The top masking ceaselessly noticed on the Pope just isn’t a kippah. A kippah, also called a yarmulke, is a brimless skullcap worn by Jewish males to meet the customary requirement that their head be lined. Whereas the Pope does put on head coverings, they’re of distinctly totally different kinds and significance.
The headwear mostly related to the Pope is the zucchetto. This can be a small, hemispherical skullcap worn by clergy of the Roman Catholic Church. Its coloration denotes the wearer’s rank: the Pope’s zucchetto is white, cardinals put on scarlet, and bishops put on purple. This signifies their hierarchical place throughout the Church. There’s additionally the mitre, a tall headdress adorned with ornamentation and worn throughout solemn events, symbolizing the Pope’s authority and function as a non secular chief.