Responding to my Sunday Opinion piece about Pope Benedict's predilection for super-tall miters and elaborate pre-Vatican II vestments, a liturgy buff questions whether Americans will see many of the pope's new clothes during his visit here. "I wouldn't expect to see anything in terms of the USA," he wrote, "as the vestment selection is typically picked by those hosting the pope. Often times as well, these are specially commissioned by the host country for the larger masses as well."

We'll see whether Benedict's new tradition-minded fashion guru allows local practice to trump the pope's preferences. It will be interesting to see if the pope reverts to the short Gothic miter favored by the archbishop of Washington. Meanwhile, the pope seems to have swapped the modernistic pastoral staff showing Jesus' Crucifixion for a more robust model.