Book of Ceremonies of the Liberal Catholic Rite

CHAPTER 2. The Vestments

The dress of those taking part in Church services, either in the sanctuary or the choir consists always of a cassock over which other vestments are worn. (For illustrations of vestments references are made to plates in the front of this book.) As prescribed by the First General Episcopal Synod, cassocks vary in colour and style according to the work, age and rank of the wearer. They are usually fastened by a single row of buttons down the middle. Cassocks should be long enough to look dignified and to conceal the trousers as much as possible, yet they must not be of such length as to interfere with walking.

Youths serving at the altar or otherwise employed in the sanctuary wear plain scarlet cassocks. Tall youths or adults performing the same functions wear plain scarlet or dark blue cassocks. All such cassocks are worn without cuffs, cincture, cape or biretta.

Ordained subdeacons, deacons and priests wear black cassocks. (Deep purple cassocks are also permitted.) Such cassock may be plain or may possess cape and false oversleeves, ornamented with buttons, which project slightly below the cape. (Plate 6, Figures 4 & 7) A cincture is worn, consisting of a band of cloth or silk of the colour of the cassock, ornamented with fringe at the ends, which is passed round the waist, knotted on the left side in front, the loose ends falling to the knee or a little lower. The material of which the cassocks are made is not specified; it may be cotton, wool, or silk, or a mixture of any of the three. It may have silk cuffs.

What in England is called "Russell Cord" makes very durable cassocks.

White cassocks may be worn by priests (and presumably by deacons and subdeacons) in hot weather or in the tropics, according to a ruling of the Second General Episcopal Synod.

A bishop wears a plain rose-purple cassock of silk or merino with or without a train. The train is hooked up at the back so that it does not drag on the floor. It is let down on solemn occasions. The cassock is edged with red and has buttons of the same lighter colour. It should have red cuffs. A cincture of the colour of the cassock is worn, the fringe of which is green and gold. The fringe of the cincture used on greater occasions may be quite elaborate. In the tropics or in hot weather a bishop may wear a white cassock.

It is seemly to avoid entering the sanctuary unless in cassock. This is especially true when preparing for a service. The cassock, with biretta if the wearer is entitled to one, may be worn on any suitable non-liturgical occasions, but other vestments should not be worn except on the occasions for which they are specified.

Subdeacons, deacons and priests are entitled to wear a black biretta and bishops a rose-purple biretta. A biretta is a square cap with three peaks or ridges, which may be folded. Attached to the top in the centre is a pompon of the colour of the biretta. It is worn so that the comer without a peak is over the left ear. In putting on or taking off biretta the right hand grasps the middle peak.(Plate 6, Fig. 7)

Bishops may also wear a rose-purple zucchetto when the casssock is worn. The zuchetto is a small skullcap fitting on top of or toward the back of the head, depending the shape of the bishop's head. It is sometimes adhered with hook and loop fasteners l hair pin. It is removed before the Preface of the Holy Eucharist, and whenever the Host is exposed on the altar.

A clerical collar must of course be worn at church services by all those of the ( of subdeacon and higher. In some churches all of the choir men and adult altar servers wear clerical collars, while the boys are dressed in special collars, not unlike n collars.

Boots and shoes worn in the sanctuary should not be brown in colour. The tom of removing the shoes worn in the street and wearing in the church shoes used exclusively for that purpose is highly desirable. Sanctuary shoes may be of purple or to match the cassock.

The vestment of boys and girls serving at the altar or in the choir is a white a, (Plate 7, Fig. 9) The cotta hangs only part way down the thigh and has short sleeves extending a little below the elbows. The bottom of the cotta and the ends of the sleeves are edged with lace. The cotta is never worn by men.

The vestment of men or women serving at the altar or in the choir is a white surplice without lace. (Plate 7, Fig. 6) The surplice should fall to the knees and have ample sleeves, called angel sleeves, which so widen down to the hands that the tips of sleeves nearly touch the sides of the body when the arms are held out horizontally n the shoulders. There should be an opening nearly circular, sometimes oval, just large enough to permit the surplice to be drawn over the head, and all folds and gathers around neck band should be avoided as much as possible.

The server carrying the crozier or mitre of a bishop should wear a scarf of thin white silk, sometimes edged at the ends with gilt fringe, which is called a vimpa. The vimpa is worn round the neck and tied or joined in front with the ends hanging down. The server covers the palms of his hands with the ends of the vimpa while carrying the crozier or mitre.

The vestment of a subdeacon is a white linen surplice.

The vestments of a deacon are a white linen surplice and a stole, which is worn over the left shoulder and crossed under the right arm. The deacon's stole is usually joined with fasteners or tapes so that it may be fastened in this crossed position. Both deacon and the subdeacon wear other vestments, to be described hereafter, when they assist a celebrant at a High Celebration or at Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

The vestments of priests, except on occasions specified hereafter, are a white linen surplice and stole. The stole (Plate 7, Fig. 6) is a narrow piece of silk brocade or other material, bordered with braid and its ends edged with fringe, which is worn over shoulders, the two ends hanging down in front to about the knees of the wearer.

When celebrating the Holy Eucharist a priest is vested in amice, alb, girdle, stole (crossed in front, right over left, and secured in position by the girdle) maniple and chasuble. (Plate 7, Fig. 2) The general rule is that whenever a priest is vested in alb and girdle he wears the stole crossed in front as at the Eucharist. This does not hold, of course, when a priest is serving as deacon at the altar. The amice is a cape of white linen, which is placed over the shoulders and round the neck, and held in place by means of two tapes which are wrapped about the body and under the arms and tied in front. (Plate 7, Fig. 1) The important part of the amice is the band of stiffened silk shaped to fit the shoulders, which is attached to the upper edge of the linen cape where it comes into contact with the neck. This silk band, known as the apparel, is either made of gold brocade, or brocaded silk covered with gold metal lace. (It is permissible to use the apparel alone without the linen cape.) In vesting, the amice is put on first of all immediately over the cassock. The linen part is therefore worn under the alb, but the apparel should be outside the alb. In 1990 the General Episcopal Synod ruled that apparel may be omitted when the chasuble worn has a collar.

The alb (Plate 7, Fig. 2) is a long linen gown which reaches nearly to the bottom of the cassock. It has close fitting sleeves the ends of which are edged with lace. Preferably, an oblong panel of lace is inserted in the front and in the rear near the bottom hem of the alb. The Third Episcopal Synod ruled that in extremely hot weather it was permissible to use an alb without a cassock, but it was recommended that the openings, if present, be backed up with silk of the colour of the cassock. The girdle is a quarter-inch cord, twelve feet long, with tassels at either end. The girdle of a priest, deacon or subdeacon has both cord and tassels of linen, usually white, but sometimes of the colour of the Day. The girdle of a bishop is a metallic gilded cord with metallic tassels. The maniple (Plate 72, Fig. 21) is a band of silk brocade, or other material, not unlike a short stole, which is worn over the left fore-arm. The maniple is worn only while celebrating the Holy Eucharist, never at any other service.

The chasuble is worn over all the other vestments and should be of the gothic form with a small oval neck hole. (Plate 7, Figures 4 & 5) The Y-placed orphreys are of metal braid, metal cloth, or silk braid. In 1990, the General Episcopal Synod ruled that the Y -orphreys on the chasuble may be omitted, in the discretion of the Ordinary. The chasuble, stole and maniple are of the colour of the Festival or Day. The chasuble is worn only at celebrations of the Holy Eucharist, and usually only in the sanctuary. At Low Celebrations and at ordinary week-day services, even though sung, it is permissible to wear the chasuble in procession to and from the sanctuary. On Sundays and at Festivals, especially if processional and recessional hymns are sung, the cope should be worn in procession, the chasuble being used exclusively in the sanctuary. The cope (Plate 6, Figures 2 and 3) is a large semi-circular cloak worn over the shoulders and fastened across the breast by a broad strip of braid or metal called a morse.

The deacon at a High Celebration is vested in amice, alb, girdle, stole, maniple and dalmatic.(Plate 7, Fig. 3) The dalmatic is of the colour of the Festival or Day. The deacon, even though he be an ordained priest, wears the stole over the left shoulder and crossed under the right arm, the point of junction being about over the right hip. The stole is held in this crossed position either by passing it under the girdle, or leaving it outside the girdle and tying it in position with the ends of the girdle. If a deacon's stole used it is held in its crossed position either by metal fasteners, by cords, or by tapes, fastened to the stole itself. By ruling of the First General Episcopal Synod the deacon at Vespers or Benediction of the Most Holy Sacrament is vested in a similar manner but does not wear the maniple. The Third General Episcopal Synod ruled that the deacon at Vespers or Benediction may vest in cope instead of dalmatic.

The subdeacon at a High Celebration is vested in amice, alb, girdle, maniple, and tunicle. The tunicle (Plate 7, Fig. 3 but with a single horizontal band) is a short-sleeved, loose-fitting garment which is slit up the sides. It should be of the colour of the Festival or Day. The dalmatic is exactly like the tunicle except that its ornamentation is more elaborate. The subdeacon at the Eucharist, even though an ordained priest, does not wear a stole. By ruling of the First General Episcopal Synod subdeacon at Vespers or Benediction of the Most Holy Sacrament is vested in a similar manner, but does not wear the maniple. The Third General Episcopal Synod ruled that the subdeacon at Vespers or Benediction may vest in cope instead of tunicle. If the acting subdeacon at a High Celebration has not been ordained to that rank, he may not wear the maniple.

The maniple is not worn outside the sanctuary and is used only at Celebrations the Holy Eucharist. At the Eucharist the chasuble is worn only by the Celebrant. In some churches it is customary, however, at the ordination of a priest for all the priests present, but not the bishops, to wear the chasuble, not only during the celebration, but also in the procession to and from the sanctuary.

The cope is worn by the celebrant in formal processions, during the Asperges in Longer Form, at Vespers and Solemn Benediction, at Solemn Marriages and solemn Funerals in the church, and at Solemn Blessings. On the greater Festivals, at Vespers and Solemn Benediction all the priests may wear copes if they have them. On other occasions copes may also be worn by the Cantor and Master of Ceremonies. The colour of the cope is usually that of the Festival or Day. A stole of the same colour is worn under the cope, if the wearer is entitled to use the stole.

When preaching, a priest, unless he is acting as celebrant, wears a linen surplice 1 stole of the colour of the Festival .or Day. He may wear the biretta. On greater occasions he may wear a cope. If the celebrant himself preaches standing in the sanctuary near the altar, he takes off only the maniple. He does not wear the biretta. t if he preaches in a pulpit some distance from the altar he should take off the chasuble as well. In this case he may wear the biretta. If the biretta is worn while preaching, it should be removed during the Invocation preceding the sermon, and the ascription following the sermon. While uncovered, the preacher holds the biretta by right hand against the breast, grasping it by the middle peak.

The occasions when the biretta should be used have not been formally determined our rite. It is worn in processions except in processions in which the Blessed Sacrament is carried. It is removed before the first genuflection upon arriving in the sanctuary, and is replaced after the genuflection before leaving the sanctuary at the end the service. It is also worn by priests, deacons and subdeacons in the sanctuary (with the possible exception of the preacher) during the sermon. It is worn during the greater part of Vespers. It way be worn on non-liturgical occasions when the cassock is used. A bishop wears a biretta when he does not require a mitre. It is never worn by anyone when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed, nor while standing, kneeling or making an act of reverence. There is no question of the use or non-use of the biretta at these points. The complications arise when the use of the biretta during the service of the Eucharist is studied. The general rule in the Roman Catholic Church is "that when the clergy sit they cover the head, except when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed. They never stand or kneel with covered head. Before standing they take off the biretta; they put it on again after they have sat down." If this rule is applied in our rite, the clergy in the sanctuary, with the exception of the celebrant and his ministers, will use the biretta during the First Censing, Epistle, Sermon, Offertorium, Second Censing (but not while being censed), and from the consumption of the first ablution to the Communio. To do this unnecessarily complicates the ceremonial actions and prevents the clergy from concentrating on the one essential thing, the service itself. Until a ruling has been received from the General Episcopal Synod, it is recommended to the clergy that during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist the birettas be not worn except at the sermon. The only exception to this is a ruling by the Third General Episcopal Synod that a bishop in choir dress should wear his biretta while being censed.

In administering other Sacraments and when giving blessings a priest usually wears a surplice and a stole of the colour prescribed in the rubrics.

The First Episcopal Synod limited the size of crosses worn ceremonially by priests to two inches in length. A 1988 ruling of the General Episcopal Synod permits the Regionary Bishop to prohibit the wearing of the priest's cross outside of the chasuble at any time.

The choir dress of a bishop, in addition to the rose-purple cassock, consists of a white linen rochet, stole, mozetta, rose-purple biretta, pectoral cross, ring and crozier. The rochet is a shorter vestment than a surplice, is deeply edged with lace, and has close-fitting sleeves with flame-coloured cuffs covered with lace. The pectoral cross is usually suspended from the neck by a green and gold cord. The mozetta is a short, cape-like vestment worn over the shoulders. It has an ornamental hood and is rose-purple in colour. The crozier (Plate 6, Figures 2 and 3) may be carried by a bishop, or by a server who walks immediately in front of the bishop. Bishop Wedgwood holds that the crozier should be carried by a chaplain or server when the bishop is in choir dress. The Third Episcopal Synod ruled that this was optional with the bishop.

On greater Festivals a bishop vests in rochet, stole, cope, mitre, pectoral cross, ring and crozier. Mitres (Plate 6, Figures 2 and 3) are of two kinds: Gold, when made of cloth of gold; Precious, when heavy with embroidery and ornaments of gold and jewels.

When celebrating the Holy Eucharist a bishop vests exactly as does a priest,

except that instead of a biretta he wears a mitre, and instead of crossing the stole in front he wears it with the two ends hanging straight down. He also wears the ring, the pectoral cross suspended by a green-gold cord, and either carries the crozier in his left hand or has it carried before him by a server wearing a vimpa. In processions the pectoral cross is worn over the alb, but after the chasuble has been put on at the altar cross is worn outside the chasuble.

Vestments made with silk braid instead of metal braid are permissible for convenience in traveling or because of economy, but those with gold-covered metal id are preferable. It is recommended, however, that the colour of gold shall dominate in the silk braid.

The colours used in the Liberal Catholic Rite are white, red, violet or purple, en, rose and, optionally, blue. The ..colour " of any given vestment material is ermined by the predominating colour of the background.

White is used for all Feasts of Our Lord, for all Festivals in honour of Our Lady and in honour of saints who are not martyrs, for Trinity Sunday, for St. Michael I All Angels, for the Anniversaries of the Consecration of a Church, for National Holidays, the second part of Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination to Major Orders, the Marriage Service and Nuptial Eucharist.

Red is used for the season of Septuagesima, Sexagesima and Quinquagesima, Whitsunday and six days thereafter, during the weeks of the seventh and fifteenth days after Trinity, the week of the Sunday next before Advent, for Martyrs, at the vice of Healing, and Ordaining to Major Orders when the colour of the Day is red.

Violet or purple is used during the season of Advent and Lent (except when rose coloured vestments may be used) on All Souls' Day, at Requiem Eucharists, Funerals, Exorcisms, at Holy Unction, the first part of Baptism, and at Confession and solution.

Green is used from the end of the octave of the Epiphany until Septuagesima except when superseded, as is frequently the case, by a Festival of a different colour), I from the Second Sunday after Trinity until the Sunday next before Advent, with exception of those days for which another colour is designated.

Rose is used only on the Third Sunday in Advent and the Fourth Sunday in Lent. If rose-coloured vestments are not available, violet should be used.

Blue may be used for Festivals of our Lady, in the discretion of the Regionary hop. (This was a 1990 ruling of the General Episcopal Synod.)

Black is not used in the Liberal Catholic Rite.

Cloth of Gold may always take the place of white, red or green, but not of purple. In a small church, white may take the place of all colours, except that there may be a violet stole for use in baptisms and blessings.

It is desirable that a bishop should bless the vestments, except those of linen.

The proper care of vestments should not be overlooked. Vestments, especially stoles and chasubles, should be hung on hangers in a wardrobe kept for the purpose. If possible a separate wardrobe should be provided for cassocks. The use of dust-bags to cover copes and chasubles is advisable.

Some churches provide a chest of drawers or a vestment press for the storage of

vestments. Drawers are especially useful for the safe keeping of stoles, maniples, burses, veils, humeral veils, dalmatics and tunicles. Even copes and chasubles may be placed therein if care is used in folding them. The detachable cape or shield should be removed from the cope before folding. The cope is then folded by holding it in the middle of the neck-band bringing (lining outside) the two ends (that hang down at the feet when the cope is worn) together. It is then folded lengthwise in half. It may be folded once more lengthwise, and then across once or twice. In order to fold a chasuble, first turn it inside out and place it flat on a table. Then fold it lengthwise in three, that is, parallel to the central orphrey. This prevents the ornamentation at the junction of the orphreys from being cracked or wrinkled. The chasuble may then be folded at right angles to the original folds, either in half, or in three, depending upon the position of the ornamentation.