pontificals

The earliest pontificals date from the late ninth century.

Later pontificals are numerous and somewhat varied.

Formerly, protonotaries apostolic wore a pectoral cross on a purple silk cord when celebrating in pontificals.

In the Roman Catholic Church a pectoral cross is one of the pontificals used by the pope, cardinals, archbishops and bishops.

This was the choice of the Malabar prelates, who chose it over the East Syrian Rite and West Syrian Rite pontificals.

While the episcopal gloves are normally reserved for bishops, other prelates that are entitled to use pontificals, including abbots, may use them as well without a special papal privilege.

In 643, at the request of Rotharis and Queen Gundelberga, Pope Theodore I granted to the Abbot of Bobbio the use of the mitre and other pontificals.

The use of the term to refer to bishops in general is reflected in the terms "Roman Pontifical" (a book containing rites reserved for bishops, such as confirmation and ordination), and "pontificals" (the insignia of bishops).

Although Newton, as ordinary, does not have an episcopal ministry, he has been granted the use of pontificals (including the mitre, pectoral cross, episcopal ring and crozier etc) by the Holy See in the same manner as some abbots.

From them we gather that every consecration was accompanied by a celebration of the Holy Eucharist and a sermon, and special prayers of a dedicatory character, but there is no trace of the elaborate ritual of the medieval pontificals dating from the 8th century onwards.

The so-called Claudius Pontificals are the texts in British Library, Cotton Claudius A.iii, a composite manuscript of three separate pontificals, i.e. compilations of the services reserved for bishops, especially the coronation of kings.

His body, robed in his full pontificals, lay in state at the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Cathedral of St. Mary the Crowned until his funeral, allowing the public to file past the catafalque to pay their respects.

From the adjective have been formed the nouns "the Pontifical" (the liturgical book containing the prayers and ceremonies for rites used by a bishop) and "pontificals" (the insignia of his order that a bishop uses when celebrating Pontifical Mass, not papal insignia, such as the papal tiara).