On February 7, 2014 The Manual of Ecclesiastical Heraldry in the Catholic Church will be presented in Rome.
ANDREA CORDERO LANZA DI MONTEZEMOLO - ANTONIO POMPILI,
Manuale di Araldica Ecclesiastica, nella Chiesa Cattolica,
Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Città del Vaticano, 2014, 208 pp.
http://www.americanheraldry.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1307&stc=1&d=1391096403
It should be fascinating to see what this is like. I am currently studying in Rome, so I am going to investigate the details and try to be present for the launch of this book. I will report back on what I find!
Curious to see Fr Guy’s take on this new book once he’s had time to read & digest it.
If it’s really good, hopefully it will lead to better designs for new clerical arms in the future—I’ve about worn out the keys for "we’ve seen worse"... 
(In fairness, we’ve seen some pretty good ones recently, but also others not so much…)
Well, Montezemolo is the fellow responsible for inflicting the bastard miter cum tiara on Popes Benedict and Francis, so I wouldn’t hold out much hope for this having any effect on the quality of design. Anyway, what goes on the shield is not subject to regulation. I’d bet this is about external additaments, although how that could fill out 208 pages is a bit of a puzzle.
This is about Montezemolo pushing Montezemolo and continuing to try to become the new Heim. It is also important to note that this book is a private enterprise by the authors that is being published by the Vatican’s own printing house because one of the authors is a cardinal. This is NOT being issued by the Holy See. It will NOT be considered in any way the definitive work on the topic or normative. It is not being endorsed by the pope or the Holy See as "the" book on Church heraldry. It is simply a new work on the subject that will take its place alongside the works of (among others) Galbreath, Woodward, McCarthy and, of course, Heim. (In fact the Libreria Editrice Vaticana also published the Italian version of Heim’s book) In addition, the publication of this book does not mark any increase in interest in ecclesiastical heraldry on the part of the Church or any shift in how coats of arms are used, devised or obtained in the Church. As has already been pointed out the Church does not grant arms. Those subject to a heraldic authority must go through its proper channels and, by ancient custom, those not subject to a heraldic authority are free to assume a coat of arms.
Didn’t Cardinal Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo retire 5 or so years ago?
Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see if the work tries to "push" any heretofore unseen uses or expressions of Catholic heraldry.
steven harris;101390 wrote:
Didn’t Cardinal Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo retire 5 or so years ago?
From what? When he reached the age of 80 he stepped down as Archpriest of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls. You don’t ever stop being a priest (or a cardinal for that matter). And he has clearly not retired from his hobby of heraldry.
A comment on the link provided by Pelayo:
Quote:
Cari amici, mentre ringrazio tutti per le affettuose manifestazioni di condivisa gioia rivoltemi qui come in tanti altri contesti, vi annuncio che da oggi il libro è in vendita e ad un prezzo interessantissimo: 24 €.
Il volume è rilegato in carta di pregio,con copertina rigida e molte illustrazioni a colori.
Approfitto per esprimere pubblicamente viva gratitudine alla Libreria Editrice Vaticana per il bellissimo lavoro con il quale è stata data concretezza editoriale all’opera di Sua Eminenza il Cardinale di Montezemolo e del suo collaboratore.
Dear friends, as I thank everyone for the kind expressions of shared joy addressed to me here as in so many other contexts, I announce that as of today the book is on sale and at a very interesting price: 24 €.
The volume is bound in fine paper, hardcover and many color illustrations.
Take this opportunity to publicly express my deep gratitude to the Libreria Editrice Vaticana for the beautiful work which has been given concreteness editorial work of His Eminence Cardinal di Montezemolo and his collaborator.
==========
—Guy
Ah ratz…I shoulda recognized the author’s name. Once again, high hopes crashing on the rocky coast of reality. SO can we say that this new work is truly Titanic?
I finally obtained my copy and I am reading it now. So far I am underwhelmed. Half the book is simply a glossary. Much of the text is an appendix about the abortive attempt to get Benedict XVI to adopt new arms as pope emeritus. In addition, Montezemolo asserts that because the Instructions issued by the Holy See in the 1960s concerning heraldry only mention the arms of cardinals and bishops it can be assumed the Holy See intended to discontinue the use of coats of arms by the lower clergy…a preposterous conclusion! The book includes NO examples of the arms of lower clergy. One good point: Montezemolo himself mentions that this new book should not be seen to supplant the major work of Bruno Heim: "Heraldry in the Catholic Church" which is acknowledged to be the better and more important work.
gselvester;101712 wrote:
I finally obtained my copy and I am reading it now. So far I am underwhelmed. Half the book is simply a glossary. Much of the text is an appendix about the abortive attempt to get Benedict XVI to adopt new arms as pope emeritus. In addition, Montezemolo asserts that because the Instructions issued by the Holy See in the 1960s concerning heraldry only mention the arms of cardinals and bishops it can be assumed the Holy See intended to discontinue the use of coats of arms by the lower clergy…a preposterous conclusion! The book includes NO examples of the arms of lower clergy. One good point: Montezemolo himself mentions that this new book should not be seen to supplant the major work of Bruno Heim: "Heraldry in the Catholic Church" which is acknowledged to be the better and more important work.
If I can add a bit more (since I never had time to actually review this book):
Another sort of strange point that Card. Montezemolo makes is about various "chiefs" of religious orders, which he outlines as an element of ecclesiastical heraldry. It seemed as though he was putting these forth descriptively, as if everyone already knew about the chief of the Carmelites being [in chief] tenné, three stars countercharged on a mantle argent, but there was also a prescriptive tone to the whole arrangement. We’ve seen Franciscan and Dominican chiefs in some pontifical arms before, but others seem to be his inventions. He only provides six.
A highlight is his take-down of some truly bad episcopal arms. He highlights a few bad examples and explains what makes them bad. In whole, if you read the book and believed everything he said, you’d come away with some misconceptions or screwy ideas about ecclesiastical heraldry, but you would have good taste.
Taste is, well, a matter of taste and, as such hard to dispute. But, I think most of Montezemolo’s designs (the artwork is a separate issue, I’m speaking of the composition of the arms he has designed) are pretty boring and pedestrian.
Alexander Schrenk;101713 wrote:
Another sort of strange point that Card. Montezemolo makes is about various "chiefs" of religious orders, which he outlines as an element of ecclesiastical heraldry.
I must spend too much time on Scottish heraldry. I wondered if His Eminence prescribed 3 feathers to be worn on the galero of the chief of a religious order.
So we’ve gone from how many angels on the head of a pin, to how many feathers on the headgear of a cleric?
