The
cope (known in Latin as
pluviale 'rain coat' or
cappa 'cape') is a liturgical
vestmentVestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially among Latin Rite and other Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans...
, a very long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any
liturgical colourLiturgical colours are those specific colours which are used for vestments and hangings within the context of Christian liturgy. The symbolism of violet, white, green, red, gold, black, rose, and other colours may serve to underline moods appropriate to a season of the liturgical year or may...
.
A cope may be worn by any rank of the clergy, and also by lay ministers in certain circumstances. If worn by a
bishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, it is generally accompanied by a
mitreThe mitre , from the Greek μίτρα, 'headband' or 'turban', is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the...
. The
claspA fastener is a hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together.Fasteners can also be used to close a container such as a bag, a box, or an envelope; or they may involve keeping together the sides of an opening of flexible material, attaching a lid to a container,...
, which is often highly ornamented, is called a
morse.
History
There has been little change in the character of the vestment from the earliest ages. Then as now it was made of a piece of
silkSilk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
or other cloth of semicircular shape, which distinguished it from the earlier form of
chasubleThe chasuble is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian Churches that use full vestments, primarily in the Roman Catholic Church, in the...
, as a chasuble had straight edges sewn together in front. Both are similar in form and origin to the Orthodox
phelonionThe phelónion, in Greek, is a liturgical vestment worn by a priest of the Eastern Christian tradition...
.
The only noticeable modification which the cope has undergone lies in the disappearance of the hood. Some early examples feature a triangular hood, which was intended to be of practical utility in covering the head in processions, etc., but over time the hood became merely ornamental, and is commonly represented by a sort of shield of embroidery, sometimes adorned with a fringe or tassel. The fact that in many early chasubles, as depicted in the drawings of the eighth and ninth centuries, we see clear traces of a primitive hood, strongly confirms the view that in their origin cope and chasuble were identical, the chasuble being only a cope with its edges sewn together.
The earliest mention of a
cappa is by St. Gregory of Tours, and in the
Miracula of St. Furseus where it seems to mean a cloak with a hood. So from a letter written in 787 by
TheodemarTheodemir or Theodemar was one of the last Suevic Kings of Galicia and one of the first Catholics. He succeeded Ariamir sometime between the end of May 561 and the year 566 and ruled until his death....
,
BenedictineBenedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
AbbotThe word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of
Monte CassinoMonte Cassino is a rocky hill about 130 km southeast of Rome, Italy, c. 2 km to the west of the town of Cassino and 520 m altitude. St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery, the source of the Benedictine Order, here around 529. It was the site of Battle of Monte Cassino in...
, in answer to a question of
CharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 to his death. He expanded the Frankish kingdoms into a Frankish Empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe...
about the dress of the
monkA monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, whilst always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
we learn that what in Gaul was styled
cuculla (
cowlThe cowl is a hood worn by members of religious orders. It also refers to a long, hooded cloak, with wide sleeves, worn by some Catholic and Orthodox monks when participating in the liturgy. Developed in the Middle Ages, they became the formal garment for those in monastic life...
) was known to the Cassinese monks as
cappa. Moreover the word occurs more than once in
AlcuinAlcuin of York or Ealhwine, nicknamed Albinus or Flaccus was a scholar, ecclesiastic, poet and teacher from York, Northumbria. He was born around 735 and became the student of Ecgbert at York...
's correspondence, apparently as denoting a garment for everyday wear. When Alcuin twice observes about a
casula which was sent him, that he meant to wear it always at
MassThe Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in many Lutheran Churches, and in a small amount of High Church Methodist parishes...
, we may probably infer that such garments at this date were not distinctively liturgical owing to anything in their material or construction, but that they were set aside for the use of the altar at the choice of the owner, who might equally well have used them as part of his ordinary attire. In the case of the chasuble the process of liturgical specialization, was completed at a comparatively early date, and before the end of the ninth century the maker of a
casula probably knew quite well in most cases whether he intended his handiwork for a Mass vestment or for an everyday outer garment. But in the case of a
cappa or cope, this period of specialization seems to have been delayed until much later. The two hundred
cappae or copes which appear in a
Saint-RiquierSaint-Riquier is a commune in the Somme département in the Picardie region of France.-Geography:Situated some northeast of Abbeville, on the D925 and D32 crossroads.-Abbey:...
inventory in the year 801, a number increased to 377 by the year 831, were thought to be mere cloaks, for the most part of rude material and destined for common wear. It may be that their use
in choirChoir dress is the vesture of the clerics, seminarians and religious of traditional churches worn for public prayer, either apart from the eucharist or by those attending the eucharist as the clergy part of the congregation rather than as the celebrants...
was believed to add to the decorum and solemnity of the
Divine OfficeThe Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings. Together with...
, especially in the winter season. In 831 one of the Saint-Riquier copes is specially mentioned as being of chestnut colour and embroidered with gold. This, no doubt, implies use by a dignitary, but it does not prove that it was as yet regarded as a sacred vestment. In fact, according to the conclusions of Mr.
Edmund BishopEdmund Bishop was a Roman Catholic historian of Christian liturgy and collaborated with Francis Aidan Cardinal Gasquet in the writing of two works in this field....
, who was the first to sift the evidence thoroughly, it was not until the twelfth century that the cope, made of rich material, was in general use in the ceremonies of the Church, at which time it had come to be regarded as the special vestment of cantors. Still, an ornamental cope was even then considered a vestment that might be used by any member of the clergy from the highest to the lowest, in fact even by one who was only about to be
tonsureTonsure is the practice of some Christian churches, mystics, Buddhist novices and monks, and some Hindu temples of cutting the hair from the scalp of clerics, devotees, or holy people as a symbol of their renunciation of worldly fashion and esteem.-History:...
d.
Amongst monks it was the practice to vest the whole community, except the
celebrantCelebrant may refer to:* Celebrant or Officiant, the leader of a liturgy or ceremony who is empowered to perform it**In the Catholic and Anglican churches, the celebrant is the person who celebrates a sacrament, e.g., the priest who celebrates the Eucharist or the bishop who ordains a priest*...
and the sacred ministers who assisted the celebrant, in copes at
High MassHigh Mass may mean:*Solemn Mass, a Tridentine Mass celebrated with deacon and subdeacon *Missa Cantata, a sung Tridentine Mass without deacon and subdeacon...
on the greatest festivals, whereas on feasts of somewhat lower grade, the community were usually vested in
albThe alb, one of the liturgical vestments of the Roman Catholic, Anglican and many Protestant churches, is an ample white garment coming down to the ankles and usually girdled with a cincture. It is simply the long linen tunic used by the Romans...
s. In this movement the Netherlands, France, and Germany had taken the lead, as we learn from extant inventories. For example, already in 870, in the
AbbeyAn abbey , is a Christian monastery or convent, under the government of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community....
of Saint Trond we find "thirty-three precious copes of silk" as against only twelve chasubles, and it was clearly the
ClunyCluny Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Cluny, department of Saône-et-Loire, France.It was founded in 910 by William I, Count of Auvergne, who installed Abbot Berno and placed the abbey under the immediate authority of Pope Sergius III...
practice in the latter part of the tenth century to vest all the monks in copes during high Mass on the great feasts, though in England the regulations of Saint
DunstanDunstan was an Abbot of Glastonbury, a Bishop of Worcester, a Bishop of London, and an Archbishop of Canterbury, later canonised as a saint. His work restored monastic life in England and reformed the English Church...
and
Saint AethelwoldSaint Æthelwold of Winchester was a 10th century Bishop of Winchester and leader of the monastic reform movement in Anglo-Saxon England.-Life:...
show no signs of any such observance. The custom spread to the secular
canonsA canon is a priest who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of such
cathedralA cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
s as
RouenRouen is the historical capital city of Normandy, in northern France on the River Seine, and currently the capital of the Haute-Normandie region. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe, Rouen was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
, and
cantor-In general:* The Latin word for singer, e.g. the main singer of a cantus* Hazzan, in Judaism, the English name for a professional singer who leads prayer services...
s nearly everywhere used copes of silk as their own peculiar adornment in the exercise of their functions.
Meanwhile the old
cappa nigra (black cape), or
cappa choralis, a choir cape of black material, open or partly open in front, and commonly provided with a functioning hood, still continued in use. While the cope was a liturgical vestment, made of rich, colorful fabric and often highly decorated, the
cappa nigra was a practical garment, made of heavy plain black wool and designed to provide warmth in cold weather. Whereas the cope's hood had long since become a non-functional decorative item, the hood of the
cappa nigra remained functional. The
cappa nigra (black cape) was worn at the
Divine OfficeThe Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings. Together with...
by the clergy of cathedral and
collegiate churchIn Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the daily office of worship is maintained by a college of canons; a non-monastic, or "secular" community of clergy, organised as a self-governing corporate body, which may be presided over by a dean or provost...
es and also by many religious, as, for example, it is retained by the
DominicansThe Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic in the early 13th century in France...
during the winter months down to the present day. No doubt the "copes" of the
friarA friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:Friars differ from monks in that they are called to live the evangelical counsels in service to a community, rather than through cloistered asceticism and devotion...
s, to which so many references in the
Wycliffite-People:*Elizabeth Wycliffe , a Canadian swimmer*John Wycliffe , an English theologian and Bible translator*John Wycliffe Lowes Forster , a Canadian artist*Charles Wycliffe Goodwin , an Egyptologist...
literature and in the writings of Chaucer and
Langland-Places:* Langland Bay, near the village of Langland on the Gower peninsula of south-west Wales.* Langland, Caithness, in Scotland...
are found, designate their open mantles, which were, we may say, part of their full dress, though not always black in colour. On the other hand it is worth a note that the
cappa clausa, or close cope, was simply a cope or cape sewn up in front for common outdoor use. "The wearing of this", says Mr. Bishop, "instead of the
cappa scissa, the same cope not sewn up, is again and again enjoined on the clergy by
synodA synod is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application...
s and
statuteA statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a country, state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law and the regulations issued by...
s during the late
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
."
Use of the Cope in the Roman Catholic Church
Under all these different forms the cope has not substantially changed its character or shape. The cope is a vestment for processions worn by all ranks of the clergy when assisting at a liturgical function, but it is never worn by the
priestThe ministerial orders of the Catholic Church includes the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
and his sacred ministers in celebrating the
MassThe Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in many Lutheran Churches, and in a small amount of High Church Methodist parishes...
. At a
Pontifical High MassIn the context of the Tridentine Mass of the Roman Catholic Church, a Pontifical High Mass, also called Solemn Pontifical Mass, is a Solemn or High Mass celebrated by a bishop using certain prescribed ceremonies. The term is also used among Anglo-Catholic Anglicans.-Origins:In the early Church,...
the cope was worn by the "assistant priest," a priest who assists the
bishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
who is the actual celebrant. In the
Sarum RiteThe Sarum Rite was a variant of the Roman Rite widely used for the ordering of Christian public worship, including the Mass and the Divine Office, in the British Isles before the English Reformation....
, the Cope was also prescribed for members of the choir at various times.
It is now the vestment assigned to the celebrant, whether priest or bishop, for almost all functions except the
MassThe Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in many Lutheran Churches, and in a small amount of High Church Methodist parishes...
when the
chasubleThe chasuble is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian Churches that use full vestments, primarily in the Roman Catholic Church, in the...
is worn by the celebrant instead. The cope is used, for example, in
processionA procession is, in general, an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner....
s, in the greater
blessingIn its widest acceptation Blessing has a variety of meanings in the sacred writings:* It has taken in a sense that is synonymous with praise; thus the Psalmist, "I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall be always in my mouth" In its widest acceptation Blessing has a variety of meanings...
s and
consecrationConsecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups.A synonym for consecration is to...
s, at the solemnly celebrated
Liturgy of the HoursThe Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings. Together with...
, in giving
Benediction of the Blessed SacramentBenediction of the Blessed Sacrament is a devotional ceremony celebrated within the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in some Anglican Churches, Western Rite Orthodox churches , and Latinised Eastern Catholic Churches....
, and the celebration of other
sacramentA sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is what Roman Catholics believe to be "a rite in which God is uniquely active." Augustine of Hippo defined a Christian sacrament as "a visible sign of an invisible reality." The Anglican Book of Common Prayer speaks of them as "an...
s outside of
MassThe Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in many Lutheran Churches, and in a small amount of High Church Methodist parishes...
. For most of these the celebrant may instead wear simply
cassockThe cassock, an item of clerical clothing, is a long, close-fitting, ankle-length robe worn by clerics of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Church, and some clerics of the Reformed, and Lutheran churches...
and
surpliceA surplice is a liturgical vestment of the Western Christian Church...
or alb, both with the
stoleThe stole is a liturgical vestment of various Christian denominations. It consists of a band of colored cloth, formerly usually of silk, about seven and a half to nine feet long and three to four inches wide, whose ends may be straight or may broaden out...
, for simpler celebrations. The
chasubleThe chasuble is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian Churches that use full vestments, primarily in the Roman Catholic Church, in the...
, which is properly only worn for Mass, may also be worn during processions and other ceremonies that occur directly before or after Mass, such as the
absolutionAbsolution is a traditional theological term for the forgiveness experienced in the traditional Churches in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.-Roman Catholic Church:...
s and
burial of the deadA funeral is a ceremony marking a person's death. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from the funeral itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honour. These customs vary widely between cultures, and...
, at the
AspergesAsperges is a name given to the rite of sprinkling a congregation with holy water. The name comes from the first word in the 9th verse of Psalm 51 in the Latin translation, the Vulgate, which is sung during the Traditional form of the rite, except during Eastertide...
before Mass, and at the blessing and imposition of the ashes on
Ash WednesdayIn the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty-six days before Easter. It is a moveable feast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...
, to avoid the need for the celebrant to change vestments.
The
Cæremoniale EpiscoporumThe Cæremoniale Episcoporum is a book that describes the Church services to be performed by Bishops of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church....
envisages its use by a bishop if presiding at but not celebrating
MassThe Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in many Lutheran Churches, and in a small amount of High Church Methodist parishes...
, for the
Liturgy of the HoursThe Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings. Together with...
, for processions, at the special ceremonies on the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord,
LentLent, in Christian tradition, is the period of the liturgical year leading up to Easter.The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus,...
en gatherings modelled on the "stations" in Rome,
Palm SundayPalm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast which always falls on the Sunday before Easter Sunday. The feast commemorates an event mentioned by all four Canonical Gospels , , , and : the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in the days before his Passion...
and
Corpus Christi-Religious:* Corpus Christi , a Christian feast day, or solemnity, commemorating the supreme gift of the institution by Jesus Christ of the Holy Eucharist on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday, or on the Sunday following that Thursday....
. The bishop may use a cope when celebrating outside of Mass the sacraments of
baptismIn Christianity, baptism is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted to membership of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered.The usual form of baptism among the earliest Christians was for the...
, confirmation, matrimony,
penancePenance is repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox Christian Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession. It also plays a part in the Lutheran Divine Service...
in solemn form,
ordinationIn general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
(if not concelebrating), and
anointing of the sickAnointing of the Sick is distinguished from other forms of religious anointing or "unction" in that it is intended, as its name indicates, for the benefit of a sick person. Other religious anointings occur in relation to other sacraments, in particular baptism, confirmation and ordination, and...
. The list in the index of the Cæremoniale Episcoporum continues with several more cases.
As regards
liturgical coloursLiturgical colours are those specific colours which are used for vestments and hangings within the context of Christian liturgy. The symbolism of violet, white, green, red, gold, black, rose, and other colours may serve to underline moods appropriate to a season of the liturgical year or may...
, the cope usually follows the color assigned to that day in the liturgical calendar, although white may always be worn for celebrations of a joyful character or before the Blessed Sacrament, and violet may always be worn for celebrations of a penitential character. It may be made of any rich or becoming material, including
cloth of goldCloth of gold is a fabric woven with a gold-wrapped or spun weft - referred to as "a spirally spun gold strip". In most cases, the core yarn is silk wrapped with a band or strip of high content gold filé...
(which may be used in place of any colour except violet or black). Owing to its ample dimensions and unvarying shape, ancient copes are preserved to us in proportionately greater numbers than other vestments and provide the finest specimens of medieval embroidery we possess. Among these the "Syon Cope" in the
Victoria and Albert MuseumThe Victoria and Albert Museum in London is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects. Named after Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, it was founded in 1852, and has since grown to now cover some and 145 galleries...
, London, and the "Ascoli Cope" in the Pinacoteca Civica,
Ascoli PicenoAscoli Piceno is a town in the Marche region, Italy, capital of the province of the same name. Its population is 51,434 inhabitants.-Geography:...
, are remarkable as representing the highest excellence of that specially English thirteenth-century embroidery known as the
opus anglicanum ('English work'). We are also indebted to the use of copes for some magnificent specimens of the jeweller's craft. The brooch or clasp, meant to fasten the cope in front, and variously called morse, pectoral, bottone, etc., was an object often in the highest degree precious and costly. The work which was the foundation of all the fortunes of
Benvenuto CelliniBenvenuto Cellini was an Italian goldsmith, painter, sculptor, soldier and musician of the Renaissance, who also wrote a famous autobiography.-Youth:...
was the magnificent morse which he made for Pope Clement VII. Some admirable examples of these morses still survive.
Papal mantum
The
mantum or
papal mantle differs little from an ordinary cope except that it is somewhat longer, and is fastened in the front by an elaborate
morseMorse can refer to:* Morse code, a method of coding messages into long and short beeps, often transmitted using continuous wave* The large buckle on the cope, one of the liturgical vestments of the Roman Catholic Church...
. In earlier centuries it was red in colour; red, at the time being the papal colour rather than white. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries the
immantatio, or bestowal of the mantum on the newly elected pope, was regarded as specially symbolical of
investitureInvestiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent in public office, especially by taking possession of its insignia...
with papal authority:
Investio te de papatu romano ut praesis urbi et orbi, "I invest you with the Roman papacy, that you may rule over the city and the world" were the words used in conferring it at the
Papal CoronationThe Papal Coronation is the ceremony in which a new pope is crowned as earthly head of the Roman Catholic Church, sovereign of Vatican City, and Monarch of the Holy See...
. Because of Vatican II, the use of the mantum was uncommon toward the end of the 20th Century, but has since resurrected and has publicly become a extraordinary part of the papal regalia once again.
Cappa magna
The
cappa magna (literally, "great cape"), a form of mantle, is a voluminous ecclesiastical vestment with a long
trainA train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport freight or passengers from one place to another. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway....
, proper to
cardinalsA cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and making themselves available...
,
bishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s, and certain other honorary
prelateA prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who either is an ordinary or ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, literally, "carry before," or "to be set above, or over," or "to prefer," hence a prelate is one set over...
s.
The cappa magna is not strictly a liturgical vestment, but only a glorified
cappa choralis, or choir cope. That is to say, it is not used when vested as a celebrant at a liturgical service. It is worn in processions or "
in choirChoir dress is the vesture of the clerics, seminarians and religious of traditional churches worn for public prayer, either apart from the eucharist or by those attending the eucharist as the clergy part of the congregation rather than as the celebrants...
" (i.e., attending but not celebrating services). Its colour for cardinals is ordinarily red and for bishops violet. Cardinals and papal nuncios are entitled to wear a cappa magna of watered silk.
The cappa magna is ample in volume and provided with a long train and a disproportionately large hood, the lining of the hood used to be of
ermineErmine has several meanings:-* A common name for the stoat * The white fur and black tail end of this animal, which is historically worn by and associated with royalty and high officials...
in winter and
silkSilk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
in summer, and was made in such a way as to completely cover not only the back, but also the breast and shoulders. The hood is functional and in earler times was often placed on the head and covered with the
galeroA galero in the Roman Catholic Church is a large, broad-brimmed tasseled hat worn by clergy. Over the centuries the galero was eventually limited in use to individual cardinals as a crown symbolizing the title of Prince of the Church...
. This used to be the custom when the pope created a new cardinal at a
consistory-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
. Nowadays, the hood is normally worn over the head only during penitential rites. Previously, cardinals who were members of specific
religious orderA religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
s would wear a cappa magna in the color of their order. Nowadays, all cardinals wear red.
It is now rarely used, since the 1969
Instruction on the Dress, Titles and Coats-of-arms of Cardinals, Bishops and Lesser Prelates lays down that:
The cappa magna, always without ermine, is no longer obligatory; it can be used only outside of Rome, in circumstances of very special solemnity. (§ 12)
However, the
Latin Patriarch of JerusalemThe Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is the title possessed by the Latin Rite Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem. The Archdiocese of Jerusalem has jurisdiction for all Latin Rite Catholics in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus. In Jerusalem, the Catholic community is the largest Christian community,...
still uses the ermine-lined winter cappa, because he is bound by the complex and unalterable rules of the
status quoStatus quo, commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" literally "the state in which", is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
, an 1852
OttomanThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
firmanA firman is a royal mandate or decree issued by a sovereign in certain historical Islamic states, including the Ottoman Empire, Mughal Empire, and Iran under Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. The word firman comes from the Persian farmân meaning "decree" or "order"...
which regulates the delicate relations between the various religious groups which care for the religious sites in the
Holy LandThe Holy Land , generally refers to the geographical region of the Levant called Land of Canaan or Land of Israel in the Bible, and constitutes the Promised land...
. This anomaly is most evident at the
Midnight MassChristmas Eve, December 24, is the night before Christmas Day, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.-Western Churches:Many Roman Catholics and Anglicans traditionally celebrate a midnight Mass which begins sometime before midnight on Christmas Day; this ceremony, which is held in churches...
on
Christmas EveChristmas Eve, December 24, is the night before Christmas Day, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.-Western Churches:Many Roman Catholics and Anglicans traditionally celebrate a midnight Mass which begins sometime before midnight on Christmas Day; this ceremony, which is held in churches...
in
BethlehemBethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank, approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
. The cappa magna is also still used among groups using the
Tridentine MassThe Tridentine Mass is a common name for the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published from 1570 to 1962. In this time period, it was the most widely celebrated form of the Catholic liturgy in the world.The term "Tridentine" is derived...
.
Use of the cope in the Church of England and Anglican Communion
|
|
| An Anglican Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures...
priestA priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities. Their office or position is the priesthood, a term which may also apply to such persons collectively.Priests and priestesses...
wearing a cope over cassockThe cassock, an item of clerical clothing, is a long, close-fitting, ankle-length robe worn by clerics of the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Anglican Church, and some clerics of the Reformed, and Lutheran churches...
, surpliceA surplice is a liturgical vestment of the Western Christian Church...
and stole. |
The earliest post-
ReformationThe English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
prayer bookA 'prayer book' is a book outlining the 'liturgy' of religious services.In this sense, it may carry the following specific names in various religions:*Breviary or Missal, in Roman Catholicism*Agenda , in Lutheranism...
s of the
Church of EnglandThe Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the oldest among the communion's thirty-eight independent national and regional churches...
contemplated the continued use of the cope, whereas the alb and chasuble were eschewed. In the contemporary Church of England and the
Anglican CommunionThe Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches. There is no single "Anglican Church" with universal juridical authority as each national or regional church has full autonomy...
as a whole, the cope is worn by Anglo-Catholics and
High ChurchThe term "High Church" refers to understandings of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology. Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the Anglican tradition....
Anglicans as a non-Eucharistic vestment, in the same manner as that of the
Roman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
. It is also an Anglican tradition for the higher clergy - deans, archdeacons and canons to wear copes on diocesan occasions.
In the
Broad ChurchBroad church is a term referring to latitudinarian churchmanship in the Church of England, in particular, and Anglicanism, in general. From this, the term is often used to refer to secular political organisations, meaning that they encompass a broad range of opinion.-Usage:After the terms high...
(rarely in the
Low ChurchLow church is a term of distinction in the Church of England or other Anglican churches initially designed to be pejorative. During the series of doctrinal and ecclesiastic challenges to the established church in the 16th and 17th centuries, commentators and others began to refer to those groups...
), the cope is sometimes worn in lieu of the chasuble at the Eucharist (over either a
surpliceA surplice is a liturgical vestment of the Western Christian Church...
or an
albThe alb, one of the liturgical vestments of the Roman Catholic, Anglican and many Protestant churches, is an ample white garment coming down to the ankles and usually girdled with a cincture. It is simply the long linen tunic used by the Romans...
) especially by bishops and other prelates. In the Church of England itself, the cope is worn by the
Archbishop of CanterburyAlso see Leaders of ChristianityThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury, the see that churches must be in communion with in order to be...
during the
coronation of the SovereignThe Coronation of the British Monarch is a ceremony in which the monarch of the United Kingdom is formally crowned and invested with regalia...
. Prior to her coronation in 1953,
Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
presented a set of ornate copes to the Canons of
Westminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster...
as a gift.
Lutheran Churches
The cope is usually worn only for processions and services of the Divine Office (morning and evening prayers) in most Lutheran denominations. In the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaThe Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches and currently has about 4,633,887 baptized members...
, which is similar to the Churches of the Anglican Communion and the Scandinavian Lutheran churches, the cope is usually worn by the bishop when not serving as the presiding minister at Holy Communion. It is rarely worn by clerics in the
Lutheran Church - Missouri SynodThe Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod , founded in 1847 in Chicago, is the eighth largest Protestant denomination in the United States, and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It is a traditional, Confessional Lutheran denomination with German...
or other German Lutheran denominations.
Examples of historically and artistically significant copes
A cope from the Vestments of the Order of the Golden Fleece in the Secular Treasury of the Hofburg Palace in Vienna
http://theatermuseum.at/data/page486/page486/marienpluviale600.jpg&
http://www.khm.at/en/treasury/the-burgundian-inheritance-and-the-order-of-the-golden-fleece/.
The Jubilee Cope commissioned for the Bishop of London by St. Paul’s Cathedral in honor of the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II
http://www.ukexpert.co.uk/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=9766&
http://www.ukexpert.co.uk/photopost/showfull.php?photo=9766.
The Syon Cope
http://cunnan.sca.org.au/wiki/Syon_Cope&
http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/bbchistory/object_hotspot05.htm.
A medieval English cope in the Vatican collections
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/vaticano/S1B-Cope.jpg.
Cardinal Morton's cope at the Art Institute of Chicago
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/92/English_cope.jpg.
Butler-Bowden Cope at the Victoria and Albert Museum
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6b/Butlerbowden_cope.jpg.
The cope from the set of vestments commissioned from Guasparri Di Bartolomeo Papini (1535-1607) for Pope Clement VIII
http://www.christusrex.org/www1/vaticano/S2B-Cope.jpg.
External links