With roots stretching back to the high Middle Ages, the Biretta is a three peaked square cap, with a tuft of silk at the conjunction of the horns. It symbolizes the wearers’ authority, knowledge and commitment to the church.

There are strict protocols that govern the wearing of the Biretta, such as:

• • The cap should never be worn loosely on the crown of the head; it should sit firmly on the brow.
• • The hornless peak should always be to the left.
• • When removing or replacing the biretta during liturgical functions, the center or frontal horn should be grasped between the index and middle fingers.
• • In procession, celebrants may wear the biretta, whereas concelebrants have the option to wear or carry it at breast level.

The Biretta may be worn by all levels of clergy, with each having its own distinctive colour and material signifying ecclesiastical rank:

• Cardinal – scarlet made of silk moiré with no tuft. In 1468 Pope Paul II granted the Biretta to the cardinals, at which time he denied them the tuft. Nor was it to be worn for everyday use but reserved for choir dress only. He eventually lifted this sanction but continued to deny them the tuft, as he wished to mark the Cardinals as uniquely bound to the papacy. Today, the Pope presents the red silk moiré Biretta at the consistory which confers membership into the college of cardinals.
• Archbishops and Bishops - The colour is amaranth, a reddish rose colour similar to fuchsia. It is representative of the Amaranthus flower which symbolizes immortality.
• Priests, Deacons and Seminarians wear black birettas with black tufts. Monsignors, Chaplains of the Pope, and Prelates of Honour also wear black but with a violet tuft.