Armenia bishops have adopted the Latin mitre[1] and crozier and ring. Some bishops wear a rationale of metal attached to the amice, and worn on the breast.[2] The bishop also has a medal of our Lady holding our Lord, called panague (from (
Greek characters), it is the Byzantine enkolpion). He holds a little hand-cross with which to bless. The Katholikos and some important bishops wear an epigonation[3] (konker). At the Katholikos' consecration his head is covered with a great veil (kogh). This is carried before him in procession on great days. Vardapets wear priests' vestments and crown. The sign of their office, given to them at ordination, which they hold when they preach, is a staff (gavazan), which is exactly that of Byzantine bishops, with two entwined serpents looking towards a ball and cross. The vardapet with his crown and staff might easily be mistaken for a Byzantine bishop. If he is an aratshnord (p. 431) and administers a diocese, he has a bishop's (Latin) mitre and crozier.
Out of church the distinctive mark of the Armenian clergy is their black cap (pakegh). This is lower than the kamelaukion, and comes to a point at the top.[4] All wear this, but only the celibate priests and higher clergy may cover it with a large black veil (veghar) which hangs down behind. Priests wear a cassock (generally black) and a black cloak with sleeves, called verarku. We have mentioned the mandyas (pilon). This, with the cap (pakegh), is the usual choir dress. Priests wear a black pilon; higher vardapets and bishops one of violet silk.[5] Archbishops, Patriarchs and Katholikoi have a kind of heraldic emblem of their diocese on a rod. When they go in procession, incense the church, and so on, four standards are borne before
1 Armenian mitres are colossal, higher and worse decorated than the worst 18th-century mitres in the West. There is later copying here. In the 12th century, when Leo II of Armenia was crowned (p. 389), certainly the Latin bishops he saw did not wear these portentous high mitres.
2 Apparently only privileged bishops. For the rationale see J. Braun: Die Liturgische Gewandung, pp. 676-700.
3 Orth. Eastern Church, p. 406.
- ↑ 1
- ↑ 2
- ↑ 3
- ↑ Its shape is just that of the towers which cover their church domes.
- ↑ Armenian vestments are described by Tournebize (op. cit. 601, 603, etc.), Ormanian (127-132), and by J. Braun (Die Liturg. Gewandung), together with those of all rites, under each heading (see the priest — he is a vardapet — p. 235). A. J. Butler also describes them in his Ancient Coptic Churches, vol. ii. chaps, iv.-v.
