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The pope traditionally wears four objects on his head.

  • The white skullcap is called a zucchetto.
  • The ceremonial head covering, that looks a bit like the Chess piece it inspired, is called a mitre.
  • The triple crown, shown on the papal flag above the crossed keys is called the tiara and has three crowns meant to symbolize that the pope is ruler of the Papal state, that his spiritual authority transcends all civil authority and to assert his moral authority over all secular rulers. This crown has not been worn by popes since 1963 in an effort to encourage the ecumenical movement.
  • The current pope has revived an old kind of papal hat called the camauro, which is a sort of red (white around Easter time) cloth bag with an ermine lining.
AnswerFor centuries, the popes did wear crowns, at least at their official investitures/coronation. It is a three-tiered crown (tiara) and has more of a curved cone or ovoid shape. Popes were installed by being crowned with tiara up to and including Paul VI in 1963. From John Paul I on, Popes have been installed with a stole (like the priest's Mass vestment) as a symbol of their authority.

It is important to note that the Vatican is a true independent state, with civil authority. The pope is the head of this state. The papal states, and the military power they contained, were quite large centuries ago (up until 1871). Hence the appropriateness of the crown.

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12y ago

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