The falda (or fimbria) is a particular papal vestment that forms a long skirt extending beneath the hem of the alb. When it is worn, the skirts of the falda are so long that the

pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

needs train-bearers both in front and behind while he walks. It was used when the pope celebrated

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

. It can be used as well by the Patriarch of Lisbon. This form of vestment has its origins in the 15th century and earlier. It was initially made of cream-coloured silk and worn under the alb. It can be used in papal funerals, where it was draped over the body when it lay in state. the pope can use even a short version of the falda (fimbria minori). It has, since the pontificate of Paul VI, fallen into disuse.

References

Papal vestments {{catholicism-stub