Q: I will be participating in the local portion of the National Eucharistic Procession soon after having a melanoma excised from my bald head. I will be vested in cassock and surplice. Would it be disrespectful to wear a biretta to hide the bandage and protect my scalp while walking in procession outdoors? If a read correctly, previous rules did not allow wearing birettas during eucharistic processions, but now that birettas are no longer mentioned at all in the rubrics, would I be disrespecting Our Lord by wearing one? Most people will not care in the least or think that it’s just a bit quirky if they think anything at all. I just want to avoid offending an unwritten general norm that protects the dignity of the Holy Eucharist.
Thank you for your thoughtful responses.
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A: I hope that this upcoming surgery will bring all the health benefits it promises.
To my knowledge, there are no instructions pertaining to headgear for priests. A bishop, of course, has specific instructions for when to wear or remove his miter. He does not wear it in eucharistic processions (CB 1101).
Because the rubrics pertaining to the biretta have been removed, and because it is not listed in the vesture of a priest, I conclude that it is no longer to be worn. But you’re speaking about a particular circumstance related to your health, in which a head covering would have practical benefit. I cannot point you to any document that expressly permits or forbids a head covering for a priest in a eucharistic procession, but common sense and personal care have moral value.
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