www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Divine Liturgy Offered Not Wearing Shoes

A friend of mine told me that at his RC parish a priest from India regularly offered Mass without wearing shoes.

This reminds me of Moses being commanded by God to remove his sandals before approaching the burning bush.

Does any Eastern Church have this tradition of the priest/bishop removing their shoes before offering the Divine Liturgy?

Paul

I could be wrong but I think the Coptic church in Ethiopia doesn't wear shoes. (could be for other reasons but I do admire the Coptics and their faithful expressions)

paromer<<A friend mine told me that at his RC parish an Asiatic Indian priest regularly offered Mass without wearing shoes.

This reminds me of Moses being commanded by God to remove his sandals before approaching the burning bush.

Does any Eastern Church have this tradition of the priest/bishop removing their shoes before offering the Divine Liturgy?>>

AFAIK, Paul, this practice is extant in the Syro-Malankara Rite Churches, both "Eastern Catholic in communion with Rome" and Oriental Orthodox. However, and Mor Ephrem may correct me here, I believe that special liturgical slippers are worn after the liturgizing clergy remove their shoes.

I think the sacred ground typology of the Burning Bush is quite apt, but, then again, Mor may correct me.

OrthodoxEast

Oriental Orthodox Christians, with the possible exception of the Armenians, take off their shoes before entering the church...that includes both clergy and laity. The only difference is that priests (and possibly deacons) wear special liturgical slippers at the altar. The rest of us go barefoot, and I prefer it to praying with shoes on...I take off my shoes whenever possible in order to pray. It is somehow better, IMO.

Armenian Orthodox priests and deacons (and I would imagine bishops) do not wear regular shoes in the sanctuary, they wear liturgical slippers.

Can I get a pair of liturgical slippers, maybe with big fuzzy double-headed eagles on 'em?

Seriously, now, THIS [sor.cua.edu] site has pictures of the vestments of the Syriac Orthodox Church, including liturgical slippers.

-Dave

Dear Tony,

Thanks for this correction. I wasn't sure of the Armenians, but I'm glad to know they are "with us" on this one.

Mor Ephrem<<The rest of us go barefoot, and I prefer it to praying with shoes on...I take off my shoes whenever possible in order to pray. It is somehow better, IMO.>>

Hmm. Completely barefoot or are sox allowed? (Would have to keep those feet clean--almost need a ritual basin for washing feet like some mosques have). :-)

I knew one Eastern Orthodox archimandrite, now deceased, who always went completely barefoot (even in the dead of winter in the unheated monastery chapel) before entering the Altar, and I was struck at how immaculate and white his feet always appeared. When he served with other clergy, to my mind at least, he stood out because of his unshod feet (not even slippers) in the Holy Place.

OrthodoxEast

I recall some Byzantine practice of clergy wearing liturgical slippers as well. In the strictest sense, there is (was) a prohibition against things made of dead animals in the Altar. Shoes would count, as they tend to be made of leather.

Dear brethren,

As an Anglican, I have seen altar pieces in which those depicted wore shoes identical to those found on the Syrian website. Moreover, I have seen pictures of popes and bishops wearing the same sort of slippers. I think this is widespread in the West, though I may be wrong.

Happy Shrove Tuesday!
Marshall

Dear brethren,

Yes, after a little research I found that the West does use these slippers (in Latin: "campangi"). Only bishops may wear them and they match the liturgical color of the season. Abbots may also wear them. In Rome, however, only the pope may wear these slippers/campangi. These liturgical slippers are actually copies of the footwear worn by Roman senators and dignitaries. So I guess that makes liturgical slippers a "Latinization." But I won't tell, if you won't.

Everything you wanted to know about Roman slippers:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13434a.htm

in Christ,
Marshall

My priest just wears his socks. Some of the deacons wear slippers, but nothing fancy like that, just the knit wool kind you can buy at walmart. Most people wear their shoes in the Church even though we really shouldn't. Everyone takes them off to go past the curtain to receive Communion, and just goes with socks.

Dear Friends,

Yes, the slipper thing is a carry-over from the Roman empire where shoes indicated rank.

Red slippers indicated the highest rank which is why the Mother of God, as in her icon of the Oranta in Kyiv, is depicted wearing them.

The Eastern Churches always considered the best "dress code" for respectful Divine worship to be the removal of one's shoes (slippers and socks were fine) and the covering of one's head - later the West reversed that tradition for laity and lower clergy.

But the higher clergy still adhere to it.

For years, the papal slippers had a Cross which people, when greeting the Pope, had to kneel down and kiss as a symbol of their subjection to him.

This is why it was always a problem before to have Orthodox ambassadors at the Vatican . . .

Pope John XXIII abolished that custom however.

The Armenians were really only different from their other Oriental Orthodox brothers in that not all of the saints and teachers of the other Churches got into their calendar. For example, it is only recently that St Severus of Antioch got another hearing with the Armenians who had previously suspected him of heresy.

Alex

The ban on animal hide which necessitates the use of cloth slippers also means that we are forbidden to place leather bound Gospel books on the Holy Table.

Spasi Khristos -
Mark, monk and sinner.