www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Pectoral Cross

Dear Friends,

I invite your kind comments to make this clearer to me . . .

The Eastern priest wears a pectoral Cross at all times, correct?

The Bishop wears the panaghia, correct?

In the West, Latin priests do not wear a Cross - this is reserved to bishops, correct?

But is there anything preventing a Western priest from wearing a pectoral Cross?

And Eastern laity do not wear Crosses on top of their clothing - this is reserved to priests, yes?

But is there anything preventing Eastern laity from wearing a cross like this?

Can a lay-person carry a hand-cross with him or her and also use it for signing oneself with the Sign of the Cross?

Alex

<<In the West, Latin priests do not wear a Cross - this is reserved to bishops, correct?>>
Yes

<<But is there anything preventing a Western priest from wearing a pectoral Cross?>>

Not as far as I know - many priests [ and Seminarians] that I know do indeed wear a crucifix - but it is usually under their shirts. But there is this tradition of the Pectoral Cross being reserved for Bishops. However though - think of the monastics - many nuns do indeed wear a fairly heavy neck Cross as part of their habit.

Oh ,though , I have seen quite a few Church of Scotland Ministers openly wearing a Cross

Sorry - obviously I can't answer any of the others

Anhelyna

In the West there is the tradition of the mission crucifix for some men's religious congreagations, i.e. the Redemptorists and the OMIs. this is a cross worn either tucked into the fascia (OMI) or tucked into the folds of the cassok (CSsR). My guess is that the pectoral cross is reserved to bishops unless it is part of a religious habit.

Justin

It is only in the Slavic traditions that a priest wears a cross at all times. In the Greek and Arab, the cross is usually reserved for the archpriest.

Justin

Alex,

Only among the Slavs do simple priests wear the pectoral cross, an honor granted by Tsar Nicholas II. Greeks and Antiochians reserve pectoral crosses for archpriests.

Byzantine bishops may wear either/or both at the same time.

In the Latin Church the pectoral cross is reserved to bishops and abbots and it would be illicit for a priest to wear one as it is a sign of the episcopal office and jurisdiction. At one time the pectoral cross was also granted to canons and protonotaries apostolic, but no longer. On the otherhand, priests who have jurisdiction as papal legates, vicars apostolic, prefects apostolic, apostolic administrators, and ordinaries of territorial or personal prelatures.

As for the baptismal cross, given that no one would mistake this for a pectoral cross, I see no reason it could not be worn on top of one's clothing.

As for the hand cross, this is something reserved to priests and, among some Oriental Orthodox, bishops. I would not think it proper to carry one.

In Christ,
Fr. Deacon Lance

Dear Friends,

Thank you for all this informaton!

Rev. Fr. Deacon Lance - was it only with St Tsar Nicholas II that our priests wore the pectoral Cross?

There are pictures from the 18th century depicting simply priests - and they are all wearing pectoral crosses.

O.K., O.K., I'll stop wearing a pectoral Cross.

And the cassock goes back to the Diocesan Church Goods store too . . .

I keep a small hand cross with me so no one sees and hold it for prayer only.

I don't bless anyone with it . . .

I once had an interesting experience in our theological library.

A fellow came up to me in the stacks and said, "Father Robert, how wonderful to see you again!"

I told him I was neither a Father nor a "Robert."

But he would have none of it and said he knew me very well having taken seminary lectures that I taught . . .

Nothing I could say would dissuade him - and I didn't have my wallet with me at that time.

He said he was a Byzantine and asked me to bless him . . .

I protested that I couldn't but he begged me with tears in his eyes, saying, "I don't know why you are doing this, Father . . ."

So I blessed him with three fingers and told him to go his way in peace . . .

That was truly strange! Perhaps I have a priestly double?

Alex

Bless, Fr. Deacon Lance,

And what about the prayer rope?

Is this reserved to clergy and monastics only?

Alex

Since the term "archpriest" is not always as clear as it should be, let me clarify a little more, at least with regard to the Melkites. An Archimandrite (Melkites do not reserve this title to monastics) will wear a jeweled cross. A Stavrophore priest will wear a simple cross. A priest who is neither of these will not wear a cross.

Edward, deacon and sinner

Bless, Fr. Deacon Ed,

Since you are Bi-Ecclesial, could you tell me if a Latin priest could get away wearing any kind of a Crucifix on top of his clerical shirt?

Alex

Dear Friends:

In the Catholic Church, at least on the Latin side,&#65279; the &#8220;Pectoral Cross&#8221; (or &#8220;Crux Pectoralis&#8221;) is reserved for the Pope, cardinals, bishops, abbots, and other prelates entitled to use this pontifical insignia, worn on the breast attached to a chain or silken cord, the colour differing, according to the dignity of the wearer, and contains either the relics of some saint, or a particle of the Holy Cross.

It (the pectoral cross) is not worn by Priests, who may wear only the simple cross, if at all permitted.

The pontifical pectoral cross is distinct from the simple cross, the use of which is often permitted by the Pope to members of cathedral chapters. Canons, to whom this privilege has been granted, are permitted to wear the (simple) cross at choir service only, and not over the alb at liturgical services, unless specially permitted.

The pectoral cross is, relatively, the latest addition to episcopal ornaments. It signifies the continuation by the Bishop, or other prelate permitted to wear it, of the passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

The custom, however, of wearing a cross (simple, not pectoral) on the breast either with or without holy relics, dates back to ancient times and was observed not only by bishops but also by priests and lay people.

So, Alex, you may continue wearing your own "personal" cross at all times!

AmdG

Dear Amado,

Thank you, Father in Christ, for your kind approbation!

Alex

Alex,

I think Tsar Paul I was the first to grant this dignity to priests but I assumed it must have been retracted since Tsar Nicholas II did it again.

As for prayer ropes, I think a small unadorned one is fine.

In Christ,
Fr. Deacon Lance

Amado,

Pope Paul VI restricted use of the pectoral cross to those I mention above. Canons and honorary prelates can no longer use them.

In Christ,
Fr. Deacon Lance

Bless, Fr. Deacon Lance,

Thank you for your kindness in informing us of these matters!

Alex

Dear Alex,

Deacon Lance is correct, a Latin Rite priest may not wear a pectoral cross at all. There are some exceptions to this, however. Fr. Bob Taft is permitted to wear one because of an honor granted to him by the Eastern Catholics. I believe he does not do so except in the presence of Eastern Catholics. Bi-ritual Latin priests who have been granted the cross in their Eastern roles are prohibited from wearing them when serving as Latin priests. Since the granting of Eastern honors to Western clergy is no longer permitted, this problem should, eventually, "die out."

Edward, deacon and sinner

Bless, Fr. Deacon Ed!

Yes, one of our parish's priests came to my mother's home for breakfast after Divine Liturgy and he came in full cassock with pectoral Cross.

He told me RC's say that he looks like a bishop . . .

It's a beautiful tradition, all in all.

And I love the prayer that everyone may say when putting on their Baptismal Cross "Let God arise . . ."

I believe there is also a tradition that pectoral Crosses should ideally be three inches long and be hung on a thirty inch chain or cord - to make up the 33 years of our Lord's Life on earth.

In any event, may we all wear the Cross of Christ and be faithful to Him Who was crucified on it!

Alex

Correct me if I'm wrong again. But monsignors (who are not bishops) may wear the pectoral cross.
Now I've got another question. I've seen some bishops with a panaghia, and I've also seen some wearing both panagia and pectoral cross at the same time and than there are the ones that wear two panaghias and a pectoral cross in the middle. (I guess this most likely is reserved for the Patriarch).

Lpreima,

You write: If they are simply monsignors then they may not wear the pectoral cross. The problem with this term is that it is also applied to bishops -- and they may wear the pectoral cross.

Edward, deacon and sinner

Alex:

The pectoral cross granted to Russian priests by Tsar Nicholas II was on the occasion of his coronation in 1896. On the reverse is a reminder to "Be an example to the believers . . ." The whole explanation can be found at the Eastern Christian Internet Supply Store

http:www//easternchristian.com/index.html

under their pectoral crosses section devoted to sterling silver and other metal crosses.

As to whether this was a custom prior to that, I cannot say.

When you asked about carrying a hand cross, it reminded me of a unique gift my spiritual director gave me some years ago. It's a reproduction of a cross carried by Catholics in Ireland during the "Penal Times" when there was persecution. It consists of a cross about five or six inches long which has had the cross bar shortened on both ends and a leather loop attached at the top. It is designed to be carried up one's sleeve with the leather loop around one's finger. Apparently the poor used a leather loop in place of a ring and so this crucifix was something that could be hidden on one's person when it might have been illegal to have it in one's home. Sorry, I don't remember which museum gift shop he said he had visited to find this item.

In Christ,

BOB

Well, let's see what I can offer the discussion:

"The Eastern priest wears a pectoral Cross at all times, correct?" I don't know whether this is true of the non-Byzantine East. In the more strictly Byzantine world (Greece itself and the MIddle East) the priest would not normally wear a cross on the street, though there is nothing to stop him from so doing.

"The Bishop wears the panaghia, correct?" - again, if we are speaking of the Byzantine (Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic] Churches, yes.

"In the West, Latin priests do not wear a Cross - this is reserved to bishops, correct?" - While the habitual wearing of the Cross (which should contain authenticated relics) is habitual with Latin Bishops, so far as I know there is no specific prohibition which would prevent Latin priests (or deacons, or lay people) from wearing a Cross if they so choose.

"But is there anything preventing a Western priest from wearing a pectoral Cross?" No, although it would be pretentious to wear such a Cross if it too obviously was an imitation of a bishop's Cross.

"And Eastern laity do not wear Crosses on top of their clothing - this is reserved to priests, yes?" I know of no such canon or tradition, and I have certainly met lay people who visibly wear Crosses. Again, though, this should not be an obvious imitation of a priest's Cross. A friend of mine, who has no ambitions to be ordained, habitually wears a small Cross (from a worn-out rosary) over his necktie.

"Can a lay-person carry a hand-cross with him or her and also use it for signing oneself with the Sign of the Cross?" I know of nothing to prevent this, and have often seen small hand-crosses in Athens which appear to be designed for just such a use.

Alex, would you provide the full text of this prayer and the background of its usage? It sounds like part of the Pascha liturgy.

-- Michael the ignorant

Regarding the "Tsar Nicholas II" myth of the priest's cross - I think that this particular cross was minted (as a gift to every priest in the Russian Empire) to mark the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. However, this was by no means the first time that priests' crosses were minted - Tsar Paul I did the same thing in the seventeen-nineties. Patriarch Pimen of Moscow did the same thing in 1988 to mark the millennium of the Baptism of Rus'. And so forth. I've heard it claimed that Emperor Peter I required every priest to wear a Cross, so that the Emperor would not be embarrassed by asking for blessings from deacons! I don't believe that one for a minute; Peter I was not the type to go around asking for blessings. But the story is indicative of the sort of "creative historiography" we are dealing with. The truth of the matter is that the priest's Cross developed from the Baptismal Cross which every Christian should have. It is legitimate to ask what lies behind the "thinking" of people who object to the priest wearing, of all things, the Cross of Jesus Christ. Incognitus

Deacon Ed,

Robert Taft is not Latin, except in having been granted bi-ritual faculties (which I believe is true of all Jesuits who are ordained to Eastern Churches). He was ordained to the Russian Greek-Catholic (then) 'Rite' in 1963.

He wears a pectoral cross as a consequence of have been elevated to the dignity of Mitred Archimandrite by His Eminence Myroslav Ivan Cardinal Lubachivsky in 1998, in recognition of his service to the Eastern Churches. As well, in 1999, a second pectoral cross, with the right to wear the double pectoral insignia, was conferred on him by His Grace Archbishop Vsevolod of Scopelos (Kolomijcew-Majdanski) (Eparch, Western Eparchy, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the US) on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarch, to recognize his extraordinary scholarly work on Orthodox tradition.

Many years,

Neil

Dear Michael Brooks,

Here is the text of the prayer that one says when putting on one's neck Cross in the morning - or taking it off at night if one does take it off:

"Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered and let those who hate Him flee from His Presence. As smoke vanishes, let them vanish; and as wax melts from the presence of fire, so let the demons perish from the presence of those who love God and who sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross and say in gladness:

Rejoice, most Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord - for you drive away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified on you, Who went down to hades and trampled the power of the devil, and gave us you, His Venerable Cross, to drive away all enemies. O Most Precious and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, come to my assistance with our Holy Sovereign, the Virgin Mother of God, and all the Saints throughout the ages. Amen.

Guard me, O Lord, by the power of Your Holy and Life-Giving Cross, and keep me from all evil."

One then kisses one's neck Cross and makes the Sign of the Cross over oneself with it - and over one's bed before retiring.

A very meaningful tradition in the East has to do with three-bar Crosses with slanted foot-rests.

One always kisses or reverences the upward point of the foot-rest that signifies the forgiveness of our sins, along with the Good Thief, and we cry to our Lord with him: Remember us, O Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom!

Alex

Dear Incognitus,

I'm very much inclined to agree with you - but that's because your viewpoints mesh more with mine than the others!

I'd have to do research, but I think the historic case can be made for the outward wearing of large neck crosses even by laity, let alone priests, in Eastern Europe.

For one thing, there is the Old Rite tradition of explaining what the neck Cross represents to those who ask "What is that?" (To which first question one replies: "I wear on my body the Marks of the Lord Jesus").

That can only really be an issue of one wore a cross where everyone could see it.

I've also heard and seen pictures of pious Orthodox Christians in Eastern Europe wearing large three-bar Crosses on cords over their clothing when in Church and even elsewhere (one woman from over there complained to me that men have "gone crazy" with that practice . . . ).

Certainly, the issue of making sure one doesn't look like a priest is important.

When I went to see the Pope last year, I wore my large three-bar Cross on top of my shirt - and I wore it around for most of WYD festivities here.

The Pope didn't complain and he had a large cross on too . . .

Alex

Alex, thank you for providing me this information. I intend to incorporate it into my own practice.

The extent of my received knowledge - told to me by an Orthodox priest - about Russian silver clergy crosses:

The wife of Paul I requested a blessing from a deacon. To prevent another such faux-pas, the Czar required that priests wear a simple (one bar) silver cross, this in 1797.

Nicholas II changed it to a three bar.

Peace.

From what I heard, the real story is that a one bar cross wasn't enough because Nicholas' II wife couldn't see very well either so he made all the priests wear a larger three bar cross.
Lauro

During much of the synodal period, the three-bar cross was an object of revulsion for the Church authorities. In the diocese of Kholmgory episcopal agents toured Churches and villages, seizing the three-bar cross as a sign of dissent and the dreaded Old Belief. It was only with the rize of the Slavophiles and the renaissance of truly Russian sacred art that the three bar cross started to reapear in Russia.

Spasi Khristos -
Mark, monk and sinner.

Sorry a bit, but:
a) the Nicholas II priest's cross is a bit smaller than the Paul I priest's cross, so the earlier one would have been (marginally) more visible, not less visible.
b) It is not at all difficult to find examples of three-bar (8-pointed) crosses in use in the State Church during the Synodal period.
Incognitus

Yes, one finds three bar crosses, but this is largely in the second half of the synodal period when sacred art returned to Russian roots. From the time of Peter the Great to the later Romanov's the Latin cross dominated Russian sacred art. The three bar cross remained in popular arts and crafts, but any examination of the 'official' fine art leads one to the krizh, rather than the krest - an illegal object in some bishoprics.

Fr Mark.

Fr Mark ,,
Please would you explain what you mean by krizh and krest and why it was an illegal object in some bishoprics

Anhelyna

Dear Anhelyna,

the krizh is the Latin cross, whereas the krest is the traditional Russian Orthodox three-bar cross. The latter was associated with the Old Believers, so it was rejected by many higher clergy. One needs to remember that the Imperial government established strict codes to westernise iconogrphy, including the use of heterodox painters to execute totally westenised official 'iconographic' schemes. Luckily, the 19th century saw a return to true iconography.

Also, due to the size of the empire, much alluded the government censors!

With love in Christ -
Mark, monk and sinner

eluded

Thankyou!

If the 8-pointed (3-bar) Cross was actually illegal in all or part of the Russian Empire, then of necessity there must be records to document this. Can they be found and published? Incognitus

When I return home, I will find the exact title of the book that includes an article on the diocese of Kholmogory and the efforts of it's first bishop to erradicate perceived symbols of dissent, especially the eight-pointed cross.

This issue of the cross was at the heart of many Old Believer polemical tracts. The attempted imposition of the Latin cross, caused Old Believers to associate it with the anti-Christ, as it could not be accepted - according to their mentality - as the instrument of salvation. Whilst four pointed crosses - usually Greek - were accepted in some decorative schemes, they were not accepted as the cross in icons the crucifixion. This topic is touched upon by the ethnographer David Scheffel in his study 'In the Shadow of Antichrist: the Old Believers of Alberta'.

An examination of the comparative broad sheets/Lubok juxtaposing ritual objects of the Old Rite and New Rite also show the Nikonian treatment of the Latin cross as that endorsed by the state Church.

Spasi Khristos -
Mark, monk and sinner.

Dear Father Mark,

Bless!

Thank you for all the interesting information!

It is good to have you back here once in a while!

In Christ our Lord,
Kissing your right hand,
Alice

The All-Merciful Lord bless you, Alice.

Thankyou for your kind words.

Spasi Khristos -
Mark, monk and sinner.

Visitation nuns were a silver reliquary cross of a specific design as part of their religious habit (now-a-days often the only part of their habit they still were). Each years they exchange these crosses between themselves so they do not develope a habit of regarding one particular cross as their personal property. I forget what relics are contained in these crosses, although I was shown those contained in the cross worned by a Visitation nun I knew in Minneapolis. Originally, if my memory serves me right, the pectoral crosses worn by bishops and abbots and abbesses were also reliquary crosses. The Panagis worn by an eastern bishop was originally a eucharistic locket and it use goes back to a time when all monks worn eucharistic lockets when travelling. There are historical references to the Irish monks wearing such eucharistic lockets on their missionary journeys. Arvid

Father Mark: Spasi Khristos! You mention "the ethnographer David Scheffel in his study 'In the Shadow of Antichrist: the Old Believers of Alberta'." Sounds like something well worth reading; is it possible to obtain a copy? Prostite menia Khrista radi.
Incognitus

Dear Incognitus,

There is a famous cartoon from the period of the Old Believer, er, excuse me, "Nikonian Schism" (Father Mark, do I get high marks from you for that? ) that shows two men each with a different Cross.

Metropolitan Ilarion Ohienko in his book "The Holy Pochayivska Lavra" discusses the history of the Pochaiv print-shop and lists a number of Old Believer books printed there during the Basilian period . . .(!)

In his book on the three-bar Cross ("Natsionalny Khrest Ukrayini"), he discusses the book by the author, Lavrenti Zizany-Tustanovski that developed the theology of the three-bar Cross with slanted foot-rest ("Orthodox Staurology") and whose work was reprinted many times by the Old Believers who agreed with him.

Beginning with Peter the Great, there was quite the official backlash against traditional Orthodox symbols, including the three-bar Cross and the beard. Old Believers needed to pay a special tax for the privilege of wearing a beard and then bore a coin for identification to prove to police authorities that they had indeed paid it!

Interestingly, the Old Believers felt most at home in western Ukraine where the three-Bar Cross was popular, especially in those regions that suffered persecution from their RC neighbours. The three-bar Cross became "our Cross" as opposed to the one-bar Western Cross.

Fr. Irenaeus Nazarko OSBM in his book on Kyivan Metropolitans makes mention of a local Polish Catholic synod where the "line was drawn" so that Polish seminarians and priests were forbidden to adopt certain practices from "uniates" such as beards, long robes and pectoral Crosses of the three bar variety.

This would make Ukrainians/Belarusyans and Old Believers the only promoters of this type of Cross at one time in history.

Alex

Dear Arvid,

You raise many good points!

For me, the most important is the call we each have to share our spiritual goods with one another.

I've often given this or that religious object to someone rather grudgingly.

But then I've seen the spiritual good it has done in that person's life.

A young girl I knew when I was young too received a rosary from me years ago.

A few years back, she was the maid of honour and I the best man at a wedding.

As we sat together at the bride's table, she pulled out something to show me - it was the old rosary.

It was my favourite when I was growing up and I actually missed it.

The young lady told me the rosary had helped her pull through a two-year convalescence following a debilitating disease in hospital . . .

I still keep that rosary in my heart and know that it is where it will do the most good!

Alex