Vesting of Laymen?

[OhMalley]

Do lay readers or cantors in the Byzantine/Ruthenian recension ever vest for Divine Liturgy? If they do what do they wear? Many years.

 

[bpbasilphx]

Keep in mind that in Byzantine-rite Catholic Churches, and especially Orthodox churches, there are more likely to be ordained Readers and Subdeacons.

So they would be vested in sticharion, with orarion of the subdeacon, and maybe a cassock underneath.

 

[Aramis]

Orthodoxwiki points out that the sticharion is a variant of the baptismal garment, and is equivalent to the Roman Alb.

It also points out that it is normal for an ordained Lector to wear a cassock, but not vestments.
Ordained Cantors likewise “vest” in an Exorassion (over-cassock).
Some groups may vest them in a sticharion.

Ordained Acolytes and lay Altar Servers wear the Sticharion

Only subdeacons and deacons normally wear the orarion; the orarions differ in size and wear pattern.

Lay readers, from what I’ve seen and experienced, do not vest, but should dress appropriately. When an altar server is also the lay reader, he’ll be wearing a sticharion.

Given the materials in catholic doctrine, the sticharion would be appropriate, without orarion, for any lay minister. It is not, however, the current practice where I’ve seen.

It should be noted that, while the Ruthenian Metropolia of Pittsburgh permits minor orders, very few have been ordained, and fewer still for permanent service in the minor orders.

Current praxis seems to be only altar servers being vested amongst the laity.

 

[Diak]

Generally besides altar servers the only ones who may vest (besides obviously priests and deacons) are those who are in minor orders, namely have been tonsured readers or ordained to the subdiaconate. According to the particular law of the UGCC as well as the Instruction by Rome, if one is a cleric (including minor clergy) and not serving, the riassa is to be worn. If one is serving, the stikhar (for readers) or stikhar with orarion (for the subdeacon) are to be worn with the blessing of the priest.

Laymen generally do not wear the stikharion, although in some Orthodox churches (especially amongst the Greeks) a lay reader may be blessed by the priest to wear the stikhar to read, or a psaltist who is not tonsured may be allowed to wear a riassa.

Sometimes in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church the diak (lead cantor) and the lay reader will wear a sorochka or traditional embroidered shirt.

 

[IAGladfelter]

In some Eastern Orthodox Churches, a Reader is in Minor Orders, so is vested.

Blessings,
Irl

 

[Diak]

Yes, tonsured readers can certainly be found in Orthodox parishes, primarily amongst the Russian and other Slavic churches. Greek parishes rarely have “tonsured readers” at all - at least I have never found one that was not a monastic. Amongst the Antiochian readers I have known my experience is that they were generally in process of becoming deacons. The practices seem to vary not only between jurisdictions, but even within various Orthodox jurisdictions.