple cassock is probably a prelate of honour and therefore entitled to the purple choir cassock (not all "monsignor" can use a purple cassock) although in the old times a canon who was also a papal prelate (chaplain, prothonotary, etc.) had to use either the canon robes or the prelatial choral dress. But every chapter had and has its own rules.