Friday, February 4, 2011

Cardinal Spellman


Are these white buckles shoes? And if yes, why have I never heard of those before? Can any reader offer any information?

5 comments:

Andy said...

Those might be the Pontifical Sandals.

Anonymous said...

First of all, thank you, Leo, once again, for all your hard work! Thank you especially for the wonderful photos you have posted about the great Cardinal Spellman. Here is my take on the shoes: It seems that many Bishops in the US certainly wanted to follow the rubric concerning the Pontifical sandals, but felt somewhat "uncomfortable" (literally perhaps, but I mean figuratively!) with their traditional structure. So, they seem to have come up with their own compromise: it was a white shoe, sometimes with ribbons in the place of laces and, in this case, buckles! In other words, a hybrid of the ecclesiastical shoe and the Pontifical sandal.In some cases, merely what we used to call "white bucks" with gold ribbons!
Let's excuse the dear Cardinal this sartorial and liturgical lapse because in every other way he was outstanding!!

Anonymous said...

What a horrible slur! Certainly not expected on this site. May I respectfully suggest it be removed as both offensive and nasty.

leo said...

Done.

Message to all: Do your trolling where you like, but expect your comments to be removed if you try it here.

Anonymous said...

Spellman is wearing liturgical shoes, for the installation ceremony of a bishop. See: C.H. Staal, De kleren van de kardinaal (Museum Het Catharijneconvent, Utrecht) p.21, with on p.20 a beautifull picture of the installation of mgr. J.W.M. Bluyssen as bishop. Soon I will make a scan of it.
H.J. Metselaars, Amsterdam