Pontificals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collection of ceremonial robes worn by a high-ranking clergyman, often associated with liturgical worship
2. Items belonging to or associated with the office of a pontiff, particularly in rituals and ecclesiastical functions
3. Ornate vestments and symbolic garments that signify authority and role within religious ceremonies

Etymology: Pontificals are the vestments and insignia a bishop or pope wears when performing solemn rites, such as the mitre, ring and crozier. The word's core is the Latin "pontifex," a priest of ancient Rome, and the Roman college of pontifices took its name from "pons," meaning bridge, perhaps because their early duties involved sacred bridge-building. That derivation is traditional and not firmly established, so treat it with some caution. Latin "pontifex" passed into Latin "pontificalis," meaning of a pontiff, and English borrowed the adjective "pontifical" as a learned term. Its plural, "pontificals," is the noun used for the set of garments and objects that go with the office, so the ancient Roman priesthood's title ended up naming Christian ceremonial dress.