THE PALLIUM Vestment of Popes and Metropolitan Archbishops

THE PALLIUM
On the feast of St Peter and St Paul on 29 June in St
Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope Francis blessed forty-six
Palliums for Metropolitan Archbishops from around the
world, including Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP.
Archbishop Fisher, who concelebrated the Mass with
the Pope was presented with the Pallium to bring
home to Sydney for the formal investiture by the Pope’s
personal representative in Australia, the Apostolic
Nuncio, Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana on 25 July at St
Mary’s Cathedral.
It is an occasion to be shared with the clergy of the
diocese and parishioners and all are invited.
Background
The Pallium is a band about 6cm wide of woven lamb’s
wool. The middle section of the band is sewn in the form of
a circle which is worn on the shoulders, with the two ends
of the band, long, arranged to hang about 30cm down the
chest and the back.
The Pallium has six black crosses embroidered on it. In its
earliest form, the Pallium was a wider and much longer
than it is today, and was held in a loop by pins on the left
shoulder, with the ends hanging down in front and behind.
In the Middle Ages
it came to be pinned
to hang in the centre,
so that the vestment
formed a sort of Y shape.
Gradually its width and
length were reduced to
their present size.
Vestment of Popes and
Metropolitan Archbishops
The Pallium has been worn by the Popes since at least the
Fourth Century, and its use by certain other bishops was
permitted as a sign of a close connection with the Church
in Rome or as a particular honour.
By the Ninth Century the Pallium was granted mainly to
Metropolitans, that is, archbishops of significant cities
who have one or more bishops of smaller dioceses within
their Province. Later, all Metropolitans were required to
petition the Pope for a Pallium to wear as the sign of their
communion with the Roman Pontiff and their jurisdiction
within their Province.
In current practice the Pope grants the Pallium to
Metropolitan Archbishops, to the Latin patriarch of
Jerusalem, and to the Dean of the College of Cardinals.
When a Metropolitan retires from office, he is no longer
permitted to wear the Pallium. If he should be transferred
to a new diocese as Metropolitan, he must receive a new
Pallium.
The Pallium
The blessing and presentation of the Pallium by Pope Francis to the Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP
St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, 29 June 2015
The investiture with the Pallium as the Ninth Metropolitan Archbishop of Sydney
St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, 25 July 2015
Giving and
Receiving the
Pallium
Each year the Pope blesses two lambs
on the feast of St Agnes (January 21),
and wool from these lambs is woven
with other wool to make the Palliums
that will be needed.
The new Palliums made each year are
kept on the tomb of St Peter in the
Vatican Basilica, and blessed by the
Pope on the feast of Saints Peter and
Paul, June 29.
Symbolism of
the Pallium
As well as being a mark of communion
with the Pope, the Pallium signifies the
pastoral jurisdiction of the Pope and
Metropolitans, and is worn at Mass on
more solemn celebrations. The Pope
may wear his in any place, whereas
Metropolitans may wear theirs only
within the boundaries of their Province.
It is their insignia as the Shepherds of
their flock.
Indeed, the Pallium has sometimes
been beautifully described in terms
of the Good Shepherd, carrying the
lost sheep on his shoulders. Such a
“burden” is actually the joy of the Good
Shepherd, who delights in caring for the
flock entrusted to him.
Until recent decades, newly appointed
Metropolitans needed to receive a
Pallium before they could exercise
some functions of their ministry as
Metropolitan such as ordaining and
installing suffragan bishops,
and
consecrating churches, altars and
the holy Chrism. Hence, a Pallium
was sent out to them by the Pope
and they were then invested with
it in their own city by a Papal Legate
or other prelate, although sometimes
they would receive it directly from the
Pope at a Consitory in Rome.
A revision of Canon Law after the
Second Vatican Council removed the
need for Metropolitans to wait for
the Pallium before exercising their
pastoral authority, and Pope St John
Paul II introduced a practice of calling
all the newly appointed Metropolitans
to Rome once a year on the Feast of
St Peter and Paul, to personally invest
them with the Pallium.
Pope Francis wearing the Pallium
Pope Francis decided to change the
procedure: he blesses the Palliums
on the Feast of St Peter and St Paul
with the new Metropolitans present,
and then gives them their Pallium at a
private ceremony. The Metropolitans
then return to their own city, and are
publicly invested with the Pallium
there by a Papal Nuncio.
Pope Francis hopes that this change
will enable more parishioners in the
local dioceses to participate in an
important moment in the life and
history of their diocese and Province,
when each new archbishop’s bond
of hierarchical communion with the
See of Peter and his role as Chief
Shepherd in the local Churches can be
celebrated with the investiture.
The blessing and presentation of the Pallium by Pope Francis to the Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP
St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, 29 June 2015
The investiture with the Pallium as the Ninth Metropolitan Archbishop of Sydney
St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, 25 July 2015