American Catholics launch crowdfunding effort to gift Pope Leo XIV papal tiara

(LifeSiteNews) — American Catholics have launched a crowdfunding initiative to gift Pope Leo XIV a papal tiara.

The newly established nonprofit Amici Vaticani aims to construct a papal tiara containing Catholic and American symbolism to gift it to Pope Leo when he visits the United States.

“Historically, the majority of papal tiaras are gifts, usually from the home diocese of the pope or from religious [communities] they may be affiliated with,” Isaac Smith, founder of Amici Vaticani, said in an interview with EWTN News.

He said he wants to continue the tradition of gifting the pope a three-crown tiara. The election of the first American pope represents “such a historical milestone” for Americans, he noted.

The history of papal crowns goes back to at least the 8^th century. The first recorded use of the word “tiara” dates to the 12^th century. In the 13^th century, a second crown was added to symbolize the pope’s authority over both the spiritual and the temporal realm.

The three-crown tiara, worn by popes until the Second Vatican Council, first appeared in the 14^th century. The three crowns can represent the threefold office of Christ (Prophet, Priest, and King) or the Militant, Suffering, and Triumphant Church.

The tiara proposed by Amici Vaticani maintains the features of the three-crown tiara and will be constructed with sterling silver and gold-plated crowns. The crowns will feature red, white, and blue stones in honor of Leo’s American heritage. It will also feature other American symbols, such as oak leaves and corn stalks, representing the national tree and crop, respectively.

Other symbols will represent both the papacy and the United States: roses, which are a symbol of the Virgin Mary and the U.S. national flower, and olives, a symbol of Leo’s focus on peace, as well as fruit that appears on the Great Seal of the United States.

Smith said the design is meant to be “elegant and traditional” and to “incorporate distinctively American elements.”

He hopes to fund the project through small donations, so that the tiara can be gifted to Pope Leo as “a group effort” from American Catholics.

Smith hopes that the tiara will be “put on display in a place of honor” after it is constructed.

However, even if the tiara is made as planned and gifted to the pope, it is unlikely the Roman pontiff would actually wear it, as popes did in days past on special occasions.

Pope Paul VI was the last pontiff to be crowned with the papal tiara on June 30, 1963, after his election. On November 13, 1964, during a Session of the Vatican Council, Paul VI placed his tiara on the altar in a symbolic act, and it was later sold, with proceeds going to people in need. No pope has worn the papal tiara ever since.

Traditional Catholics have criticized the decision to lay down the papal crown as part of the desacralization of the papacy and a rejection of traditional papal symbolism and authority. It has been interpreted as one of many breaks with tradition since the Second Vatican Council.