the pectoral cross, the pontifical gloves, the pontifical ring, the liturgical sandals and caligae, a tunicle worn over the stole and under the chasuble, and the mitre (see fig. 3). Archbishops, on solemn occasions, wear the pallium over the chasuble (see fig. 5). Bishops also carry a pastoral staff (q.v.), as symbol of their pastoral office. Finally, the pope, when celebrating mass, wears the same vestments as an ordinary bishop, with the addition of the subcinctorium (see Alb), a dalmatic, worn over the tunicle and under the chasuble, and the orale or fanone (see Amice). It should be noted that the liturgical head-dress of the pope is the mitre, not the tiara, which is the symbol of his supreme office and jurisdiction (see Tiara).
 From a photograph by Conjugi Cane, Rome. |
| Fig. 6.—Pope Leo XIII. in his Vestments as Supreme Pontiff. |
Of the liturgical vestments not immediately or exclusively associated with the sacrifice of the mass the most conspicuous are the cope and surplice. The biretta, too, though not in its origin or in some of its uses a liturgical vestment, has developed a distinctly liturgical character (see Biretta). Besides the strictly liturgical vestments there are also numerous articles of costume worn at choir services, in processions, or on ceremonial occasions in everyday life, which have no sacral character; such are the almuce (q.v.), the cappa and mozzetta (see Cope), the rochet (q.v.), the pileolus, a skull-cap, worn also sometimes under mitre and tiara. These are generally ensigns of dignity; their form and use varies in different Churches, and they often represent special privileges conferred by the popes, e.g. the cappa of the Lateran basilica worn by the canons of Westminster cathedral, or the almuce worn, by concession of Pope Pius IX., by the members of the Sistine choir.
The character of the vestments, the method of putting them on, and the occasions on which they are severally to be worn, are regulated with the minutest care in the Missal and the Caeremoniale.
Oriental Churches.—As already stated, the vestments of the great historical Churches of the East are derived from the same Graeco-Roman originals as those of the West, but in contradistinction to the latter they have remained practically stereotyped, both in character and number, for a thousand years; in the East, however, even more than in the West the tendency to gorgeous ornamentation has prevailed.
 Fig. 7.—An Orthodox Eastern Patriarch in full Pontifical. |
An Orthodox bishop, vested for the holy liturgy, wears over his cassock—(1) the στιχάριον, or alb (q.v.); (2) the ἐπιτραχήλιον, or stole (q.v.); (3) the ζώνη, a narrow stuff girdle clasped behind, which holds together the two vestments above named; (4) the ἐπιμανίκια, liturgical cuffs, corresponding, possibly, to the pontifical gloves of the West;[1] (5) the ἐπιγονάτιον, a stiff lozenge-shaped piece of stuff hanging at the right side by a piece of riband from the girdle or attached to the σάκκος, the equivalent of the Western maniple (q.v.); (6) the σάκκος, like the Western dalmatic (q.v.), worn instead of the φαινόλιον, or chasuble; (7) the ὠμοφόιον, the equivalent of the Western pallium (q.v.). Besides these, the bishop also wears a pectoral cross (ἐγκόλπιον) and a medal containing a relic (πανάγια). He also has a mitre (q.v.), and carries a crozier (δικανίκιον), a rather short staff ending in two curved branches decorated with serpents’ heads, with a cross between them.
The vestments of a priest are the sticharion, epitrachelion, girdle, epimanikia and phainolion (see Chasuble). He wears all these vestments only at the celebration of the eucharist and on other very solemn occasions; at other ministrations he wears only the epitrachelion and phainolion over his cassock. A dignitary in priest’s orders is distinguished by wearing the epigonation; and in Russia the use of the mitre is sometimes conceded to distinguished priests by the tsar. The deacon wears the sticharion, without a girdle, the epimanikia and; the orarion (ὠράριον, Lat. orarium, see Stole) hanging over his left shoulder. The lesser orders wear a shorter sticharion and an orarion wound round it.—
On less solemn occasions bishops wear the mandyas (μανδύας), a cope-like garment fastened at the lower corners as well as at the neck, and the kalimaukion (καλημαύκιον), a tall, brimless hat, with a veil hanging down behind, and, in place of the διακόνιον they carry a short staff with an ivory cross-piece. The kalimaukion is also worn by the other clergy in ordinary life, and with their vestments at processions, &c.
The general character of the vestments is much the same in the other Oriental rites. The sticharion answers to the Armenian shabik, the Nestorian kutina, the Coptic tuniah or stoicharion; the epimanikia to the Arm. pasban (which, however, resemble rather the Latin maniple), the Nestorian zando, and the Coptic kiman; the epitrachelion to the Arm. por-urar, Syrian uroro, Coptic batrashil; the girdle to the Arm. kodi, Nestorian zunro; the phainolion to the Nestorian phaino and Arm. shurtshar, both of which are, however, cope-shaped.[2] Armenian priests, besides, wear a mitre (see Mitre, fig. 3), and a collar-like ornament probably derived from the apparel of the Western amice (q.v.). The liturgical handkerchief, which in the Greek Church has become the epigonation, has retained its original form in the Armenian.
The Liturgical Colours.—In another respect the vestments of the Eastern differ from those of the Western Church. In the East there is no sequence of liturgical colours, nor, indeed, any definite sense of liturgical colour at all; the vestments are usually white or red, and stiff with gold embroidery. In the West the custom, long universal, of marking the seasons of the ecclesiastical year and the more prominent fasts and festivals by the colour of the vestments of clergy and altar dates, approximately, from the 12th century: the subject is mentioned (c. 1200) in the treatise of Innocent III., De sacro altaris mysterio (cap. 10), where the rules are laid down which are still essentially those of the Roman Church,[3] though the liturgical colours were only four, violet belonging to the category of black—as that of mourning. Custom in this respect was, however, exceedingly varied for a long time, numerous important Churches having their own “uses,” and it was not until the time of the Reformation that the Roman use was fixed and became the norm of the Churches of the Roman obedience.
According to the rubric of the Roman Missal (tit. xviii.) the liturgical colours are five: white, red, green, violet, black. Though, in the embroidery of vestments, many colours may be used, these five above named must severally give the dominant tone of colour on the occasions for which they are appointed. Gold brocades or cloth-of-gold may, however, be substituted for red, green and white, and silver for white. The following is a list of the occasions to which the various colours are appropriated:—
White.—Trinity Sunday, all festivals of Christ (except those connected with the Passion), festivals of the Blessed Virgin, of the Holy Angels and Confessors, of holy virgins and women (not being martyrs), nativity of St John the Baptist, festivals of the chains of St Peter and of his see (cathedra Petri), Conversion of St Paul, All Saints, consecration of churches and altars, anniversary of election and coronation of popes, and of election and consecration of bishops. White is also worn during the octaves of these festivals, on ordinary days (for which no special colour is provided) between Easter and Whitsuntide, at certain special masses connected with the saints falling under the above category, and at bridal masses.
- ↑ This is the view of Dr Adrian Fortescue (The Orthodox Eastern Church, p. 406); according to Braun (Lit. Gewandung, p. 100) they were originally merely the ornamental cuffs (λωρία) of the episcopal sticharion, which were detached for purposes of convenience.
- ↑ By the sub-committee of Convocation in their Report (1908) these vestments are wrongly classed as copes, i.e. as derived not from the paenula but from the lacerna or birrus (see Cope, footnote).
- ↑ The Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem seems already to have had its canon of liturgical colours.
