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The Fanon of the Pope

Spread apart, the fanon is an oval close to a circle with an approximate diameter of 92 cm. It consists of two sheets of silk placed on top of each other.

 

The latter are only stitched together at the central buttonhole. The diameter of the upper sheet is about a hand less than that at the bottom. The fanon has no lining. Both pieces of silk are white, decorated with red and golden stripes and framed by a golden braid. The front piece of the fanon is embroidered with a golden cross. In order to make it easier to put the fanon on, there is a slot in the neckline at the back. Unlike the amice, there are not ribbons to tie the fanon.

 

Putting on this vestment works like that: The deacon equips the Pope with the linen amice, the alb, the  cingulum  including the subeinetorium and  the pectoral cross. Hereafter, he uses the neckline to pull the fanon over the pope's head, so that it covers the shoulders, back and chest just like a collar. The part decorated with the cross  is at the front. Then the deacon pulls the back half of the upper sheet over the head of the pope, enrobes him with his stole, tunicle, dalmatic and chasuble. Then he lets the part pulled over the pope's head down again andpulls the front half of the upper sheet out from under the chasuble. Finally, he arranges it around his shoulders so that the vestment covers the shoulders just like a collar."


 

Braun, Joseph: Die Liturgische Gewandung im Occident und Orient – nach Ursprung und Entwicklung, Verwendung und Symbolik, Herdersche Verlagshandlung, Freiburg, 1904, page 52

 

Pope Benedict XVI with Fanon
Pope Benedict XVI the firt time with fanon on 21st October 2012
 

Pope John Paul II with fanon
 

Pope Pius XII with a fanon and tiara

 

Related literature:

 

The fanon in: Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche (LThK), Herder Verlag, Freiburg

 

Braun, Joseph: Die Liturgische Gewandung im Occident und Orient – nach Ursprung und Entwicklung, Verwendung und Symbolik, Herdersche Verlagshandlung, Freiburg, 1904, pages 52 - 57

 

Innocentius III, De Myst. Missæ, I, c. 53.:

„Romanus Pontifex post albam et cingulum assumit orale [fanon], quod circa caput involvit et replicat super humeros, legalis pontificis ordinem sequens, qui post lineam strictam et zonam induerunt ephod id est super-humerale.”

 

Nabuco, Joaquim: Ius pontificalium. Introductio in caeremoniale episcoporum, Latein,  403 pages , Desclée, Paris, 1956:

"Materia et color:

Fano conficitur e serico albo tenui non undulato et sine subsuto.

 

Forma:

Fano fabricatur ad modum pallioli humeralis altitudinis dimidii metri et cum tribus circiter metris circumferentiæ et fit duplex cum parte interiore aliquantulum longiore. Partes duæ per uniones firmantur circumcirca collum et retro fit scissura ut possint per caput poni cum sint circulum clausum.

 

Ornamentatio:

Fano papalis in utraque parte ornatur circumcirca virgis aureis, rubinis et albis interpositis, et ante pectus additur crux ex opere phrygio in perte superiore. Ad collum et ad utramque oram aureum torulum additur.

Regulæ quoad usum: Summus Pontifex fanone utitur super planetam quoties se vestit in pontificalibus. Illum induit Papa, prius crucem deosculans, super albam et crucem pectoralem; deinde partem superiorem super caput reponit ad instar amictus dum ceteras induit vestes, et accepta planeta, super illa reponitur, et ultimo sacro induitur pallio. APC, 1900, p. 106; Braun, I Paramenti Sacri, p. 69.**

 

**Recentissime totus ritus fanonis immutatus est, nam non amplius ornatur virgis superpositis sed conficitur e serico ad hoc fabricato cum virgis in ipso serico textis trium colorum. Præterea partes duæ separantur ita ut sint revera duæ vestes, et pars superior pontifici imponitur post casulam."