Sakkos

The Blazers (Greek σάκκος ) is a liturgical garment of bishops and patriarchs of Orthodox and United Eastern Churches and is worn in place of the priestly phelonion.

Appearance

The jacket is a tunic with wide sleeves and a distinct ornamental patterns. It reaches below the knees and the side with buttons or ribbons. In shape and appearance it is similar to the Western dalmatic, which, like the jackets, based on Byzantine robes.

The jacket is usually made of fine brocade fabric and can be decorated with intricate embroidery. Usually on the back part of a special cross stitched, which plays a role in the ceremony of putting. Furthermore, loops or buttons are mostly the top of the back piece sewn on which the episcopal omophorion is attached. Often a total of 33 buttons are attached to a jacket, which is the traditional number of years of life of Jesus. Additionally bells are attached at the hem, which goes back to the biblical instructions for the clothing of the Jewish high priest (Ex 28.33-34 EU; 39.25 to 26 EU).

History

The jacket was originally worn by the Byzantine Emperor as imperial garment. During this time, the bishops did not wear a jacket, but a phelonion, similar to that which today bear the Eastern Church priests, but with an elaborately embroidered, multi-layer cross, called Polystavrion ( " many crosses "). The first cleric who took over the Blazers in the 16th century as a liturgical garment, were the patriarchs and some senior archbishops, and even these used on jackets only to solemnities. The other bishops continued to contribute a phelonion or Polystavrion. After the fall of Constantinople Opel ( 1453), but these were given the right to wear the jackets. Unlike the Pontifikalien the Western rites, which may also contribute to legitimate prelates below the rank bishop, the jacket is exclusively reserved for bishops.

Use and implications

The bishop wears the jacket as part of the sacred robes at the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, at the high doxology in the course of Mette or Vigil, as well as on special occasions, such as at Easter, slide in and out of the Epitaph on Good Friday or during the Cross Exaltation of the Cross. In other, non- liturgical celebrations, the Eastern Church bishops wear the " Mantiya " the episcopal coat.

If the bishop is dressed, present him with two subdeacons the jackets on a plate, the bishop blesses him with both hands and lift the subdeacons the garb of the plate, so that the bishop may kiss the cross on the back. Then the jackets is attracted to him and the subdeacons close the buttons on both sides. Under the jacket, the bishop usually wears a stitch Arion.

Some rites can celebrate on demand " as a priest " a bishop, where he is not wearing the Episcopal ( Episcopal ) clothing and also to the episcopal candle holders, Dikirion and Trikirion omitted. The bishop then transmits only a simple phelonion with the small omophorion over the shoulders and the epigonation on the side. In addition, he contributes, as on all occasions, be Panagia.