Rome, Italy, Apr 12, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Filippo Gammarelli is praying the new Pope doesn’t have his own tailor.
The 63-year-old is the fifth generation of this famous tailoring family, who has served the Pope and the highest echelons of the Catholic Church for more than two centuries.
Reuters interviewed the elite tailor in his tiny shop, established in 1798. Located in a square behind the Pantheon, the shop has served five Popes, including John Paul II. It crafts the wide variety of religious apparel, including chasubles and miters, stoles, lace surplices, and even cardinal red socks.
This week, Gamarelli is putting final touches on a white vestment intended for the new Pope, who will wear it when he is introduced to the world on the balcony of St. Peter’s.
Because Gammarelli has no idea who the next Pope will be, he told Reuters that he is making the silk-and-wool vestment in three sizes—small, medium and large. The vestments must be delivered before the start of the conclave on Monday.