Our good friend Fr. Pablo Santa Maria, born in New Spain, wears the Spanish "bonete" biretta in this photo. This style of biretta is common to the Spanish Empire, a fine example of authentic "inculturation" in the liturgy. A biretta in this fashion brings to mind images and paintings of St. Ignatius of Loyola. As a side note, the photo also depicts a Spanish cut of the Roman style chasuble.
Below is an image of the Spanish biretta seen with the contrast of the Roman biretta (with French pom-pom) on display at the Convent of the Comendadoras of the Holy Spirit in the north of Spain near Pamplona. The Spanish style biretta, particular to Spain and her colonies, has pre-Tridentine origins and recalls the distinctive bold witness of Spanish Catholicism. Even bishops and canons wear them. The Spanish biretta is customarily made both with and without the pom-pom, seen here.
For more images of the Spanish biretta, see the famous Philippi Collection in Germany. The Spanish biretta, hand-made in the traditional style, is available for purchase from the Spanish atelier Santarrufina in Madrid.
A final photo from the Cathedral of Vancouver with clergy from the historic Spanish colonies of New Spain and the Philippines.
