Making vestments for the Pope: We visited the workshop

Everyone sees Pope Leo XIV's vestments and marvels at their beauty. However, few know the complex spiritual richness behind their creation. Aleteia deciphers it under the guidance of a tailor who specializes in papal vestments.

The Holy See is particularly rigorous when it comes to the manufacture of liturgical vestments, because these are the garments that the Pontiff will wear for a solemn occasion in which he will be in the presence of Christ himself.

One of the tailors entrusted with the making of these garments is Agorà Atelier, an ecclesiastical tailor's shop run mainly by Italian artist Federico Toniolo and Venezuelan doctor in sacred liturgy Leonardo Cardoza.

It was their workshop that made the vestments worn by Leo XIV on the first Christmas Eve of his pontificate. It was with the clothes they made with their own hands that he celebrated the birth of the Baby Jesus and other solemnities.

Aleteia had heart-to-heart conversations with the artists at Agorà Atelier in order to explore and learn about the details of the curious process behind the making of the vestments worn by the Pope during Mass. 

To begin with, who makes them?

Born in Veneto, Italy, Federico Toniolo is the mastermind behind the tailoring. He has a background in philosophy, theology, and sacred art.

He teams up with a South American man born in Trujillo, Venezuela, the same land as the “doctor of the poor,” the beloved Saint José Gregorio Hernández. This is Leonardo Cardoza, who also has a solid theological background, based on his doctorate in sacred liturgy obtained in Rome.

Together they supervise the making of each piece that the Pope will wear, taking into account the particular solemnity, liturgical colors, date of use, and spiritual intention of each one. Nothing is left to chance or coincidence.

The atelier has a rich history, woven since its founding almost two decades ago, in 2009. Its founders explain to Aleteia that “it was born as a laboratory where tenacious study and careful design offer innovation, creativity, and research.”

In fact, even its name has a profound identity. “It comes from the Greek ἀγορά, which means ‘public square,’ the place where people meet and discuss, and where ideas are born, as in ancient Greek philosophy.”

The background to this is equally interesting and complex. They argue that “liturgy requires its own poetics; that is, a sacred language, made up of gestures and words, symbols and fragrances, colors and figures, unlike other forms of human communication or art, because it introduces us to the ‘Mystery.’”

Indeed, for several years now, Agorà Atelier Roma has been a laboratory of liturgical art and its noble beauty, as indicated and requested by the Second Vatican Council (Sacrosanctum Concilium §34), they explain.

For this reason, they prioritize “the use of noble and natural fibers for their collections, 100% top-quality Italian production. In addition, most of the fabrics are woven exclusively for our Atelier, with the theological meaning of the liturgy in mind.”

As you would expect, each piece is made as a unique garment, taking into account its destination. “Our workshop is artisanal. We aren’t a production line, but rather each vestment is studied and customized according to liturgical requirements and circumstances.”

The production of these vestments responds to a spiritual need and an order explicitly requested by the Catholic Church in its norms. Proof of this can be found in the indications of the Code of Canon Law. In paragraph 284, it states that: “Clerics are to wear suitable ecclesiastical garb according to the norms issued by the conference of bishops and according to legitimate local customs.”

Meanwhile, further on, in paragraph 929, it specifies that “[i]n celebrating and administering the Eucharist, priests and deacons are to wear the sacred vestments prescribed by the rubrics.”

Those who make liturgical vestments undergo extensive training. However, it takes more than skilled hands to make a garment that will be used to glorify God and sanctify His Name.

“Our spiritual preparation stems, of course, like that of every Christian, from a personal encounter with Christ,” they explain at Agorà Atelier. “Liturgical theology, art, and sacred expression are our starting point for designing and enhancing each of our vestments, especially when it comes to the Holy Father,” they explain.

However, they add that “each of the priests and faithful Christians who entrust themselves to our ideas and our hands for the making of liturgical vestments are no less important.”

“Talking about the making of special vestments for the Holy Father is, above all, a privilege for us, for which we are always grateful to God, and of course, grateful to [the pope] personally. We know he appreciates our work,” they confess.

They also have words for the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Holy Father: “Every vestment made for the Pope is full of meaning, not only because of the public image he represents as the Vicar of Christ on earth, but also because of the importance it has for us that each vestment express the beauty of Christ, the High and Eternal Priest.”

“For example, the Salus Populi Romani Collection, which Pope Leo XIV used during the end-of-year ceremonies, was designed and created inspired by architectural elements from the four Papal Basilicas in Rome,” they tell Aleteia.

They explain that these pieces used by Pope Leo “feature decorative elements from the Basilica of St. Mary Major, such as the eight-pointed star and the distinctive cross of Mary, Salus Populi Romani (salvation of the Roman people).”

They add, “Our atelier not only develops the liturgical art of vestments in Rome, but throughout Italy and the entire world, as can be seen through our website Agorá Atelier and our presence on Instagram.”

The Catholic Church seeks to ensure that liturgical vestments are in harmony with the symbols of holiness, the beauty of the rites, and the figure of Jesus Christ himself, because they seek to honor God and make clear the sacredness of every action oriented towards him.

The Catechism is particularly clear in explaining the reasons behind the meticulous crafting of liturgical garments. Number 1145 insists on this. It does so by pointing out that “[a] sacramental celebration is woven from signs and symbols.”

In this way, the sanctification of the elements of human culture is embodied so that they become an authentic vehicle of grace. Therefore, there’s a profound pedagogy in the symbol, in desiring that everything honor God!

St. John Damascene in De sacris imaginibus oratio sums it up beautifully: “The beauty and color of the images stimulate my prayer. It is a feast for my eyes, just as the spectacle of the countryside stimulates my heart to give glory to God.”