Recently I was around several Byzantine Catholic priests and I noticed something about the chains of their pectoral crosses or crucifixes. A bit of chain would run down their backs past their necks.
On some two separate strands of chain ran down their backs. On others two strands that still comprised a "loop" ran down their backs. They were either clipped or knotted at the back of the neck.
This is interesting. Is this all simply to have a chain that can be lengthened or shortened with ease or is there something else behind the tradition? Thanks.
