Galero
Galero, in the Roman Catholic Church, is a large, broad-brimmed tasseled hat worn by clergy. Over the centuries it was eventually limited in use to individual cardinals as a symbol befitting of the title "Prince of the Church." When creating a cardinal, the Pope would crown the candidate with a scarlet galero in consistory.
Second Vatican Council
In 1969, a papal decree confirmed by the Second Vatican Council ended the use of the galero as an act of humbling the Church hierarchy. It was deemed that by removing such elaborate regalia, the people could better identify with their pastoral leaders. Today, only the scarlet zucchetto and biretta are placed over the heads of cardinals in consistory.
The galero is hung forever over the congregants of a cathedral, where they remain until they are reduced to dust symbolizing how all earthly glory is passing.
Ecclesiastical Heraldry
The galero is still in use today in ecclesiastical heraldry as part of the achievement of the coat of arms of an armigerous Roman Catholic cleric. It replaces the helmet and crest because those were considered too warlike for the clerical state. The color of the galero and number of tassels indicate the cleric's place in the hierarchy. A bishop's galero is green with six tassels. An archbishop's galero is also green but has ten tassels. Both patriarchs and cardinals have a galero with fifteen tassels, but the patriarch's is green while the cardinal's is red or scarlet. Even a priest uses the galero in his arms, but uses a simple black with two tassels. However, priests who hold additional offices, such as Vicar General or Abbot, or who have additional honors such as Chaplain of His Holiness gain additional tassels and different colored hats.
