Dear Forum Members,

Christos Voskrese!

Does anyone know, in the tradition of the Orthodox Church & Byzantine Catholic Churches, is the mantle (mantia, mandya), worn by monks & nuns, worn as a replacement of the riassa (outer rasson) or is it worn with it?

You could contact Holy Resurrection Monastery, as they wear both at various times.

The answer is that the the mantiya can be worn with or without the exorason, but the exorason only is worn in many circumstances. These are different for Russians and Greeks. In the Greek custom the mantiya is basically not worn. In the Russian tradition it is, either with or without the exorason, but the mantiya is traditionally worn only inside one's own monastery. In other places one wears the exorason.

The exorasson is not really part of monastic dress at all. It's an import from Ottoman costume. That's why it has no place in the monastic tonsure.

It appeared in Russia in the 17th century together with Greek klobuks (Patriarch Nikon's Greek obsessions) but has never been accepted in Old Rite monastic practice. Having said that, the Russian Riassa seems to have gone it's own way stylistically.

Greek monks tend to wear the exorasson instead of the mantia, though I think ecclesiarchs still wear mantles in the temple.

In Old Rite tradition the mantia is worn in everyday dress, hence the use of the half mantia and small mantia which allow one to walk and labour.