Continuing on with our consideration of the traditional prelatial dress of the religious orders we turn now to the Cistercians. The Cistercians break down into two fundamental groups: the Cistercians of the Common Observance (O.Cist) and the Cistercians of the Strict Observance (O.C.S.O.) -- popularly referred to as 'Trappists'. Just as they break down into these two groups, so too are there some distinctions between them where their prelatial dress is concerned.
First off, Cistercian cardinals, be they O.Cist or O.C.S.O., wear all white in their various forms of prelatial dress from what I can find.
Where we are referring to Cistercian bishops however, Cistercians of the Common Observance wear white for their stockings, cassock, fascia and simar, while their mantelletta, mozzetta and cappa magna are black with a hood of white silk for the summer and ermine for the winter. The same holds true for abbots of the Common Observance.
By comparison, OCSO prelates, while they likewise wear stockings, cassock, fascia and simar of white, unlike O.Cist prelates their mantelletta, mozzetta and cappa magna are also in white. The same holds true for Trappist abbots -- some of whom have the privilege of the cappa magna either in white or, more rarely still, purple.
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| The white Cistercian cappa magna with the ermine winter hood. |
