Amici Vaticani, a new private cultural association that honors the contributions of Americans to the Catholic Church, launched a campaign to commission a papal tiara for Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope.
“This initiative is more than an act of homage, it is a statement of unity between the faithful of the United States and the universal Church,” their website states. “Pope Leo XIV represents a bridge, a man formed by the American experience yet rooted in the timeless traditions of Rome. His election has inspired countless Catholics to renew their commitment to faith, service, and the moral renewal of our nation.”
The campaign will fund a handcrafted papal tiara as a gift from American Catholics and reflect the dual heritage of Rome and America, the website continues, by exhibiting “the artistic traditions of the Vatican and the craftsmanship, generosity, and faith of the American people.”
The website also explains that the gesture is not merely ceremonial, but reflects the growth of Catholicism in the U.S.
“Our country, once defined by its Protestant heritage, is now witnessing a boon of conversions,” it states. “Men and women rediscovering the depth, beauty, and authority of the Catholic faith.”
The campaign invites support either through financial donations, artistic collaboration, or attendance at Amici Vaticani’s events.
The first version of the papal tiara was worn as early as the 4th century, according to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Possibly inspired by the Phrygian cap, a tall conical headdress from the Greco-Roman era, and the camelaucum, a hat worn by Byzantine courtiers, it took on its recognizable form — with three crowns and made of precious metals — in the 14th century.
The precious materials, the website explains, represent the pope’s position of power and authority, while the three crowns represent the pope’s threefold mission to teach, govern, and sanctify.
The papal tiara was used regularly until the 1960s at the coronation of each pope. Pope Paul VI decided a few months after his 1963 coronation to donate his coronation tiara to raise funds for charity, and he wore the miter at all future ceremonial events.
The subsequent pope, John Paul I, decided to replace the coronation ceremony with an inauguration when he became Pope, and his successors followed suit. Pope John Paul II’s apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis officially replaced the papal coronation with an inauguration Mass, and none of the popes have worn the papal tiara since, though several received tiaras as gifts.