Papal Tiara

The Papal Tiara, also known as the Triple Tiara, in Latin as the 'Triregnum', or in Italian as the 'Triregno',{{ref|Triregno}} is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown of Byzantine and Persian origin that is the symbol of the papacy. Papal Tiaras were worn by all popes from Pope Clement V to Pope Paul VI, who was crowned in 1963. Pope Paul VI abandoned the use of his own tiara after the Second Vatican Council, symbolically laying it on the altar of St. Peter's Basilica, and donating its value to the poor. However, he did not abolish its use, explicitly requiring in his 1975 Apostolic Constitution Romano Pontifici Eligendo that his successor be crowned.

External links

• Catholic Encyclopædia entry on the papal tiara
• conservative 'catholic' website of self-proclaimed 'Pope Pius XIII' which criticised 'anti-pope' Pope Paul VI for 'abandoning' the papal tiara
• unofficial 'papal monarchy' site
• contains a page on the papal tiara
• contains a colour picture of Pope Pius XII wearing a papal tiara
• Images of recent popes wearing the papal tiara
• Holy See Press Office information on the papal tiara
• website of self-proclaimed 'Pope Gregory XVII', who was 'crowned' as Pope Paul VI's 'successor' by his supporters in the catholic breakaway Palmar de Troya movement in 1978