At No. 89 Via Borgo Pio a stone’s throw from the Vatican’s Porta Santa Anna lies a humble but revered sanctuary of clerical craftsmanship: Mancinelli Clergy. Within its timeworn walls, shelves brim with religious attire cassocks, cardinal caps, zucchettos, chasubles adorned with golden thread, and pectoral crosses each piece echoing the solemn dignity of the Church. At the heart of this small but iconic Roman atelier stands its master tailor, Raniero Mancinelli, a man entrusted with a sacred task: preparing the ceremonial cassock for the next pope.

With a tape draped around his neck and the weight of tradition on his shoulders, the seasoned 87-year-old craftsman welcomed journalists into his shop just days ahead of the conclave. “I’ve clothed John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis… now, I’m preparing for the fourth,” he said with quiet pride, eyes gleaming with both nostalgia and anticipation.

Though he doesn’t expect the papal election to conclude on its first day, Mancinelli said the papal habit is nearly complete. In a small workshop tucked at the rear of the shop surrounded by rolls of pristine white fabric, sewing patterns, and the hum of a sewing machine he works steadily to complete the ensemble: cassock, sash, and zucchetto, the signature skullcap of the Roman Pontiff.

Mindful of history and the unpredictability of fit, Mancinelli meticulously prepares three versions of the papal cassock in different sizes small, medium, and large. “This way, the new pope has options that ensure dignity and comfort,” he explained. With a chuckle, he recalled the legendary mishap of Pope John XXIII, whose surprise selection left him donning an ill-fitting cassock held together by safety pins during his first public appearance.

The Roman tailor whose fame in the Borgo district is only rivaled by his humility considers his work more than a job. It is, he says, a form of service to those who devote their lives to God. “The greatest satisfaction,” he reflects, “is helping priests and bishops find what they need to live their vocations.”

For Mancinelli, this role passed down through generations is not just about clothing leaders of the Church, but preserving a living tradition of reverence, dignity, and devotion stitched into every seam.