Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton will be one of five Canadian archbishops to receive their pallium from Pope Benedict June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.The pallium is a woolen liturgical vestment worn on top of the chasuble and decorated with six black crosses. It hangs around the neck and shoulders with two long pieces draping over the chest and the other along the back.
It is worn by the pope, Catholic patriarchs and metropolitan archbishops and symbolizes the archbishop's communion with the papacy. More generally, it symbolizes Christ the Lamb of God and the Good Shepherd.
By presenting the pallium to the archbishops, the pope is symbolically sharing his mission to "Feed my sheep and my lambs."
Smith will travel to Rome to receive his pallium along with Archbishops Thomas Collins of Toronto, Gerard Pettipas of Grouard-McLennan, Terence Prendergast of Ottawa and Brendan O'Brien of Kingston.
For Collins, O'Brien and Prendergast, it will be the second time they have received the pallium.
An archbishop can only wear his pallium when he celebrates Mass within his ecclesiastical province. If he becomes archbishop for a new province, he receives a new pallium.
Part of the wool used to make the pallium comes from two lambs presented annually to the pope on the feast of St. Agnes (Jan. 21) by the Canons Regular of the Chapter of St. John of the Lateran Basilica in Rome.
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