I recently read a comment by an Eastern Catholic protodeacon which mentioned, in passing, the history of the use of sakkos as the "primary," if you will, vestment for bishops in the Byzantine tradition. He said that it was first used by the Patriarch of Constantinople and that the practice spread amongst the other Byzantine bishops following the fifteenth century.

I was surprised at this rather late development of such an obvious and important episcopal vestment. Indeed, I have wondered in the past why, in the Roman Rite, both bishop and priest share the "primary" vestment (the chasuble), whereas Byzantine priests and bishops do not share the primary outer vestment.

So, is there anyone here willing to perhaps discuss the history of episcopal vestments, particularly the sakkos, in the Byzantine tradition? Are the statements of this deacon correct, or have I misunderstood?

Alexis

I would be inclined to regard the Omophorion as the "primary" episcopal vestment in our Churches. To this day, hierarchs do not always wear the Sakkos for the pontifical Liturgy.

Fr. Serge

The Sakkos is the Imperial robe of office. The Emperor granted it to the Patriarchs of Constantinople, who I believe alone wore it until the Ottomans. The Patriarch then started to grant its use to others till eventually all Byzantine bishops wore it. A notable exception are the Old Believer's, whose bishops still wear the phelon. It is also common for bishop to wear the phelon with omophor for non-hierarchal Divine Liturgies.

Fr. Deacon Lance

It is by no means accurate to write that the Old-Ritualist hierarchs do not make use of the Sakkos - they certainly do, and there is no lack of photographs to prove it. But it is true that one will sometimes find an Old-Ritualist hierarch vested in the Phelonion rather than Sakkos. The same is true of Ukrainian Greek-Catholic hierarchs.

Fr. Serge

Fr. Serge,

I was not aware of that. Every picture I have ever seen of an Old Believer bishop (as opposed to united Old Ritualist) has been in phelon. Their mitres always seem to be trimmed in fur as well.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Perhaps a link to some photographs is in order?

I have some photographs - and I even have a scanner. Alas, though, my technological incompetence does not enable me to get them on here!

Fr. Serge

Fr. Serge,

You are right about the omphor being primary. Excuse my mischaracterization.

It'd be great to get some pictures in here of bishops vested without sakkos.

Alexis

Here's a link to photos of Old Believer hierarchs in sakkos and fur-lined crowns.

Old Believer Monks and Bishops [oldbelievers.wetpaint.com]

Omophorion over mantiya and epitrachil:

[Linked Image]

Interesting photograph - thank you for posting it. The use of the Great Omophorion (or, in the pre-Nikonian term, Great Amafor) in this way is not unknown, but the Old-Ritualists also make use of the Small Amafor.

Can the hierarch in the photograph be identified?

Christ is Risen!

Fr. Serge

I recall seeing photographs on Russian patriarchal websites of mitred priests wearing fur-trimmed crowns.

I have never seen pictures of Old Believer bishops in phelon. Please do post some examples

http://all-photo.ru/temples/index.ru.html?kk=61cbc72594&img=23737&big=on

http://all-photo.ru/temples/index.ru.html?kk=850cbcd26e&img=25128&big=on

http://all-photo.ru/temples/index.ru.html?kk=186181a059&img=24842&big=on

http://all-photo.ru/temples/index.ru.html?kk=2c8fd466f2&img=6820&big=on

http://all-photo.ru/temples/index.ru.html?kk=dd3772ec2f&img=25108&big=on

Spasi Khristos - Mark, unworthy monk

Fr. Mark,

The first two and last bishops are wearing a long vestment with the schema Cross on it from their poyas rather than thigh-shields. Can you explain what this vestment is and if it is peculiar to the Old Rite?

Fr. Deacon Lance

I just realised their mitres have no crosses atop them!

Presumably the reason is that they were not Metropolitans when the photographs were taken.

Fr. Serge

Don't all Eastern bishops have crosses on their mitres? The only mitres I've seen without crosses are worn by mitred archpriests.

The usage of the Russian Church (Patriarchate of Moscow) and bodies historically related to the Russian Church was/is that only Metropolitans (and the Patriarch, of course) wear a cross on the mitre. In 1988, to mark the millennium of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus', the Russian Orthodox hierarchy awarded themselves the cross on the mitre, regardless of rank. This earth-shaking decision affected only the Moscow Patriarchate.

When the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia and the Moscow Patriarchate found it possible to reconcile with each other, Patriarch Alexis noticed at the reconciliation Divine Liturgy that of the Hierarchs of the Church Outside Russia, only Metropolitan Laurus was wearing a Cross on his mitre. The Patriarch asked Metropolitan Laurus to extend this to all the hierarchs. The Metropolitan replied that it was up to the Council of Hierarchs, but he would tell that that it was the Patriarch's wish. I don't know what eventually happened.

The Old-Ritualists, of course, retain the older usage.

Fr. Serge

Thanks for the explanation. However, all Eastern Catholic bishops I've seen in person and pictured all had a cross on the mitre, as well as any Orthodox bishop I've seen in the USA.

The mitred archpriests are the only ones I've seen without crosses. The cross is reserved for the episcopate. The top hole in the mitre of a priest is plugged with an icon instead.

It's also interesting to note that the Ruthenian BCC has recently started the practice of mitred archpriests, but the OCA doesn't do it anymore. Too much confusion with the bishop and a priest both wearing the same hat.

All the post-May 17, 2007 pictures of vested ROCOR hierarchs that I've seen show them wearing mitres with crosses. Check out the picture-rich ROCOR website (www.synod.com [synod.com])

Thanks for the pictures. When do Old Believer bishops wear the phelon, and when do they wear the Sakkos?

But don't the Greeks do so as well? I think the MP was just aligning with Greek usage.

C^ABA ICYCY XPUCTY!

Any insight on the "Muscovite" cut of the phelon?

I think the conical phelonia are called "Athonite" phelonia. I've heard that the Greek phelonion is tailored (or should be), while the Athonite is more like one-size-fits-all, because of all of the priest turnover on Mount Athos -- this vestment has become popular with the Russians it seems.

If you want to learn a ton about vestments, check out Khouria Krista West's website and listen to her podcast on Ancient Faith Radio. She's a very informal speaker but seems to know quite a bit about vestments and liturgical garb, and their history and proper usage: http://www.kwvestments.com/

The poyas used by Old Ritualists have four pendant strips, two on each hip. This is what you can see on the photographs.

Scroll down on http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/1160909/page15.shtml

Only metropolitans have crosses on their mitres and only hierarchs have icons on them, so you can tell an archpriest's or archimandrite's mitre from a bishop's.

Only the palitza is used in Old Rite Orthodox (not the nabedrenik). If worn with the phelon, it hangs from the poyas by a loop and with the sakos it is attached to a button at the waist level.

The phelon is used by a bishop for simple celebrations or often when travelling, something which Old Believer bishops with large scattered, persecuted flocks have had to do.

The shape of the Russian phelon allowed it to be worn over bulky fur lined cassocks in the past and was, of course, warmer in drafty temples. Many Old Believer priests wear the phelon with a lower back than contemporary New Rite vestments, though the lipovany in Romania seem to wear higher backs than their brethren in Russia. Old Believer phelony are not Athonite in design and should have buttons and loops, so that the front can be raised to leave the hands clear.

Episcopal poruchy usually have small butoons and loops, rather than cords.

Spasi Khristos - Mark, unworthy monk.

dear and reverend Father Mark,

what does it mean these fascinating four pendant strips on the Poyas?


Herb

Are you sure that the "high-back" phelon comes from Athos? I was always under the impression that it was the other way around: its stiffed back is in keeping with baroque tailoring -- not really popular in remote and West-hating Athos, but surprisingly popular in French-speaking aristocratic Sankt Peterburg.

The explanation I heard, which makes sense, was that it came from Eastern Ukraine and Central Russia. Then, when the Tsars began donating to all of Orthodoxy around the world they ended up giving vestments to monasteries on Athos in the "high-back" style. That's also why you only find them in important monasteries and most of them are really, really old -- because they didn't make them themselves and there are no more Tsars to send them any.

In any case, the original cut of all phelonia was more "one-size-fits-all" since it was more loose fitting around the neck and the length was variable because of the folding of the phelon at various parts of the liturgy. That's why I would be surprised that Athos would go to all the trouble of starching/stiffening/changing their phelonia when their's were fine...unless someone was willing to give them a nicer one for free.

However, I could be wrong, but I would like to see it in print and I don't see anything on the "Opinionated Tailor's" site or Ancient Faith.

She talks about the Athonite Phelon in one of the early podcasts on vestments. Definitely one before March 16.

Here you are. This is Bishop Mercury of New York (MP) celebrating the Liturgy of St. James:

http://www.russianchurchusa.org/zadmin_data/foto.image/6431.jpg

I'm a little confused. He's not wearing the sakkos, but his omophorion has the hashmarks that I've only seen worn by Eastern Catholic bishops. What's up with that?

Dear Etnick,
I have seen many Orthodox Hierarchs wear these "hashmarks" on their omoforia.If you look closely at the icons of Holy Bishops,Metropolitans,Patriarchs, you will also see them there.They also appear in the photographs of the Old Believer Bishops that Fr.Mark has posted.Maybe one of the many priests on the forum can tell us about them and what they mean?I for one would like to know.

Last June 21, Metropolitan Hilarion and Bishop Peter of Cleveland consecrated ROCOR's newest bishop, John of Caracas.

Bishop Daniel of Erie was there and was vested in phelonion:

http://www.synod.com/synod/pictures/images/6bpberzins7_jpg.jpg

Other pictures here:

http://www.synod.com/synod/2008/6bpberzins.html

Incidentally, Bishop John of Caracas was vested in Old Ritualist style:

http://www.synod.com/synod/pictures/images/6bpberzins8_jpg.jpg

Is he Old Ritualist himself?

These are the old "badges" of hierarchal office which have been used for many centuries, as drawings exist from Kyivan Rus' of these even from the 12th-13th century.

As I recall it is three "bars" for a bishop, four for a metropolitan, and five for a Patriarch.