Multiple Pallia

Each Metropolitan Archbishop receives his pallium, the white woollen band with black crosses worn around the neck over the chasuble as a sign of his authority, from the hands of the Pope at the next solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul after his installation.

As Archbishop Vincent Nichols reminded us in a recent interview he now has the privilege of having two (one received from John Paul II on 29.06.2001 as Archbishop of Birmingham and one from Benedict XVI on 29.06.2009 as Archbishop of Westminster).

And he then proceeded to tell us what will finally happen to his pallia. After his death the current pallium will be placed on his shoulders and the other one folded under his head and both will be buried with him.

Archbishop of Westminster receives Pallium from Pope Benedict XVI from Catholic Westminster on Vimeo.

I presume that Pope Benedict will have three pallia buried with him - his pallium as Archbishop of München and Freising and his two different papal pallia:

In 2008 the mosaic of Benedict XVI in San Paolo fuori le Mura, planned for posterity, was actually altered to reflect the change in papal fashion !