Priest Vestments

[roccoangelo]

Greetings,

Does anyone know what the large “Y” on the front and back of the priest’s vestment is/means? I’ve noticed that in the old rite the priest will wear a similar vestment but it’s cut off at the shoulders and on the back it typicaly has a large cross design on it. Also, in the old rite the priest wears a long cloth on his left wrist, what is this and what does is mean?

Pax Tecum,
Rocco

 

[AJV]

The long cloth on the wrist is the maniple. The ophreys (bands) for a Y to represent a cross. This more flowing style of the chasuble is known as “gothic” and you can have full gothic, semi-gothic and other variations. The style of the chasuble in the old rite is known as a fiddleback. This too has certain variations on it-for example, Spanish ones are more shaped.

The vestments originated as practical day-to-day wear, but later were given allegorical meanings. The most common ones you will find on the internet will be the ones referring to the Passion of Christ. In this vein the maniple represents most commonly the ropes that tied Christ to the pillar when He was scourged or the chains through which he was led. I once saw one referring it to the vesture of a Christian soldier but I lost the link.

When the priest puts the maniple on he says the following prayer:
May I be worthy O Lord to bear the maniple of tears and sorrow; that I may receive with rejoicing the reward of my labour.

The Catholic Encyclopedia

 

[roccoangelo]

AJV,

Interesting, thanks for the info. I’m curious to know why priests don’t wear the maniple today though (aside from priests that celebrate the TLM). Also, why the change in style from the old style chasuble to the new one? To me the large “Y” looks like an inverted peace sign, though I don’t think it was designed to mean anything bad, just my observation.

Pax Tecum,
Rocco

 

[AJV]

AJV,

Interesting, thanks for the info. I’m curious to know why priests don’t wear the maniple today though (aside from priests that celebrate the TLM). Also, why the change in style from the old style chasuble to the new one? To me the large “Y” looks like an inverted peace sign, though I don’t think it was designed to mean anything bad, just my observation.

Pax Tecum,
Rocco

Actually the ‘Y’ is somewhat older. The chasuble was orginally more free-flowing before the vagaries of fashion altered it. If you look at the mystical explanations of Durandus this is quite evident. The cross itself originated decorative means of covering up seams and things like that. When the chasuble became stiffer a ‘proper’ Latin cross could be used on the back- it would after all look silly to retain the ‘Y’ cross when it no longer complimented the shape. The Church has never said one way or the other that a certain cut must be used- although I have read comments from people on both sides who labour under the impression that the chasuble for the TLM must be a fiddleback and that for the ‘NO’ must be gothic or semigothic.

 

[johnnykins]

… The style of the chasuble in the old rite is known as a fiddleback. This too has certain variations on it-for example, Spanish ones are more shaped.

I would say derisively called “fiddleback” and more appropriately called a “Roman” chausable.

 

[mosher]

I would further add that the Gothic and semi-Gothic variations of the chasuble were also used prior to the liturgical reform of the Second Vatican Council however then it was less common and generally regional in that the Gothic and semi-Gothic styles originated from locations that were much colder hence the greater amount of material.

Also, the Y or Cross shape that we see on the Chasuble (be it Roman, Spanish, Gothic etc) and the bar or double bar of the Dalmatic per Sub-Deacon or Deacon respectively also comes from an old Roman usage where the linear markings on ones clothing designated a persons rank in society. This is why you don’t generally see this traditionally in Eastern vestments as it was mostly a Roman cultural norm.

The simple answer the question about the use of the Maniple under the current Missale Romanum is that it was suppressed using the grounds that it was not only unnecessary but that its symbolic usage had been lost over the years. Whether this was true or not the fact that it was specifically suppressed is a fact.