Monday, August 6
The Church's Mortar Board
I recently learned that the Church, when it bestows the title "Doctor of the Church" upon a saint, gives the Saintly Candidate an actual doctoral hat.
Above is a picture of the hat bestowed upon St. Teresa of Avila when she was declared one of the first two female Doctors of the Church by Pope Paul VI, in 1970.
I think this is the most POD thing I've seen all summer.
I don't know if the academic garb is patterned after a specific institution, but it would be really cool if being named "Doctor of the Church" was something like being given an honorary degree by the Lateran, or something.
I also don't know if John Paul, of great memory, gave a similar hat to St. Therese when she was named a Doctor of the Church in 1997. Does anyone else?
![[SMMMHDH]](http://www.mgilleland.com/music/smmmhdh.png){kind=small}
