Pontiff’s style council

“AN adult faith does not follow the waves of fashion and the latest novelties,” Joseph Ratzinger told his fellow cardinals, just hours before they elected him pope.

True to form, he tirelessly advocates (and tweets) conservative Catholic values. His speeches raise few eyebrows but he still manages to turn heads with his colourful vestments and snazzy accessories. Don’t call him a fashion plate, though. Pope Benedict looks to the Vatican’s sartorial archives when commissioning his clothes.

Almost everything a pope wears is symbolic but after Vatican II the papal regalia were toned down. The General Instruction of the Rome Missal was that the beauty of the chasuble (the long outer vestment worn for the celebration of the Eucharist) “should come from drapery and form, rather than elaborate decoration,” and many accoutrements were simplified or fell into disuse. In keeping with his old-school theology, Pope Benedict has revived several garments that haven’t been worn for over half a century. This goes some way to explaining the bemused media response to his more colourful choices.