Website on clerical vestments?

[The_Scott]

Hi everyone,

I'm unsure if this question belongs in the Liturgy and Sacrament forum; if it doesn't, mods, please feel free to move it to its proper place.

I was wondering if there was a website that has the specific information about clerical clothing, preferrably during Mass. I'm specifically looking for Latin rite information, but by all means Eastern Rite websites would be just as nice!

Here's an example of what I'm sort of looking for: http://fatherjoe.wordpress.com/2006/...-priests-wear/

Except I'd prefer it with pictures, and more information than just what it looks like (for example: history of the specific garment, significance, etc). I know, I'm being extremely picky.

Thank you very much!

[YoungTradCath]

For Mass:

Alb: White, long underlayer you can see on a cleric.

Amice: White, rectangular underlayer worn under the alb and secured with ties, which purpose it is to cover the collar of the street clothes.

Cassock or shirt and pants: Self-explanatory.

Chasuble: Outer layer a priest or bishop wears at Mass. Hopefully decorated in at least some way. Has no sleeves. Comes in several cuts.

Dalmatic: Outer layer a deacon wears at Mass. Has sleeves and generally only comes in one cut, but in different lengths and proportions. It usually matches the chasuble in decoration. A Pontifical Dalmatic is a usually plain version in the liturgical color of the day or white which is sometimes worn by a bishop under his chasuble.

Buskins: Tailored (that is, sized for a particular foot only) socks made of woven rather than knit cloth that are sometimes worn by bishops, cardinals and other prelates. Secured with long ties.

Sandals: Shoes made of silk or some other sort of material either in the liturgical color of the day or white which are worn over the buskins when the buskins are worn. They are usually, but not always, heavily ornamented.

Shoes; I suppose priests wear whatever kind of shoes they desire, but usually black leather. Some priests, for example of the traditional groups, wear shoes with silver buckles.

Tunicle: Outer garment worn by the subdeacon at Solemn Mass in the Extraordinary Form. Very similar to the dalmatic. Essentially the same in cut. Classically this is generally a bit different from the dalmatic in terms of the heaviness of ornamentation, but many times it is just another, matching dalmatic. A Pontifical Tunicle is the same as a Pontifical Dalmatic but is a little bigger.

Mitre: Pointy hat bishops and cardinals, etc., we.

Maniple; Strip of fabric matching the chasuble or tunicle or dalmatic worn on the left arm in the Extraordinary Form.

Cincture: Cord tying the alb close to the body and which secures the stole.

Stole: Strip of fabric that for a priest is crossed over the front of the chest OR hangs straight down, for a bishop hangs straight down, and for a deacon hangs across the chest and down the left side.

Cappa magna: Not a strictly liturgical garment but is worn in choir and when a bishop or cardinal or certain other privileged prelates process to and from Mass and other events. A long woolen or silken cape in scarlet, amaranth (violetish color), or more rarely, another color. I've seen a fur one, of all things!

Farraioulo: Not strictly a liturgical garment but sometimes worn by assistants to bishops and cardinals at liturgical ceremonies, and is otherwise worn by clerics for formal occasions. It is a cape that reaches to a bit above the floor. Black, scarlet or amaranth.

Pallium: Strip of wool worn around the neck by archbishops and the Pope.

Cope: Cape that usually matches a set of Mass vestments. Used for processions and sometimes for asperges, and sometimes for other events.

Pectoral Cross: Cross with or without corpus that is worn on a silken cord for liturgies or on a chain otherwise.

Gloves: Silken gloves sometimes worn by bishops and cardinals in the liturgical color of the day or white.

Crozier: A staff with a crook sometimes carried by bishops and cardinals.

Cross thing (don't remember name): A staff with a cross on it carried only by the Pope.

Papal items worn in the recent past:

Tiara: Triple crown.

Fanon: Double-layer circular thing worn over the shoulders with a hole for the head. White with gold stripes.

Falda: Alb-like garment but much longer. Has a train.

Subcintorum: Maniple-like thing hidden under the Pontifical tunicle, worn hanging from the cincture.

Papal mantum (or mantle): Same as a cope but longer and must be held out to the sides by two train bearers. The mantum has not been worn for a while, but now when Pope Benedict wears a cope, he has train bearers in processions.

I do believe I have exhausted the explanation of vestments used in the Latin Church for and in the context of Mass.

[japhy]

I don't have pictures, and I don't have all the historical information you're looking for, but I think this series of blog posts will be helpful to you:

http://www.prayingthemass.com/2009/0...ing-hands.html
http://www.prayingthemass.com/2009/0...rpt-amice.html
http://www.prayingthemass.com/2009/09/excerpt-alb.html
http://www.prayingthemass.com/2009/0...-cincture.html
http://www.prayingthemass.com/2009/0...rpt-stole.html
http://www.prayingthemass.com/2009/0...-chasuble.html
http://www.prayingthemass.com/2009/0...-dalmatic.html

[The_Scott]

Thank you both very much!

[JGMendes4049]

Here's a website on clerical dress.

[MarkThompson]

Originally Posted by The_Scott

Thank you both very much!

You may also care to read this book, which is of course out of date but still contains a great treasury of information -- and is free!

[The_Scott]

Thank you JG and Mark, very much! I think I've gotten a great hold on what I was looking for!

[Usbek de Perse]

There is a Google Group on Ecclesiastical Vestments at

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ecclvest/

This is part of a web of groups that started out with Academic Dress, then proceeded to Ecclesiastical Vestments and Court (as in royal court) dress. The primary nexus between Academic and Ecclesiastical dress seems to be the Anglican practice of wearing academic hoods in choir dress (i.e. when vested in cassock, surplice, black scarf and hood), not when vested either for Eucharist.

Once in the group, you will discover the various subgroups that exist. Some posting has occurred of an historical nature as well.