About this blog…
“This blog is like a fusion of the Baroque ‘salon’ with its well-tuned harpsichord around which polite society gathered for entertainment and edification and, on the other hand, a Wild West “saloon” with its out-of-tune piano and swinging doors, where everyone has a gun and something to say. Nevertheless, we try to point our discussions back to what it is to be Catholic in this increasingly difficult age, to love God, and how to get to heaven.” – Fr. Z
Coat of Arms by D Burkart
Recent Comments
- on Distressing words of Leo about the SSPX consecrations: “I have sadly and reluctantly come to the conclusion that Pope Leo is a nicer version of Pope Francis. So…”
- on Distressing words of Leo about the SSPX consecrations: “Could someone who is angry that this is a one-sided call for obedience please provide an example of where a…”
- on Detroit’s Archbishop attends mosque opening, says: “There is no place where I feel more respect, fraternity, and kindness”: “Dear EAW, I posted a long comment on April 28, 2026 in the post: “ASK FATHER: Is religious liberty in…”
- on Distressing words of Leo about the SSPX consecrations: “The Vatican has gotten so good at apologizing to actual heretics and schismatics… perhaps that is proof that they consider…”
- on Distressing words of Leo about the SSPX consecrations: “Charity? Mercy? Pastoral concern? Unfortunately, these concepts in the Church only apply in one direction, just as in politics many…”
- on Distressing words of Leo about the SSPX consecrations: “I believe Sspx makes a strong case for the crisis in the Church. However I agree with Fr, Gerald Murray…”
- on Daily Rome Shot 1646: We have to move on.: “The polished stones on stands are Chinese scholar’s stones, or gongshi. An invaluable desktop contemplation aid for a Daoist scholar.”
- on Distressing words of Leo about the SSPX consecrations: “I don’t think either the Vatican or the SSPX is handling the issue particularly well. That said, I don’t have…”
CLICK and say your daily offerings!
A Daily Prayer for Priests
Fr. Z’s Podcasts RSS Feed
Federated Computer… your safe and private alternative to big biz corporations that hate us while taking our money and mining our data. Have an online presence large or small? Catholic DIOCESE? Cottage industry? See what Federated has to offer. Save money and gain peace of mind.
ABORTION PILL RESCUE NETWORK
Everyone, work to get this into your parish bulletins and diocesan papers.
Donate using VENMO
GREAT BEER from Traditional Benedictine Monks in Italy
Good coffee and tea. Help monks.
I use this when I travel both in these USA and abroad. Very useful. Fast enough for Zoom. I connect my DMR (ham radio) through it. If you use my link, they give me more data. A GREAT back up.
Help support Fr. Z’s Gospel of Life work at no cost to you. Do you need a Real Estate Agent? Calling these people is the FIRST thing you should do!
They find you a pro-life agent in your area who commits to giving a portion of the fee to a pro-life group!
This blog has to earn its keep!
PLEASE subscribe via PayPal if it is useful. Zelle and Wise are better, but PayPal is convenient.
A monthly subscription donation means I have steady income I can plan on. I put you my list of benefactors for whom I pray and for whom I often say Holy Mass.
In view of the rapidly changing challenges I now face, I would like to add more $10/month subscribers. Will you please help?
For a one time donation...
To donate monthly I prefer Zelle because it doesn't extract fees. Use
frz AT wdtprs DOT com
He does not seem worried. He has a few more of those caps at home.
It’s really funny when it happens to the papal master of ceremonies at a papal Mass outside St. Peters.
“Georg, bobby pin, please.”
Our Holy Father’s zuchetto has been blown off by the wind of the Holy Spirit!
I love seeing pics of the Pope(s) on windy days.
A pic says a thousand words.
another one bites the dust… Somebody find me a pilgrim… they’ll have some more for me.
I admit this is the first thing I thought of when I saw a zuchetto as a child.
Looks like a Papal Frisbee to me.
fixed
Nice work, Vincenzo! Very nice!
I love the graciousness of our Holy Father. He just keeps on reading. None of this, “Mio zuchetto! Trovi mio zuchetto!”
It’s a fair trade; the Holy Spirit knocks of his zucchetto, and he knocks off our socks…
I always did wonder how they got those things to stay on their heads. Evidently it doesn’t always work.
Hats off to you, Holy Father!
“I’ve spent how much this month on Zuhlsdorf’s wish list and donate button?!”
Any Judaica shop has little gizmos 4 of which are affixed to the inside of a kipah (yamulke) and whose many very short plastic prongs press down into a person’s hair holding the kipah-yalmulke-zucchetto in place. The Jews have to think of everything?
Aliens do exist. I believe!
I’ve always wondered why bishops and Jews are the only ones who wear hats like that. At first I assumed that these must be of ancient design and are some sort of holdover from the 1st century, but later I read that they are a medieval fashion instead. So again: I know both groups value the past, but why do both choose to retain headgear from the 1300’s? Anybody?
Even the age of 81 our Holy Father is still blessed with a good head of hair! Something that some of us almost half his age can’t still boast:(
A) Skullcaps keep your head warm.
B) Skullcaps make a really nice foundation for hats, especially if you’re always switching in and out of birettas or miters at Mass, and you want to keep the ceremonial hats clean.
C) Because we can. :)
Howard;
I believe the kippah and the zucchetto although similar in design have different meanings and origins. If memory serves the Levitical law requires the a man’s head be covered when he prays or similarly he cover his head should he hear the name of God. The kippah developed as a permanent head covering.
The zucchetto had a more prosaic origin. Monks who kept tonsure found their heads getting cold so they developed a head covering that fit the circumference of their shaved pate.
At least these are the origin stories that I have heard.
PAX,
Matthew
I thought the Holy Father looked adorable at the audience.
“Next time, I’ll wear the beanniecopter. It’ll fly right back!”
John, wouldn’t it be the beannie boomerang?
It happens to me every time I read anything written by Pope Benedict!
…except mine is a kamilavka like this…!
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Eastern_Orthodox_man_in_Jerusalem_by_David_Shankbone.jpg/180px-Eastern_Orthodox_man_in_Jerusalem_by_David_Shankbone.jpg
God bless,
Fr. Deacon Daniel