Pope Benedict's Style

Pope Benedict XVI Style Vestments garb robes clothes color
Daniele La Monaca / Reuters

The Papal Wardrobe
Virtually every article of clothing worn by the Pope carries meaning and history. In this photo, the strip of white wool decorated with crosses that he wears over his shoulders, called a pallium, evokes a style dating to the 11th century, when the Eastern Orthodox Church split from the Roman Catholic Church. It has been suggested that this gesture is intended as a way of reaching out to the Orthodox.

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