Item of clerical clothing in Orthodox Christianity
Icon
of Saint
Dimitry of Rostov
, wearing a white
metropolitan's
epanokalimavkion
.
Saint Tikhon
,
Patriarch of Moscow
wearing the patriarchal
koukoulion
with embroidered white
epanokalimavkion
.
An
epanokalimavkion
(
Greek
:
επανωκαλυμμα?χιον
, also
epanokalimavko
(
επανωκαλ?μμαυχο
)) is an item of
clerical clothing
worn by
Orthodox Christian
monastics
who are
rassophor
or above, including
bishops
. It is a cloth
veil
, usually black, which is worn with a
kalimavkion
.
Overview
[
edit
]
The
epanokalimavkion
is attached to the front of the
kalimavkion
and extends over the top to hang down the back, with
lappets
hanging down on each side. In some traditions,
monks
leave the lappets hanging over the shoulders, but
nuns
bring them together and fasten them
[1]
Archived
2006-12-16 at the
Wayback Machine
behind the
apostolnik
.
In the
Russian tradition
, the
kalimavkion
covered by its
epanokalimavkion
is collectively referred to as a
klobuk
.
Hierodeacons
(i.e., monastic deacons) will remove the
epanokalimavkion
when they are
vested
and serving at liturgical services; if they are not serving, however, they will wear it whenever attending services. Monks who have been ordained to
minor orders
(
subdeacon
,
reader
,
altar server
) do not wear the
kamilavka
when vested.
Hieromonks
(monastic priests) always wear the
epanokalimavkion
whenever they wear the
kalimavkion
.
In the Russian tradition, the
epanokalimavkion
of an
archbishop
has a jewelled cross stitched to the front of it near the crown of the
kalimavkion
. A
metropolitan
wears a white
epanokalimavkion
with the same jewelled cross. The
Patriarch of Moscow
's
epanokalimavkion
is often richly embroidered with
seraphim
or other symbols on the lappets and is attached to a conical
kalimavkion
called a
koukoulion
. The Patriarch of the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate
, which is not in communion with Moscow, also wears the
kalimavkion
.
The
Patriarch of Bulgaria
wears a white
epanokalimavkion
with small cross. The
Patriarch of Romania
also wears a white
epanokalimavkion
.
On
Mount Athos
, particular practices may vary from
monastery
to monastery, but generally speaking?in the Greek monasteries, at least?the
epanokalimavkion
is not attached to the
kalimavkion
, but is merely laid over it. The reason for this is that the Athonite
typicons
call for it to be removed from the
kalimavkion
and laid over the shoulders at certain moments during the services.
References
[
edit
]