Choir dress

As a choir dress, choir robes or choir dress traditional dress of church officials, seminarians and members of religious orders is referred to various Christian churches who wear these in the liturgy ( with various exceptions, such as the celebration of the Holy Mass ). Choir dress can also be worn by laymen as altar boys, acolytes and choristers in accordance with the respective Episcopal Conferences.

Historically, it derives from the robes that were in the last centuries of the Roman Empire in use. The choir dress is today, especially in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Greek Orthodox church in use. The Protestant churches have abandoned their use during the Reformation period.

Choir dress in the Roman Catholic Church

For the choir dress of Roman Catholic clergyman detailed new regulations have been met in part by the Second Vatican Council. The choir dress consists mainly of:

• The cassock or robe with or without cincture If the cleric of a religious community belonging, which has a habit, he wears a cassock instead of the tunic of the habit.
• The surplice (or rochet if the carrier is a prelate )
• Possibly the biretta as a headdress

Pastor with papal titles of honor wear may have a different cassock: black with purple trimmings, buttons and cingulum, while honorary prelates and Apostolic Proto Notaries ( Protonotarii Apostolici supra numerum ) wearing a purple cassock with scarlet trimmings and buttons as well as a purple cincture. Accordingly, this requirement to wear a purple coat Letta and violet stockings with buckled shoes, was abolished by the Second Vatican Council. From honor prelates and Apostolic Proto notaries, a black cassock with amarantfarbenen braids and buttons and the purple cincture is worn. Apostolic Proto notaries of the papal curia ( Protonotarii Apostolici de numero ) bear the other hand, in the liturgy of the purple cassock of a bishop with a rochet and a purple coat Letta. Canons, when the cathedral chapter to each, the papal permission to wear the rochet, with a Mozzetta whose color is determined by the respective chapter.

Bishops wear a purple cassock with scarlet braid and her pectoral cross, which is attached to a green and golden ribbon or a chain, a Mozzetta over the rochet and as a head covering a purple Pileolus ( zucchetto ) under the biretta. Alternatively, carry bishops also a black cassock with red patches ( red buttons, red trimmed button holes ). Prelates and abbots a territorial abbey, apostolic administrators and vicars Apostolic, even where they do not have a bishop, wearing the choir dress of a bishop.

A cardinal wears a scarlet cassock with a pectoral cross of red and golden ribbon or chain, a red Mozzetta over the rochet and to a red Pileolus. The usual rule in earlier times, a coat Letta, the red cincture with tassels, the tabarro to wear ( a liturgical robes ) and red buckled shoes, was repealed.

The choir dress of the Pope consists of a white cassock and rochet. In summer, the Pope Tägt a red Mozzetta of silk, in the winter of velvet with white Fellsaum or during the Easter period Mozzetta a white damask, also with white Fellsaum. The last two variants were of the popes up to Paul VI. used and under Benedict XVI. reintroduced. The pectoral cross of the Pope is attached to a gold chain.

The choir mantle ( the pluvial ) and the stole can be worn over the choir dress, for example, if a cleric over the administration of the sacraments monitored ( eg the religious marriage if this is not done in a Mass ), in the Church's funeral or if that presides over the liturgy of the hours ( eg, the senior priest who presides at the celebration of Vespers in a seminar, the pluvial and the stole worn over choir dress ).

Choir dress in the Eastern Churches

The choir dress in the Eastern Catholic Churches, the Orthodox Churches and the Eastern Churches is relatively similar. About an inner cassock (Greek ζωστικο, Zostikon or Russian подрясник, Podryasnik ) a long-sleeved, mostly black outer cassock is worn (Russian ряса, Ryassa, Greek εξώρασον, Exorason ). Especially in the Greek tradition only a vest (Greek κοντόρασον, Kontorason ) is worn instead of Exorason often. In the Russian Orthodox Church married clerics often wear gray clothing while monks wear black clothes. During the Easter season including an alb is often worn by both. Some Russian Metropolitans wear at the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, a white inner cassock and a blue outer cassock.

Catholic Eastern Churches and Orthodox Churches

In the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Orthodox monks wear a long black cloak, the Mantija ( мантия, μανδύας ) covering the entire clothing worn underneath. In the Greek tradition the Mantija is worn only on certain liturgical occasions. In the Church Slavonic tradition monks and nuns wear the rank of Stavrophor ( " cross-bearers " ) the Mantija in all services within his own monastery. The Mantija a Hegumen ( abbot ) is made ​​of black silk. Archimandrite or bishop of a colored silk with four square fields, two of them in the chest / neck area and two at the foot The Mantija also has three horizontal stripes, which are either golden ( Greek practice) or red and white ( Slavic tradition).

The celibate clergy wearing different headgear than the married clergy. Married clergy wear either a colored Kamilavkion or Skufia, while monks and nuns, a black Kamilavkion with associated head cape ( Epanokalimavkion ), collectively referred to as Klobuk wear. Russian archbishops wear a jeweled cross on the front page of their Klobuk, Russian Metropolitans wear a white Klobuk, also with jewel- studded cross. Many Orthodox Patriarchs wear a rounded head covering, the Koukoulion.

Priest, where a silver, golden or jeweled pectoral cross was awarded, wear this together with their choir dress. Bishops wear a pectoral cross instead of the Panagia ( an icon of the Theotokos, the Mother of God ). Archbishops can wear both. All senior bishops and some lower rank have the right to a enkolpion (chest image with the icon of Christ ), pectoral cross and Panagia to wear.

Examples

Within the various autocephalous churches are different clothing traditions. The following pictures show examples of garments choir of the Eastern Churches.

Oriental Orthodox Churches

In the Syrian Orthodox Church married priests wear a black cap ( Phiro ), similar to the Jewish yarmulke while wearing monk robe the priest as Schima. For certain sacramental acts bishop or priest also carry a stole, the epitrachelion.

Choir dress in the Anglican Church

In the Anglican tradition, the choir dress usually consists of cassock, surplice and tippet. Already in the 14th century, the Anglican surplice had prevailed as basic equipment of the choir dress. The Book of Common Prayer in the edition of 1552 wrote for the Anglican clergy only the clothes before, which is now called the Anglican choir dress, also at the celebration of the Eucharist. The edition of 1559, under Queen Elizabeth I, added the so-called Ornaments rubric added, which was taken from the Book of Common Prayer in 1662 and according to some interpretation (especially by the later Oxford Movement ) for the celebration of the Eucharist instead of the choir dress and the pre-Reformation Eucharistic vestments permitted, including the chasuble, dalmatic, the Tunicella, the alb, the Amikt and the maniple, together with the pluvial. However, until the 18th century these traditional garments were not in use, with the exception of the pluvial, which was used in larger cathedrals and at higher celebrations such as the coronation of British monarchs. With the Oxford Movement in the 19th century, this altliturgischen elements found in larger churches again increased input. In smaller churches, however, the choir dress was also customary in the Eucharist as the only clothing.

The gown is almost always considered priests and deacons in black. The traditional Anglican cassock is double row, but many Anglican clergymen, particularly those that are closer to the Catholic tradition, prefer a cassock, as it is worn mainly in the Latin Church. The gown is worn with a cincture, which may take the form of a sash or a simple belt. In a surplice is worn, which precipitates significantly longer than in the Catholic tradition. Traditionally, an " academic Cowl " (academic hood ) worn around the shoulders and back, combined with a black cape that looks like a stole, but no, or a scarf. Some clerics wear Geneva bands. The traditional headgear of the Anglican clergy, the Canterbury cap, which will not be borne during the service. Rarely, the biretta or a mortarboard is worn.

At times, only a black robe was the Anglican morning and evening prayers and worn reserved wearing the skirt for the Holy Mass Choir. This clothing tradition is still going on in the Church of Scotland and other Reformed and Presbyterian churches.

Editors contribute liturgical occasions often a blue (England) or black (United States) tippet. In the Holy Mass different clothing traditions are common for lecturers.

Anglican bishops usually wear a purple cassock. About this they wear instead of the choir shirt the rochet with a red or blue Zimarra with matching sleeves, black cape and occasionally an " academic Cowl ". In the Holy Mass, they usually wear alb, stole and chasuble if it conforms to the traditions of the parish, or a pluvial with miter with two loops which fall backwards. In more evangelical parishes or dioceses oriented normal choir dress is worn.

Anglican bishops usually wear a pectoral cross on a chain and a bishop's ring.