Upon the death of a cardinal diocesan bishop, his galero is raised above the sanctuary of his cathedral church. This galero was raised in 1924 for Michael Cardinal Logue, Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland. Only Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago continues the tradition today.

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.

Archdiocese of Chicago

Despite its ban by the Second Vatican Council, the popes have made exceptions for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Galero's were specially commissioned by the Vatican for future Archbishops of Chicago who join the College of Cardinals in honor of their significant office as head of one of the largest Roman Catholic dioceses in the world.

The Archdiocese of Chicago is the only diocese in modern times to continue the ancient tradition of raising the galero of a deceased cardinal over the cathedra from the highest point of the semicircular, domed cathedral apse. The galero is hung forever over the congregants of Holy Name Cathedral in downtown Chicago, where they remain until they are reduced to dust symbolizing how all earthly glory is passing.

Ecclesiastical Heraldry

Roman Catholic clergy use the galero in their coats of arms. Francis Cardinal George's coat uses a red galero indicating his office of cardinal.

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.