Divine services are considered sacred acts, requiring special vestments (clothes) for their performance. Just as special occasions call for more formal attire, sacred vestments are justified for divine services. Thus, from ancient times, the Holy Church has established special liturgical vestments worn by priests during the Holy Sacraments. These vestments symbolize the authority to invoke God’s grace and represent the hierarchical ministry.
The earliest divine vestment was a simple long white linen shirt known as a sticharion, alb, or tunic, symbolizing spiritual joy and moral purity. Other vestments worn over it are specific to three ministries: the orarion (a long cloth band urging the faithful to prayer by the deacon), epitrachelion (a priest’s collar), and omophorion (a bishop’s wide woolen shoulder cloth). These vestments are essential for priests, except in extreme cases, to conduct their liturgical duties. Over time, additional liturgical vestments were introduced, including armlets symbolizing the bonds of the Savior’s hands. The deacon’s sticharion is an outer garment of thicker fabric with wide sleeves, and the orarion is worn on the left shoulder, signifying angel wings, often inscribed with the angelic hymn: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts…” The orarion for archdeacons and protodeacons is longer and worn under the right arm.
Priestly vestments are adapted from the deacon’s attire. The priest’s stichara is an undergarment made of soft white linen with narrow sleeves. During ordination, the back wing of the orarion is draped around the neck to form the epitrachil, an essential vestment for the priest. It invokes God’s grace, akin to the myrrh poured on high priest Aaron’s head. The epitrachelion is secured with a belt, reminiscent of the cloth Christ used at the Last Supper to wash His disciples’ feet. The priest wears a bell-shaped garment called a penula or phelon. For practicality in performing sacraments, the phelon was later shortened or narrowed at the front. The phelon signifies the purple robe Christ wore during His trial and the yoke of pastoral ministry. Distinguished priests wear a crozier or a loincloth as a symbol of the spiritual sword – the word of God.
Bishop vestments are based on priestly ones, with the addition of an omophorion, symbolizing the lost and found sheep. There are two types: a short one (25 x 250 cm) draped over the shoulders, and a long one (25 x 350 cm) draped over the shoulders with one end in front, the other behind, and the middle descending over the chest. The bishop’s phelon was once broader than the priest’s, adorned with crosses, hence called polystavrion, meaning many-crossed. Later, the Patriarch of Constantinople received a royal garment called sakos from the emperor, similar to a deacon’s sticharion, which was eventually adopted by all bishops.
The mitre, a crown adorned with gold and precious stones, signifies high ministry within bishop vestments. Other distinctive bishop vestments include the mantle – a cloak with wide folds and a long hem, and the panagia or engolpie (a breastplate), usually an icon of the Holy Mother of God, worn on a chain. Additionally, bishops carry a staff with a cross at the top, symbolizing spiritual authority, along with dikiri and trikiri (candlesticks with two and three candles, respectively) used to bless the congregation during services.
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