Priest's attire: clothes, hats, cuffs, pectoral cross

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

The vestments of a priest may indicate his position in the Orthodox Church. Also, different robes are used for worship and for everyday wear. Worship robes look luxurious. As a rule, expensive brocade is used for sewing such vestments, which is decorated with crosses. There are three types of priesthood. And each has its own type of vestment.

Deacon

This is the lowest rank of a priest. Deacons do not have the right to independently perform the sacraments and divine services, but they help bishops or priests.

The vestments of the clergy-deacons conducting divine services consist of a surplice, orari and handrails.

Stichar is a long piece of clothing that does not have front and back slits. A special hole has been made for the head. The surplice has wide sleeves. This garment is considered a symbol of the purity of the soul. Such vestments are not unique to deacons. The surplice can be worn by both psalmists and those laity who simply regularly serve in the temple.

The orarion is presented in the form of a wide ribbon, usually made of the same fabric as the surplice. This robe is a symbol of God's grace, which the deaconreceived in the sacrament. The orarion is worn on the left shoulder over the surplice. It can also be worn by hierodeacons, archdeacons and protodeacons.

The vestments of the priest also include handrails designed to tighten the sleeves of the surplice. They look like narrowed oversleeves. This attribute symbolizes the ropes that were wrapped around the hands of Jesus Christ when He was crucified on the cross. As a rule, handrails are made of the same fabric as the surplice. They also feature crosses.

What is the priest wearing?

The clothes of a priest are different from the robes of ordinary ministers. During the service, he should wear the following robes: cassock, cassock, handrails, gaiter, belt, stole.

The cassock is worn only by priests and bishops. All this can be clearly seen in the photo. Clothes may vary slightly, but the principle is always the same.

cassock (cassock)

The cassock is a kind of surplice. It is believed that the cassock and cassock were worn by Jesus Christ. Such robes are a symbol of detachment from the world. The monks in the ancient church wore such almost beggarly clothes. Over time, she came into use and the entire clergy. The cassock is a long, toe-length men's dress with narrow sleeves. As a rule, its color is either white or yellow. The bishop's cassock has special ribbons (gammats), which are used to tighten the sleeves around the wrist. This symbolizes the streams of blood pouring from the perforated hands of the Savior. It is believed that Christ always walked the earth in such a tunic.

Epitrachelion

Epitrachel is a long ribbon that is wound around the neck. Both ends should go down. This is a symbol of double grace, which is provided to the priest for worship and sacred sacraments. Epitrachelion is worn over a cassock or cassock. This is a mandatory attribute, without which priests or bishops do not have the right to conduct sacred rites. Seven crosses should be sewn on each stole. The order of the arrangement of the crosses on the stole also has a certain meaning. On each half, which goes down, there are three crosses, which symbolize the number of sacraments performed by the priest. One is in the middle, that is, on the neck. This is a symbol of the fact that the bishop conveyed to the priest the blessing to perform the sacrament. It also indicates that the minister has taken on the burden of serving Christ. It can be seen that the vestments of a priest are not just clothes, but a whole symbolism. A belt is put on over the cassock and stole, which symbolizes the towel of Jesus Christ. He wore it on his belt and used it when washing the feet of his disciples at the Last Supper.

Rassa

In some sources, the cassock is called a riza or felon. This is the outer garment of a priest. The cassock looks like a long, wide sleeveless dress. It has a hole for the head and a large front cutout that almost reaches the waist. This allows the priest to freely move his hands during the performance of the sacrament. The shoulders of the cassock are hard and high. The upper edge at the back resembles a triangle or trapezoid, which is located above the shoulders of the priest.

The cassock symbolizes purple. It is also called the garment of truth. It is believed that it was Christ who wore it. Over the cassock, the clergyman wears a pectoral cross.

The gaiter is the symbol of the Zanpakutō. He is given to the clergy for special zeal and long service. It is worn on the right thigh in the form of a ribbon thrown over the shoulder and freely falling down.

Above the cassock, the priest also puts on a pectoral cross.

Clothes of a bishop (bishop)

The robes of a bishop are similar to those worn by a priest. He also wears a cassock, stole, cuffs and a belt. However, the cassock of a bishop is called a sakkos, and a club is put on instead of a loincloth. In addition to these robes, the bishop is also dressed in a miter, panagia and omophorion. Below are photos of the bishop's clothes.

Sakkos

This robe was worn in the ancient Jewish environment. At that time, the sakkos was made from the coarsest material and was considered a garment worn in sorrow, repentance and fasting. The sakkos looked like a piece of coarse cloth with a cutout for the head, completely covering the front and back. The fabric is not sewn on the sides, the sleeves are wide, but short. Epitrachelion and cassock look through the sakkos.

In the 15th century, sakkos were worn exclusively by metropolitans. From the moment the patriarchate was established in Russia, patriarchs also began to wear them. As for spiritual symbolism, this robe, like the cassock,symbolizes the purple robe of Jesus Christ.

Mace

The vestment of a priest (bishop) is defective without a club. This board is shaped like a rhombus. It is hung at one corner on the left thigh over the sakkos. Just like the legguard, the mace is considered a symbol of the spiritual sword. This is God's word, which should always be on the lips of a minister. This is a more significant attribute than a gaiter, as it also symbolizes a small piece of a towel that the Savior used to wash the feet of his disciples.

Until the end of the 16th century, in the Russian Orthodox Church, the cudgel served only as an attribute of bishops. But from the 18th century, they began to give it out as a reward to archimandrites. The liturgical vestment of a bishop symbolizes the seven sacraments performed.

Panagia and omophorion

An omophorion is a long ribbon of fabric decorated with crosses.

It is put on the shoulders so that one end goes down in front and the other in the back. A bishop cannot perform services without an omophorion. It is worn over the sakkos. Symbolically, the omophorion represents a sheep that has gone astray. The good shepherd brought her into the house in his arms. In a broad sense, this means the salvation of the entire human race by Jesus Christ. The bishop, dressed in an omophorion, personifies the Savior Shepherd, who saves the lost sheep and brings them in his hands to the house of the Lord.

A panagia is also put on over the sakkos.

This is a round badge framed in coloredstones, which depicts Jesus Christ or the Mother of God.

An eagle can also be attributed to the vestments of a bishop. A rug depicting an eagle is placed under the feet of the bishop during the service. Symbolically, the eagle says that the bishop must renounce the earthly and rise to the heavenly. The bishop must stand on the eagle everywhere, thus always being on the eagle. In other words, the eagle constantly carries the bishop.

Also during the service, bishops use a baton (staff), symbolizing the highest pastoral authority. The rod is also used by archimandrites. In this case, the staff indicates that they are abbots of monasteries.

Headwear

The headdress of a priest conducting worship is called a miter. In everyday life, the clergy wear skufia.

Mitra is decorated with colorful stones and images. This is a symbol of the crown of thorns placed on the head of Jesus Christ. The miter is considered to be an ornament to the priest's head. At the same time, it resembles the crown of thorns with which the head of the Savior was covered. Putting on a miter is a whole ritual in which a special prayer is read. It is also read during the wedding. Therefore, the miter is a symbol of golden crowns that are put on the head of the righteous in the Kingdom of Heaven, who are present at the moment of the union of the Savior with the Church.

Until 1987, the Russian Orthodox Church forbade everyone to wear it, except for archbishops, metropolitans and patriarchs. The Holy Synod at a meeting in 1987 allowed to wearmiter to all bishops. In some churches, it is permissible to wear it, decorated with a cross, even subdeacons.

Mitra comes in several varieties. One of them is the crown. Such a miter has a crown of 12 petals above the lower belt. Until the 8th century, this type of miter was worn by all clergy.

Kamilavka - a headdress in the form of a purple cylinder. Skofya is used for everyday wear. This headdress is worn regardless of degree and rank. It looks like a small round black hat that folds easily. Her folds form the sign of the cross around her head.

Velvet skufia has been given to members of the clergy as a reward since 1797, just like a gaiter.

The headdress of a priest was also called a hood.

Black hoods were worn by monks and nuns. The hood looks like a cylinder, expanded upwards. Three wide ribbons are fixed on it, which fall on the back. The hood symbolizes salvation through obedience. Hieromonks may also wear black hoods during worship.

Daily Wear Robes

Daily vestments are also symbolic. The main ones are a cassock and a cassock. Ministers leading a monastic lifestyle must wear a black cassock. The rest can wear a cassock of brown, dark blue, gray or white. Cassocks can be made of linen, wool, cloth, satin, combed, sometimes silk.

Most often the cassock is made in black. Less common are white, cream, grey, brown anddark blue. The cassock and cassock may have a lining. In everyday life there are cassocks resembling a coat. They are complemented by velvet or fur on the collar. For winter, they sew cassocks with a warm lining.

In the cassock, the priest must conduct all divine services, with the exception of the liturgy. During the liturgy and other special moments, when the Ustav compels the clergyman to put on full liturgical attire, the priest takes it off. In this case, he puts on a riza on the cassock. During the service, the deacon is also wearing a cassock, over which a surplice is put on. The bishop over it is obliged to wear various chasubles. In exceptional cases, at some prayer services, the bishop may conduct the service in a cassock with a mantle, on which an epitrachelion is put on. Such clothing of a priest is an obligatory basis for liturgical vestments.

What is the significance of the color of a priest's vestment?

By the color of the priest's attire, one can speak of various holidays, events or memorial days. If the priest is dressed in gold, this means that the service takes place on the day of the memory of the prophet or apostle. Pious kings or princes may also be venerated. On Lazarus Saturday, the priest must also dress in gold or white. In the golden robe, you can see the minister at the Sunday service.

White color is a symbol of divinity. It is customary to wear white robes on such holidays as the Nativity of Christ, the Meeting, the Ascension of the Lord, the Transfiguration, as well as at the beginning of the service on Easter. The white color is the light emanating from the tomb of the Savior during the Resurrection.

In a white chasublethe priest dresses when he conducts the sacrament of baptism and weddings. White robes are also worn during the initiation ceremony.

Blue color symbolizes purity and purity. Clothes of this color are worn during the holidays dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos, as well as on the days of veneration of the icons of the Mother of God.

Metropolitans also wear blue robes.

On the Holy Week of Great Lent and on the feast of the Ex altation of the Great Cross, the clergy wear a purple or dark red cassock. Bishops also wear purple headdresses. The red color commemorates the commemoration of the martyrs. During the service held on Easter, the priests are also dressed in red robes. In the days of remembrance of the martyrs, this color symbolizes their blood.

Green symbolizes eternal life. Servants wear green robes on the days of remembrance of various ascetics. Patriarchs wear the same color robes.

Dark colors (dark blue, dark red, dark green, black) are mainly used on days of mourning and repentance. It is also customary to wear dark robes during Lent. On feast days, garments decorated with colored trimmings may be worn during fasting.