Latest news with #Mancinelli
Herald Malaysia
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
Whose outfit will new pope wear?
Italian ecclesiastical tailor, Raniero Mancinelli, 86, poses at the door of his shop in Borgo Pio, a neighborhood close to the Vatican, on Nov. 19, 2024. (Photo: AFP) For decades, one Rome tailor has been making the white cassock new popes wear immediately after election, but this time, he has a Gammarelli tailors traditionally prepare three outfits — short, medium, and tall — to fit new pontiffs, whatever their size, but say the Vatican has asked them not to offer anything this just hours to go before cardinals are locked into the Sistine Chapel to elect Pope Francis' successor, rival tailor Raniero Mancinelli is offering his own set, although the Vatican has not asked him to."I have to deliver them today or tomorrow... They have to be ready before the conclave to be used if needed," 86-year-old Mancinelli said on May made clothes for several popes in the past, but never had the honor of making the first outfit worn when the pope addressed the public from the balcony of St Peter's is hand-making the lightweight wool cassocks, sashes and white zucchettos -- or skullcaps -- to be delivered to the Vatican before the conclave, which starts on May is also making three sizes to cover all his are "small, medium or large", to fit different girths rather than heights, as the length will not be visible when the pontiff first Gammarelli told last week his family-run tailors had been readying to make the three virgin cassocks, as per tradition, but was "told by the Vatican that they have taken care of it."He said he assumed the vestments for the new pope would "be those of the previous conclaves, because each time we made three robes and they used only one."But Mancinelli, who has been a tailor for 70 years in his historic shop on the Borgo Pio, a stone's throw from the Vatican, hopes otherwise. An offering Mancinelli has the necessary skills, having worked under seven popes. "With so many priests, bishops, and cardinals coming and going, it's hard to remember them all," he
eNCA
05-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Cassocks competition: whose outfit will new pope wear?
VATICAN CITY - For decades, one Rome tailor has been making the white cassock new popes don immediately after election -- but this conclave, it has competition. The Gammarelli tailors traditionally prepare three outfits -- short, medium and tall -- to fit new pontiffs, whatever their size but say this time the Vatican has asked them not to. With just hours to go before cardinals are locked into the Sistine Chapel to elect Pope Francis's successor, rival tailor Raniero Mancinelli is taking the chance to offer his own set. "I have to deliver them today or tomorrow... They have to be ready before the conclave so they can be used if needed," 86-year-old Mancinelli told AFP on Monday. Mancinelli has made clothes for several popes in the past but has never had the honour of making the first outfit worn when the pope addresses the public from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica. He is hand-making the lightweight wool cassocks, sashes and white zucchettos -- or skullcaps -- to be delivered to the Vatican ahead of the conclave, which starts on Wednesday. Mancinelli is also making three sizes to fit all sorts of pope. But his are "small, medium or large", to fit different girths rather than heights, as the length will not be visible when the pontiff first appears. Lorenzo Gammarelli told AFP last week his family-run tailors had been readying to make the three virgin cassocks, as per tradition, but was "told by the Vatican that they have taken care of it". He said he assumed the vestments for the new pope would "be those of the previous conclaves, because each time we made three robes and they used only one". But Mancinelli, who has been a tailor for 70 years in his historic shop on the Borgo Pio, a stone's throw from the Vatican, hopes otherwise. - An offering - Although the Vatican has not requested he make the cassocks, he has the necessary skills, having worked under seven popes. "I am making them and offering them to the Vatican in case they can be used by the new pope," he said. AFP | Andrej ISAKOVIC "If they use my things I will be very happy," he added. The ecclesiastical tailor, who dresses Roman Catholic bishops, priests and seminarians as well as popes, is rushed off his feet with last minute requests ahead of the conclave. "There are cardinals that need a sash, a zucchetto, a collar... I take care of it," Mancinelli said. Originally from the Marche region in central Italy, he fell into the profession by chance after being offered the job one day of making cassocks for the Vatican. The workshop is lined with photographs of Mancinelli and popes. He personally made cassocks for the last three, including Francis. Clerics from all over the world drop in on him during their visits to Rome. Some have become friends. Others have climbed the ranks of the Catholic hierarchy. Francis's election was a surprise -- an outsider from Latin America who had not appeared in the lists of frontrunners ahead of his election in 2013. Mancinelli said the Argentine had not been one of his regulars, although he may have popped into the shop at some point. "With so many priests, bishops and cardinals coming and going, it's hard to remember them all," he said. By Ella Ide
CBC
05-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Ahead of conclave, this Italian tailor is making 3 different sizes of cassocks
Social Sharing After a fat pope comes a skinny pope — Dopo un papa grasso, viene un papa magro, the old Vatican saying goes. Raniero Mancinelli is taking no chances. In a cramped backroom atelier just steps from St. Peter's Basilica, the 86-year-old ecclesiastical tailor is sewing not one but three white papal cassocks — small, medium and large — hedging his bets on who might step onto the balcony when the white smoke rises. The Vatican expression is less about waistlines and more about political pendulum swings. After the death of a pope, the conclave of cardinal-electors often veers in the opposite direction, choosing a pontiff with a contrasting style or set of priorities. But whether they opt for a conservative in a wool-silk blend or a progressive in pared-down wool, Mancinelli wants to make sure the cloth still fits. His greatest wish, he says, is to see a freshly elected pope wearing one of his cassocks on the balcony for that seminal moment — something that's never happened. He's one of a handful of tailors who donate these first papal robes, making it something of a quiet competition. The conclave that will elect a successor to Pope Francis – and ultimately a new leader of the 1.4-billion strong Catholic Church – begins Wednesday. Gammarelli, another family-run ecclesiastical tailor favoured by the Vatican, has confirmed it didn't receive a pre-conclave order for a new set of virgin cassocks — those first white robes prepared for a newly elected pope — marking the first time in 46½ years. Italian media suggests the Vatican has enough unworn cassocks on hand, and is honouring Pope Francis's message of environmental and economic sustainability. WATCH | Who could replace Pope Francis? Who could replace Pope Francis? 13 days ago Duration 6:02 With the Vatican now in sede vacante after the death of Pope Francis, CBC's Jonathan Montpetit looks ahead to the conclave and who might be in line to become the next pontiff. NOTE: Since this video was published, two cardinals have withdrawn from the Holy See for health reasons. Aside from those first robes, Mancinelli has spent decades dressing popes from head to heel. Papal fashion, he says, has shifted from opulence to restraint — especially under Francis, who favoured modest, low-cost garments. "Francis wanted a very lightweight, robust wool," said Mancinelli. "Something practical. Benedict, on the other hand, liked a wool-silk blend, more formal and high-end." John Paul II, he adds, wore a robe of heavier wool, "not because he suffered the cold, but because he was chubbier and needed a more resilient fabric." The cassock, or talare in Italian, gets its name from the fact that it is meant to brush the taloni — the heels. That hasn't changed. But pure silk, he says, has mostly fallen out of favour. "Silk was extremely difficult to work with," said Mancinelli. "It also rips easily and doesn't last long." Like a good pope, he says, wool is more forgiving. Each cassock takes five or six days to complete. A defining detail: the 33 buttons that run down the front, one for each year of Christ's life. "Sometimes we cut the number back a bit to speed things up or for practical reasons," he admitted, like the pope's height. Mancinelli began crafting clerical garments at age 15. Since the 1960s, he's run his busy shop that attracts priests, bishops and cardinals shopping for cassocks, mitres (the stiff ceremonial hat worn by cardinals, archbishops and popes), mozzettas (those little dome-shaped shoulder capes), and fascias (the sash worn around the waist). His daughter, Laura, works the front of the shop while his grandson Lorenzo, 23, sits by him at the sewing machine, training to take over one day. "The collar, the hem, the finishing details," said Lorenzo, listing off the most time-consuming tasks. Mancinelli started working on the cassocks for the next pope even before Francis died — to be able to take Lorenzo through every step. The robes are scheduled to be complete by May 5. Then, Mancinelli will deliver them in person to the Vatican.
News.com.au
05-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Cassocks competition: whose outfit will new pope wear?
For decades, one Rome tailor has been making the white cassock new popes don immediately after election -- but this conclave it has competition. The Gammarelli tailors traditionally prepares three outfits -- short, medium and tall -- to fit new pontiffs whatever their size but say this time the Vatican has asked them not to. With just hours to go before cardinals are locked into the Sistine Chapel to elect Pope Francis's successor, rival tailor Raniero Mancinelli is taking the chance to offer his own set. "I have to deliver them today or tomorrow... They have to be ready before the conclave so they can be used if needed," 86-year-old Mancinelli told AFP on Monday. Mancinelli has made clothes for several popes in the past but has never had the honour of making the first outfit, worn when the pope addresses the public from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica. He is hand-making the lightweight wool cassocks, sashes and white zucchettos -- or skullcaps -- to be delivered to the Vatican ahead of the conclave, which starts on Wednesday. Mancinelli is also making three sizes to fit all sorts of pope. But his are "small, medium or large", to fit different girths rather than heights, as the length will not be visible when the pontiff first appears. Lorenzo Gammarelli told AFP last week his family-run tailors had been readying to make the three virgin cassocks, as per tradition, but was "told by the Vatican that they have taken care of it". He said he assumed the vestments for the new pope would "be those of the previous conclaves, because each time we made three robes and they used only one". But Mancinelli, who has been a tailor for 70 years in his historic shop on the Borgo Pio, a stone's throw from the Vatican, hopes otherwise. - An offering - Although the Vatican has not requested he make the cassocks, he has the necessary skills, having worked under seven popes. "I am making them and offering them to the Vatican in case they can be used by the new pope," he said. "If they use my things I will be very happy," he added. The ecclesiastical tailor, who dresses Roman Catholic bishops, priests and seminarians as well as popes, is rushed off his feet with last minute requests ahead of the conclave. "There are cardinals that need a sash, a zucchetto, a collar... I take care of it," Mancinelli said. Originally from the Marche region in central Italy, he fell into the profession by chance after being offered the job one day of making cassocks for the Vatican. The workshop is lined with photographs of Mancinelli and popes. He personally made cassocks for the last three, including Francis. Clerics from all over the world drop in on him during their visits to Rome. Some have become friends. Others have climbed the ranks of the Catholic hierarchy. Francis's election was a surprise -- an outsider from Latin America who had not appeared in the lists of frontrunners ahead of his election in 2013. Mancinelli said the Argentine had not been one of his regulars, although he may have popped into the shop at some point. "With so many priests, bishops and cardinals coming and going, it's hard to remember them all," he said. ide/ar/gil
Int'l Business Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Cassocks Competition: Whose Outfit Will New Pope Wear?
For decades, one Rome tailor has been making the white cassock new popes don immediately after election -- but this conclave it has competition. The Gammarelli tailors traditionally prepares three outfits -- short, medium and tall -- to fit new pontiffs whatever their size but say this time the Vatican has asked them not to. With just hours to go before cardinals are locked into the Sistine Chapel to elect Pope Francis's successor, rival tailor Raniero Mancinelli is taking the chance to offer his own set. "I have to deliver them today or tomorrow... They have to be ready before the conclave so they can be used if needed," 86-year-old Mancinelli told AFP on Monday. Mancinelli has made clothes for several popes in the past but has never had the honour of making the first outfit, worn when the pope addresses the public from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica. He is hand-making the lightweight wool cassocks, sashes and white zucchettos -- or skullcaps -- to be delivered to the Vatican ahead of the conclave, which starts on Wednesday. Mancinelli is also making three sizes to fit all sorts of pope. But his are "small, medium or large", to fit different girths rather than heights, as the length will not be visible when the pontiff first appears. Lorenzo Gammarelli told AFP last week his family-run tailors had been readying to make the three virgin cassocks, as per tradition, but was "told by the Vatican that they have taken care of it". He said he assumed the vestments for the new pope would "be those of the previous conclaves, because each time we made three robes and they used only one". But Mancinelli, who has been a tailor for 70 years in his historic shop on the Borgo Pio, a stone's throw from the Vatican, hopes otherwise. Although the Vatican has not requested he make the cassocks, he has the necessary skills, having worked under seven popes. "I am making them and offering them to the Vatican in case they can be used by the new pope," he said. "If they use my things I will be very happy," he added. The ecclesiastical tailor, who dresses Roman Catholic bishops, priests and seminarians as well as popes, is rushed off his feet with last minute requests ahead of the conclave. "There are cardinals that need a sash, a zucchetto, a collar... I take care of it," Mancinelli said. Originally from the Marche region in central Italy, he fell into the profession by chance after being offered the job one day of making cassocks for the Vatican. The workshop is lined with photographs of Mancinelli and popes. He personally made cassocks for the last three, including Francis. Clerics from all over the world drop in on him during their visits to Rome. Some have become friends. Others have climbed the ranks of the Catholic hierarchy. Francis's election was a surprise -- an outsider from Latin America who had not appeared in the lists of frontrunners ahead of his election in 2013. Mancinelli said the Argentine had not been one of his regulars, although he may have popped into the shop at some point. "With so many priests, bishops and cardinals coming and going, it's hard to remember them all," he said. Mancinelli has worked as a tailor for 70 years AFP Gammarelli tailors have for generations made the white cassock new popes don immediately after their election AFP Ecclesiastical tailors are rushed off their feet with last minute requests ahead of the conclave AFP
