Appointing new cardinals is the exclusive privilege of the Holy Father who, in any time, could nominate new prelates, not exceeding the fixed number (seventy)…

The blessing of the sword and the hat (it. stocco e berettone) was conducted in a solemn way before the Matutinum on the Christmas night,…

The papal liturgy had several variants. As a rule it was divided into a Low Mass and into a Pontifical Mass, similarly to the bishop’s…

Cardinals dressed in a cappa magna participated in the Mass of the Holy Spirit, celebrated before the beginning of the conclave. After the mass, from…