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Views from the Choir Loft

What did Pope John Paul II think of the Cappa Magna?

Jeff Ostrowski · March 24, 2014

Pope John Paul II seems to have liked the Cappa Magna:

727 JP2 v2


Here’s Cardinal Wojtyla taking the titular church in Rome:

727 version 1


What could be more awesome than a Franciscan winter Cappa Magna?

726 Cappa Franc


Many bishops and cardinals wear the Cappa these days. Cardinal Pell does. And here’s Bishop Slattery of Tulsa:

722 Slattery


Here’s Cardinal Burke wearing a summer Cappa:

725 Cappa


Here’s Pope Pius XII wearing the Cappa Magna while still a cardinal:

724 Cappa Pius XII

Another version is here.


Read all about it by visiting this incredible website.


Msgr. Patrick Brankin wrote the following on 21 June 2010:

Please allow me to respond to two letters that appeared in your May 31 issue concerning the liturgical use of the capa magna at the solemn pontifical Mass celebrated by Bishop Slattery in Washington, DC.

Bishop Slattery has received close to 2,000 letters and email messages from 13 countries around the world commenting on the prayerfulness of that Mass and the depth of comfort the faithful found in his homily.

The capa magna does indeed represent the finery of the world, its power and prestige. That is why after his entrance wearing it, the prelate is publicly stripped of this finery and humbled before the congregation. Then, vestment by vestment, the bishop is clothed in the new man of which St Paul speaks, including the baptismal alb, the dalmatic of charity, the stole of pardon and the chasuble of mercy. When finally clothed in Christ, the prelate makes a second entrance into the church to begin the eucharistic celebration in persona Christi, the visible head of the body, the church.

It was a clear statement that the power and prestige of the world have no place at the altar, but it is expressed in a liturgical ritual or symbol, which, unfortunately, are often lacking in the contemporary rites and thus hard to grasp.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Cappa Magna Liturgical Vestment Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    Vespers Booklet (4th Sunday of Lent)
    The organ accompaniment booklet (24 pages) which I created for the 4th Sunday of Lent (“Lætare Sunday”) may now be downloaded, for those who desire such a thing.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Vespers Booklet, 3rd Sunday of Lent
    The organ accompaniment I created for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (“Extraordinary Form”) may now be downloaded, if anyone is interested in this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Weeping For Joy! (We Hope!)
    Listening to this Easter Alleluia—an SATB arrangement I made twenty years ago based on the work of Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel—one of our readers left this comment: “I get tears in my eyes each time I sing to this hymn.” I hope this person is weeping for joy!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Ronald Knox explained why the Modernists do not compose hymns: “Birds of prey have no song.”

— Fr. George William Rutler (2016)

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