(Italian: casacca, great-coat) A gown or soutane, usually black, the ordinary outer garb of clerics and priests, worn in Catholic countries on the street as well as indoors. It is worn also by boys assisting at ceremonies. Cardinals, bishops, and prelates wear at home a black cassock with red or purple trimmings. The purple cassock is worn in church by bishops and prelates, except on penitential days and a red cassock is worn by cardinals. The pope wears a white cassock.
This dictionary contains not only definitions and explanations of every subject in Religion, Scripture, tradition, doctrine, morals, sacraments, rites, customs, devotions and symbolism, but also accounts of the Church in every continent, country, diocese; missions, notable Catholic centers, cities, and places with religious names; religious orders, church societies, sects and false religions. It has brief articles also on historical events and personages, on the Old Testament and New, and on popes, prelates, priests, men and women of distinction, showing what the Church has done for civilization and correcting many errors which have hitherto passed for history.Wikipedia
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