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The istochnyky on the Zone are defintely not any sort of award; all Old-Ritualist priests wear them. I've inquired amongst several friends as to just what they might mean. So far, the best answer is as follows:

"There is an old lady in Primorskiy Krai who used to know what the istochnyky mean. Unfortunately she now has Altzheimers and has forgotten!"

Incognitus

Christ is risen!

Dear Herb,

From what I have seen (including the real thing, not just pictures) and heard, there are four ribbons, two on each side. In many pictures this is difficult to make out.

Хрїстосъ воскрεсε изъ мєртвыхъ, смεртїю на смεрть наступи, и грωбнымъ животъ дарова!

Father,

Truly, He is risen!

While there are exceptions to every rule, most Greek bishops that I've seen wear the epigonation buttoned to the outside of the sakkos. To illustrate this, here are some photos that I found online:

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew [photos.goarch.org]

Archbishop Christodulos of Athens [alepporthodox.org]

Metropolitan Evangelos of New Jersey [nj.goarch.org]

Dave

Question,

Old Believers had been long famous for their fidelity to the older form of holding their fingers during the "sign of the cross" or reverence.

If, as I am informed, it is the Christogram, then why is not the last finger more uplifted (forming the sigma)?

I noticed this in the photos and also this is the case of many icons as well. The thumb seems to press down on the last 2 digits, rather than just the 3d one, leaving the last digit somewhat up-raised.

Clear as mud?

Herb

Sprazdnikom to all!

The answer to the last post is NO, Old Believers do not sign themselves with the Christogram, hence the finger divergence from the arrangement on the icons quoted.

Spasi Khristos - Mark, monk and sinner.

Father Bless!

Wow! Well this is certainly news to me. I was explained to me (now apparently erroneously) that the Old Believer mode of doing a Reverence was using the Christogram, the same Christogram that the priest uses to bless. Thus originally (so I was told) both clergy and laity blessed (whether themselves or the congregation) using the Christogram.

Later, as things developed (perhaps clericalization) (resulting in e.g. the Nikonian Reform), the Faithful were no longer allowed to use the Christogram, which was reserved to presbyters and bishops. Thus the 3 fingered Reverence was used by the laity.

That's at least what I was told.

So that totally wrong?

if wrong, then what is the explanation of the 2 fingered Reverence of the Old Believers?

Herb

ps. It was also explained to me that the Pope's mode of blessing - with the Christogram - is another indication of Byzantine Eastern practice, although curiously he too "depresses" both the 4th & 5th finger (as opposed to just the 4th) - just like the Old Rite.

Dear Herbigny,

I think your analysis is quite profound, sir!

The grouping of the thumb and the last two fingers in the Old Rite form represents the Holy Trinity, while the bent middle finger joined to the index finger represents Christ, the Son of God Who "bent the heavens" and came down to earth to become Man in the Womb of the Most Holy Virgin Mary.

In fact, this is the OLDEST form of the hieratic blessing (rather than even the Christogram) that one finds on icons.

There are a few icons, a copy of which I have, that shows Saints about to Cross themselves with two fingers (my icon of St Alexius the Man of God).

So the Old Rite form is actually an inversion of the New Rite form to represent both the Most Holy Trinity and OLGS Jesus Christ.

The Old Believers, I've read, also insist on the Orthodoxy of the two fingered Sign of the Cross because it was Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, Who was crucified alone and not the other Two Persons of the All-Holy Trinity.

That's what they say, don't shoot the messenger!

There was one Saint who commented on the two-fingered Sign of the Cross when it was widespread in the Church (an article by a Basilian priest in the "Calendar" of the "Light" a Basilian publication) who taught that the two fingers represent the two Natures of Christ and the one hand represents the One Divine Person of Christ . . .

I too share your exquisite insight that the reason the two-fingered Sign of the Cross disappeared among the laity was largely due to clericalism . . .

Spasi Khrystos,

Alex

Thanks for the compliment!

I actually had never heard of the 2 fingered Reverence as preceding the Christogram. I had always thought that they were just variant (or even sloppy) forms of the Christogram.

When did the Christogram arise (esp. in relation to the 2 fingered blessing)?

Herb

Dear Herbigny,

The Christogram seems to have come into sacerdotal use around the same time as the three-fingered Sign of the Cross, but it existed prior to that as we see in icons.

However, the Old Believer form is quite the most ancient form.

Other than that, I don't know!

Alex