It seemed to me, by my far from sophisticated eyes, that all the Cardinals (Western ones, the Eastern Orthodox prelates had a much more varied wardrobe) had vestments for the funeral Mass that were exactly the same shade of red.
Do they get new ones or special ones for this particular occasion? I would think that not all vestments for cardinals are made in the same place and there would have to be some variation in the type of cloth or dye used.
Or is it possible that TV just didn’t show the vestments in close enough detail for me to be able to discern a difference?
[nitpick] While the Eastern Right Catholics were, indeed, part of the ceremonies, there were Eastern Orthodox representatives seated among the dignitaries in the audience. [/nitpick]
They were matching vestments for the funeral, I believe, with a special pattern on them. I’ve seen many cardinals and met a couple and I’ve never seen those vestments used before.
A brief hijack if I may, the following snippet caught my eye in the article Captain Amazing posted:
Can anyone explain what exactly is going on here? To my mind clenching your fist doesn’t alter the shape of your foot in any way so I figure I must be missing something.
I think the tailor means that your clenched fist is about the same width as your foot. So, he has you close your fist and then put the sock on your fist. This is both easier and more sanitary than if he actually had you try the sock on your foot.
In the city blocks surrounding the Vatican, one will find numerous stores catering to the specific needs of the clergy, selling all manner of vestments, chalices, etc. I would venture to guess that the Vatican, as a matter of course, provides each of these vendors with lists of standards that must be adhered to, including precise shades of color for vestments.