Omophorion of the Eastern Catholic Hierarchs

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Speaking of Eastern Catholicism, i will not also forget that we will also tackle not just the Spirituality and the Liturgical and Theological Traditions but we will also show the Vestments they use similar to the Vestments of their Eastern Christian Counterpart which are the Assyrians, the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox because as everyone knows that they are once part of this Eastern Churches until they re unite with the Holy See, with the exception of the Maronite Catholics and Syro Malabar Catholics, which are being disputed by now and the Italo Albanese Byzantine Catholics, which has the strong proof not being separated to the Catholic Church

And i am posting about Vestments, i will begin it from the most used one among  the Hierarchs, which is the Bishops themselves in Eastern Catholicism and thats the Omophorion, used by Hierarchs under the Byzantine and Armenian Rite. Here below is a Short explanation of it:

"In the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic liturgical tradition, the omophor (Slavonic: омофоръ, omoforGreek:ὠμοφόριον omoforion) is the distinguishing vestment of a bishop and the symbol of his spiritual and ecclesiastical authority. Originally of wool, it is a band of brocade decorated with four crosses and an eight-pointed star and is worn about the neck and shoulders.
By symbolizing the lost sheep that is found and carried on the Good Shepherd's shoulders, it signifies the bishop's pastoral role as the icon of Christ.
The omophor has two forms: the ancient great omophor, which passes around the neck, is folded in the front, and hangs down past the knees in both the front and the back, like a loosely-worn long scarf; and the small omophor which is much simpler, passing around the neck and hanging down in the front similar to an epitrachil (stole), only wider and shorter, coming down only a little past the waist."


OMOPHORION AS THE VESTMENTS OF THE SAINTS


The 3 Holy Hierarchs St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. John Chrysostom seen wearing a White Omophorion

St. Nicholas of Myra, popularly known as Santa Claus, is wearing a Omophorion though it is covered by a Book in the Icon

St. Josaphat Kuncevyc, on his Omophorion in a Pre-Bib , or Y-Shape design which is in common use among Slavic Hierarchs of the Ruthenian, Slovak, Ukrainian and other Eastern Catholics of Byzantine Rite. Notice the 3 Bars at the lower end of the Omophorion, signifying his Office as a Eparch


Blessed Theodore Romzha, Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Eparch of Mukacheve on his Omophorion


OMOPHORION AS  VESTMENTS OF EASTERN CATHOLIC HIERARCHS

 Namely the 2 Hierarchs there is the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorios III Laham and besides him from the right is Armenian Catholic Patriarcha Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni


His Beatitude Lucian Muresan, Major Archbishop of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church on his Great Omophorion, with 5 Bars at the end of the Omophorion and signifies his Office as Major Archeparch


His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop wearing the similar Omophorion with 5 Bars



His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX Tarmouni, Patriarch of the Armenian Catholic Church and his Vestments contains the richness of Byzantine, Latin and Antiochene Rite; and Omophorion is one of them 


Hierarchs of the Romanian Greek Catholic wearing Small Omophorion


Blessed Vasyl Velychkovsky, wearing his Omophorion along with His Mantija


His Beatitude Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, MSU, Major Archbishop-Emeritus wearing Small Omophorion together with his Black Mantija and Epitrachelion

 Most. Rev. Beatitude Vasile Bizau, Bishop of Curia of the Major Archeparchy of Fagaras si Alba Iulia of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church wearing Small Omophorion with Mantija and Epitrachelion


Melkite Greek Catholic Hierarchs lead by His Beatitude Patriarch Gregorios III Laham. The other one is wearing a Small Omophorion while him and the besides on his right wear Great Omophorion and this is the Traditional design use not just by the Melkites but by Eastern Orthodox as well


Ukrainian Greek Catholic Hierarchy in Canada, with their Omophorion in their Phelonion


Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Eparch John Michael Kudrick wearing Small Omophorion with other Vestments

Different Hierarchs of Slavic Ukrainian, Ruthenian and Slovak Eastern Catholic Sui Iuris Churches under the Omophorion, notice the blend of some who wear the Traditional Design and the Pre-Bib, or Y-Shape design of Omophorion

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Expect many more of this Beautiful Eastern Vestments use by Eastern Catholics,  the essence of Tradition which has been there for centuries, and of course the beauty and richness of the Liturgical value on this Vestmenst being used at Divine Liturgy, appreciating indeed



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