The Catholic year, traditionally divided into seasons, is also known as the "liturgical year." The seasons include such wellknown celebrations as Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost, which commemorate major events in the life of Jesus Christ. The seasons are as follows:
- Advent: Spanning about four weeks, it marks the period leading up to the birth of Jesus.
- Christmas Time: This period extends from Christmas to the baptism of Jesus, commemorating and celebrating the birth of Christ.
- Lent: This period of about six weeks before Easter includes spiritual preparations on the part of the individual.
- Paschal Triduum: The focus and peak of the liturgical year, these three days are considered the holiest. The goal is to help the faithful commemorate and spiritually participate in the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
- Easter Time: This period from Easter to Pentecost is a celebration of fifty days.
- Ordinary Time: The first period takes place after Christmas and lasts about four to eight weeks. The second one occurs after Easter and spans about six months.
This section of the display features special garments (chasubles, stoles, etc.), tiaras, and other accessories used by Popes over the ages during celebrations during the liturgical year. They also include such liturgical objects as a monstrance, amphora, and crosses.
Chasuble with stole of Saint Pope John Paul II (r. 1978-2005)
- Collection of the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff
This chasuble with a stole, maniple, veil and burse in Chinese style entered the Treasury on October 15, 1998. In white silk it is finely embroidered with geometric designs and small ribbons. On the front, in the middle, is a pattern of two blue and orange flowers; above are a daisy and a small blue cloud with two Chinese cherubs supporting a lily. Above that, two polychrome bands hold a crescent orange. The edge is made of large and small semi-circles with blue hemispheres. On the back is the image of Mary in Chinese style with a halo of stars each with a celestial stone. On the headpiece of Mary are nine small stones of various colors. Maria rests her feet on a blue cloud that carries six small Chinese angels, and a similar design is on the front. The stole has the same edge of the chasuble with three orange crosses and fringes at the bottom; the maniple is totally similar to the stole. The veil has the same edge and an orange cross.
Processional cross of Saint Pope John Paul II (r. 1978-2005)
- Made by Mario Toffetti
- 1996, Bergamo, Italy
- Length: 210 cm, width: 43 cm, height: 31 cm
- Silver, silver gilt, marble
- Collection of the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff
This cross was donated to Pope John Paul II for the Canonization of Saint Jean Gabriel Perboyre C.M. (Congregation of the Mission) on June 2, 1996. In this silver processional cross, the crucified Jesus is shown in an original way, hung by his hands alone and with legs arranged obliquely and the robe fluttering backwards; the halo is golden. In the lower part is another representation depicting Christ's agony in the Garden, and a stole woven with the coat of arms of Pope John Paul II (1978-2005). The pole has an irregular section and fits on a marble and silver base. Here is another embossed complex depiction, which is the Risen Christ along with five other figures.
Red mantle with stole of Pope John XXIII (r. 1958-1963)
- 1958-1963
- Fabric, embroidery, pearls
- Length: 250 cm, width: 250 cm
- Collection of the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff
This mantle was probably offered or commissioned during the pontificate of Pope John XXIII, whose coat of arms is inside.
The mantle is in foil red embroidered with lilies in gold thread. There is a square like a stole edged by a galloon with floral embroidery, lilies, leaves and curled golden thread. Embroidery and gold foil with large floral and curled motifs and the papal coat of arms are executed in gold thread, silver, polychrome silk and small pearls. The clip has the same rectangular galloon and four rings with two gold metal clasps. The shield, bordered by the previously described galloon, is embroidered with floral motifs and has an edge in gold thread from which small fringes are hanging. The stole has the same small galloon and fringes of the shield and presents the same motifs of the mantle and three floral crosses. The two sections of the stole are joined by gold thread with two ribbons and twisted fringes.
