Coptica v. 16 2017

Evolution of Coptic Liturgical Vestments (Part II)

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This leaves the mysterious term epicheri [3]. Literally, it translates to “on the hand(s)”. However, our text says clearly that it is worn on the shoulders, whereas the Arabic text avoids all difficulty and translates the term as “something else”! 16 In this case, and following the same convention by which episcopal shoulder garments can be termed omopohorion , this mysterious term can conveniently be considered a synonym of this traditional emblem of episcopal authority, in agreement with Innemée. 17 There remains the apparent peculiarity of the presence of two vestments both of which are essentially wide and long bands of cloth, one worn over the head, the morphorin , and another over the shoulders , the so-called epicheri . It is also noteworthy that the vestments of bishops differ and are much simpler than those of the patriarch. 18 These differences between the vestments of bishops and patriarchs can be a reflection of the monarchical nature of the Alexandrian church hierarchy and is indeed seen even today in certain vesting practices. 19 Nonetheless, one must not ignore the uneven nature of ordination texts themselves, which are not usually meant to be used together with the same frequency. One can therefore also understand this apparent inconsistency as representative of vesting traditions in different eras. Thus, the epicheri seen here likely represents the final remnant of the classic omophorion . Meanwhile, it appears that Coptic bishops and patriarchs started covering their heads with an additional garment called initially a morphorin , with the addition later of another garment for the same purpose, which is the koulla or hood mentioned here for bishops. 20 It is also possible that head covering of bishops and patriarchs indeed was different in the same era. Already in Late Antiquity it became traditional for the Patriarch of Alexandria to wear distinctive head dress, unique among other Egyptian bishops and even other patriarchs. This head dress, a conical crown reminiscent of the papal tiara of the Roman Catholic pontiff is traditionally thought to have been gifted to St. Cyril of Alexandria by Pope Celestine. 21 Although such antiquity cannot be ascertained, already in the 8 th century it is mentioned in the biography of Patriarch Mennas I (AD 767- 774), when it describes the story of a certain Peter, a deacon and usurper of 16 Coptic Museum 253 Lit. (AD 1364), fol. 60v. Cf. Burmester, The Rite of Consecration , 37 (Coptic), 77 (English). 17 Innemée, Ecclesiastical Dress , 27. 18 An analogous practice was observed in the Byzantine Rite in certain places, as for example when bishops wore the sakkos only when celebrating alone and never in the presence of the patriarch, before it became a standard vestment for all bishops. Cf. Vassa Larin, The Byzantine Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in Arsenij Suxanov’s Proskinitarij: Text, Translation, and Analysis of the Entrance Rites , OCA 286 (Rome, 2010), 214. 19 In current practice, when the patriarch celebrates the liturgy with other bishops, only he wears a mitre or carries the episcopal staff. 20 Cf. Mikhail, “‘And they Shall Stand Bareheaded’,” forthcoming . 21 D.C. McPherson, “The Tiara of the Patriarch of Alexandria,” Eastern Churches Quarterly 6, no. 7 (1978): 409-412.