Differences in UGCC and Orthodox vesture

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Pope_Noah_I

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Why does there seem to be a simplistic trend in UGCC vesture? Not so much in items of vesture, but rather, in style. The Slavic Orthodox Patriarchs usually have very ornate vesture, particularly Alexei II, while Patriarch Lubomyr, come to think of it, UGCC priests in general, usually wears relatively simple, uninspired sakkos and mitres. Instead of a normal omophor, UGCC bishops almost invariably don pre-sewn, all white ones. His Beatitude doesn’t wear a klobuk, he wears some maroon, psedo-mitre, and seems to prefer the clerical suit to the traditional monastic habit. I know, it seems superficial, but I was wondering if there was a reason behind it. Perhaps something to do with the Holy See’s refusal to recognize the Ukrainian Patriarchate?
 
I think it’s just a matter of taste. I myself prefer elegant simplicity.

I’ve heard of Antiochian bishops who wear pre-sewn omophoria, too. As one (I think it was Met. Samuel David) said, “The Russians have a lot of sub-deacons. I don’t have that much time.”

And unless the photo was taken of him when he was in the USA, I’ve never seen Pat. Lubomyr wear a clerical suit.

What do you mean by “pseudo mitre”? In the Carpatian, Ukrainian, and for that matter, Old Rite (pre-Nikonian) tradition, there is a bulb-shaped headdress that is the traditional ecclesiastical hat called the kolpat. I’ve seen Pat. Lubomir wear a red one in the most recent conclave.
 
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http://www.catholica.ro/img/imgstiri/husar2.jpg

Also, I stand corrected about the ecclesiastical headgear. I’ve never heard of the kolpat. I can’t find any reference to it on the internet other than in your post.
 
How many times is this going to be brought up? It certainly can be misconstrued as “superficial” I know of at least two times in the last several years that this has arisen. “Simplistic” is a very subjective term at best.

First of all, let’s look at some Orthodox hierarchs. We can post examples of many but here are just a couple:
Metropolitan Philip (Saliba):
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Bishop Antoun (sans beard), also Antiochian Orthodox:
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Secondly, the vesture of the ancient Kyivan Church was not as “ornate” as later Greek and post-Nikonian Russian vestment usage. The simple omophorion with the “bars” of office (five for Patriarch, four for Metropolitan and three for Bishop) is ancient and can be seen in paintings from the time of Prince Danylo.

Even some Old Rite Russian bishops historically served with a simpler omophorion directly over the felon, without a sakkos.
FDRLB
 
Diak,

Thanks for responding. I really hadn’t thought about it being a sign of continuity with the pre-Nikonian Church. Apparently, UGCC Bishops wore a polystavron phelonion instead of the sakkos until the mid-1940’s, too. It’s more than a matter of taste apparently, it’s keeping with the tradition of the Kievan Church. I feel a bit ignorant now.
 
Also, I stand corrected about the ecclesiastical headgear. I’ve never heard of the kolpat. I can’t find any reference to it on the internet other than in your post.

**At one time I was choir director and cantor of a large Ukrainian parish, and there were photos of previous priests wearing the kolpat.

And I saw a photo of a Carpatho-Russian married priest who went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and paid his respects to the Patriarch. He wore cassock, riassa, cross, and kolpat.

There may be other names for this hat.**
 
bpbasilphx said:
I think it’s just a matter of taste. I myself prefer elegant simplicity.

I’ve heard of Antiochian bishops who wear pre-sewn omophoria, too. As one (I think it was Met. Samuel David) said, “The Russians have a lot of sub-deacons. I don’t have that much time.”

And unless the photo was taken of him when he was in the USA, I’ve never seen Pat. Lubomyr wear a clerical suit.

What do you mean by “pseudo mitre”? In the Carpatian, Ukrainian, and for that matter, Old Rite (pre-Nikonian) tradition, there is a bulb-shaped headdress that is the traditional ecclesiastical hat called the kolpat. I’ve seen Pat. Lubomir wear a red one in the most recent conclave.
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Shouldn’t that be “Kolpak”?

U-C
 
I found a reference to колпак in google.ru, it referring to pointy hats.

A similar term, Kolpik, is the Jewish Rabbinical Fur Hat of the Slavic Hasidim.
 
Aramis said:
I found a reference to колпак in google.ru, it referring to pointy hats.

A similar term, Kolpik, is the Jewish Rabbinical Fur Hat of the Slavic Hasidim.
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Yes, I believe the “Ruthenian Recension” Kolpak looks a lot like the Jewish Kantor’s hat.

U-C
 
Yes, I believe the “Ruthenian Recension” Kolpak looks a lot like the Jewish Kantor’s hat.

Maybe I’ve misspelled the word. It’s not one I’ve had need to write (or use) heretofore.
 
“Kolpak” is the correct term, as Keith has mentioned. Legend has it that it is indeed modeled on the head gear of Jewish cantors of the region.

While it is often dismissed outright because of “latinization” in favor of a more Greek or Muscovite headgear, I am not convinced. The Old Rite has some different headgear than the Nikonian Russian Church, and the kolpak may actually be closer historically to some particular headgear of the Kyivan Metropolitanate from around the time of the Union or during the episcopacy of St. Peter Mohyla.

It is true, however, that after the Council of L’viv (which did implement some “latinizing” aspects) the kolpak was used as much as to distinguish the UGCC clergy from Muscovite clergy as to represent some older tradition.

And yes, some Ukrainian Orthodox and ACROD clergy historically wore them as well - perhaps also some of the OCA clergy that were descended from Greek Catholic clergy.
FDRLB
 
The bishop Ivan Semedy of Uzhgorod (at least the in the middle 1990s) wore a Latin style bishop’s cassock with the panagia

Anyways I prefer as one poster said the “elogant smplicity” and the relaxed atmosphere of the Ukrainian Catholic Church over the Russian Orthodox (no offense) who from my expirience liturgically very strict and prefer very fancy vestments, not that there is anything wrong with that at all it is just my Greek fashion taste differs, when it comes to Latin Church I like the fancy Italian style vestments over the ugly and very plain German vestments that are so popular today
 
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