Coptica v. 16 2017

Evolution of Coptic Liturgical Vestments (Part II)

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obscure vocabulary, Butler exclaimed, “The absurdities of the various foregoing rubrics scarcely need pointing out […] and it must be a strange kind of a figure the patriarch presents, when at last he is appareled in full pontificals.” 9 Perhaps Butler’s main problem was in failing to recognize that the text in this case re-iterates later the full vestments of the newly consecrated patriarch using different terminology, giving the impression that he was invested with twice as many vestments as he in fact was. Indeed, the problem of understanding the terminology used for Coptic vestments is the main reason why the entire field has been fraught with difficulties. The same garment may have a Greek name, a Coptic name, and multiple Arabic names depending on the source. To complicate things further, vestments themselves often develop and morph into new shapes and styles while retaining their original name. Returning to the text at hand, it may help to analyze each stage of vesting separately. First, the patriarch is invested with the following:

[1] ⲙⲟⲓ ϩⲓⲱⲧϥ ·ⲛϯⲥⲧⲟⲓⲭⲁⲣⲓⲟⲛ [2] ⲛⲉⲙ ⲡⲓⲱⲣⲁⲣⲓⲟⲛ ·ⲡⲉϥⲙⲟⲩⲧ [3] ⲛⲉⲙ ϯⲫⲉⲗⲟⲛⲓⲟⲛ. 10

[1]Place upon him the sticharion , [2] and the orarion on his neck, [3] and the phelonion .

[1] لبسه الاستخاره [2] والبلاريه فى [ عنقه 3] . والغفاره

It is clear from this description that the vestments given the candidate correspond to the priestly vestments mentioned in the first part of this study. The orarion [2] in this case refers not to the diaconal stole, but to the epitrachelion strictly speaking, though the two terms tend to be interchangeable in Coptic sources. The sticharion [1] and phelonion [3] pose no problem, since they occur in exactly this terminology in the Coptic text. Later, the candidate receives further vestments corresponding to his episcopal rank as successor of the apostles:

[1] Ⲟⲩⲟϩ ⲁⲩϣⲁⲛⲕⲏⲛ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ϣⲁⲣⲉⲡⲓⲛⲓϣϯ ·ⲛⲉⲡⲓⲥⲕⲟⲡⲟⲥ ϯϩⲓⲱⲧϥ ·ⲙⲡⲓⲙⲟⲣⲫⲟⲣⲓⲛ ·ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲓⲥⲩⲙⲃⲟⲗⲟⲛ ·ⲛⲧⲉ ϯⲇⲱⲣⲉⲁ ·ⲛⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲓⲕⲟⲛ [2]

[1] And when all have finished, the senior bishop places on him the morphorin symbolic of the apostolic gift, [2] which is the

[1] فرغوا كلهم يلبسه كبير الاساقفه لبا س الاشاره التى للموهبه الرسوليه [2] الذى هو العرضى النازل

واذا

9 Alfred J. Butler, The Ancient Coptic Churches of Egypt: In Two Volumes , vol. 2 (Oxford, 1884), 145-146. 10 Coptic Museum 253 Lit. (AD 1364), fol. 52r.; cf. O.H.E. Burmester, The Rite of Consecration of the Patriarch of Alexandria: Text According to MS. 253 Lit., Coptic Museum (Cairo, 1960) , 26 (Coptic), 67 (English).