Omophor

The omophorion ( to ὦμος Greek ὠμοφόριον, shoulder ' and φέρειν ' carry ', which at the shoulder -bearing ') is a liturgical garment of the patriarchs, metropolitans and bishops in the Orthodox, Armenian and Syriac Church. It corresponds to the pallium of the metropolitans in the Latin Church. However, it is in contrast to the pallium not of wool but of a about 30 inches wide, decorated with crosses brocade fabric strip that is thrown around his shoulders that he gives a pall to the front and rear.

Importance

As a symbol of the lost and found lamb on the shoulders of the Good Shepherd, it clarifies the pastoral function of the bishop in the following of Christ. The lower end of Omophorions is provided in the United churches with a number of cross beams, which varies according to the rank of the wearer: three bars are for a bishop, for a four metropolitans, five for the head of the Church.

Liturgical use

The omophorion is usually worn over the episcopal jackets and also attached to this. Does the liturgical order, the frequent removal and re- folding the Omophorions, so normally worn Large omophorion is replaced by a small, which is supported by the type of Epitrachelions. In some places, where several bishops concelebrate, today it is common that the main celebrant carries the large omophorion when needed, while the other concelebrants throughout the little bear.

In the Ruthenian Catholic Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the great omophorion is also commonly used. The rules for application are simplified, it is not replaced by the small and worn during the entire liturgy. Nevertheless, there are some bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church on the compliance of the whole rite.

Origin and History

Originally omophorion was a wide, jeweled sash, which belonged to the Byzantine Imperial Mantle; it was wrapped around the shoulder and fell down on the chest and back.

The omophorion is attested as a liturgical garment of bishops about 400 in Isidore of Pelusium. At that time it was still made ​​as a sign of episcopal pastoral role of wool. His only form of development since then was a broadening. A picture can already be found in the miniatures of the Alexandrian World Chronicle, which probably dates from the 5th century. Furthermore, to see the omophorion in Trier on an ivory -relief showing a procession of relics. Among the representations of the 7th and 8th century recently discovered frescoes in S. Maria Antiqua (above the Domitian building complex of the Roman Forum ). The representation in these paintings has remained its present form essentially the same.

One speaks of clerics and religious institutions, which are under episcopal transfer, they were " under his omophorion ".