`Designer’ Diwali attire for bishops

New Delhi, Nov 04: Archbishop Alan de Lastic is, for the first time, getting new clothes for Diwali. What's more, the vestments come with...

New Delhi, Nov 04: Archbishop Alan de Lastic is, for the first time, getting new clothes for Diwali. What’s more, the vestments come with approval from Vatican City.

Two hundred bishops, who will attend the papal mass at the Jawarlal Nehru stadium on Diwali, will also get special Diwali vestments. The special attires, now stored in a room in the Archbishop’s house, will also be worn by bishops coming to India from all over the world for the papal visit.

Made of a silver-coloured, semi-silk fabric, the vestments have a 12 cm red strip running in the middle. The strip bears two symbols – one, of the Jubilee year 2000 and the other of a burning diya (the Diwali logo).

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Organisers of the papal visit have also got cream-coloured Diwali stoles made for the priests. These will also bear the Diwali logo, on the left corner.

Both the stole and the vestment were designed by Gerald Fernandes, from Tuticorin. “We chose Fernandes for thejob as he is one of the best vestment designers in the country,” saidFather Iris Fernandes of the Sacred Heart Cathedral, who is also the coordinator of the papal visit. “He has designed vestments for several important ceremonies.”

The deigns were approved only after the go-ahead signal was received from Rome. “His designs were fist sent to Rome and withina few days, the Vatican authorities sent us the approval letter,” said a member of the Papal visit organising committee.

“The Diwali logos were approved as the Vatican authorities believe in what we call inculturation.” They want us to use symbols that are meaningful to our country,” explained Father Fernandes. “In our case, Hinduism is the religion of the majority. So we thought it would be best to inculcate the Diwali symbol of a diya in the vestment.”

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The colour of the vestment and the fabric was ch0sen keeping in mind the timing of the ceremony. As the papal mass will be held in the morning, the silver vestment “will relect sunlight and stand out in the crowded stadium. Also, it is made of a material thtis best suited for early winter. It will keep the bishops warm without making them feel uncomfortable.” Each vestment cost the organisers about Rs. 1,000. But as the purchases were made in bulk, the per vestment cost turned out to be lower than expected, the organisers said.