Can Orthodox Laity Wear Cassocks?

[Zacharias]

Can Orthodox laity wear cassocks? Anyone have a quick answer?

 

[Suzannah]

Can Orthodox laity wear cassocks? Anyone have a quick answer?

Unusual question for TAW! Hiya Freak...always good to see you....

My thought is that the answer is No. Reason being that this would mislead the laity....Readers (the first level of the priesthood) do wear them though so I think it would begin there.

 

[Zacharias]

oops

 

[Zacharias]

Unusual question for TAW! Hiya Freak...always good to see you....

My thought is that the answer is No. Reason being that this would mislead the laity....Readers (the first level of the priesthood) do wear them though so I think it would begin there.

Hi Suzannah,


I was told by a seminarian that non-Orthodox students wear them.

Anyway, the reason for the question was...

One of TAW members requested an Orthodox cassock to be added to the Armor Shop. However it can't be added if it's description implies that only clergy can wear them. We can't have non-clergy posing as clergy.

 

[Mary of Bethany]

That may be true about seminarians, like novices at monasteries. I'm not sure. But generally, "out in the world", I don't think a layperson who's not a Reader could wear a cassock.


Mary

 

[Zacharias]

Anyway, the reason for the question was...

One of TAW members requested an Orthodox cassock to be added to the Armor Shop. However it can't be added if it's description implies that only clergy can wear them. We can't have non-clergy posing as clergy.

 

[Suzannah]

Oh I see....well I think Mary is right...I didn't know seminarians wore them....but out in the world....well Mary is right...
I don't think it should be added then in that case.

 

[Zacharias]

Thanks everyone!

 

[ExOrienteLux]

Well, I'm a layman and I'm also an altar server. I wear one when I serve in the altar. And seminarians do wear them, even when they haven't be tonsured a reader or ordained a subdeacon.

But, I give up. I just wanted a cassock which had a description that didn't mention the Matirx.

Oh well...

 

[Zacharias]

Well, I'm a layman and I'm also an altar server. I wear one when I serve in the altar. And seminarians do wear them, even when they haven't be tonsured a reader or ordained a subdeacon.

But, I give up. I just wanted a cassock which had a description that didn't mention the Matirx.

Oh well...

If I had known that earlier...

name: Liturgical Cassock
description: For those who wear a cassock in Church
cost: 700

Added!

 

[katherine2001]

EOL is correct. Adult altar servers are expected to wear cassocks, and they are laity.

 

[Matrona]

I think Katherine is right. The adult altar servers wear cassocks in my church when they are 'off-duty', even though they have not been tonsured or anything like that. (They wear something fancier when actually serving at the altar.)

 

[Oblio]

They wear something fancier when actually serving at the altar.

This something fancy would be a sticharion I wasn't aware of the fact that acolytes are to wear cassocks if they are untonsured. I am guesing this is one of the differences in traditions. I was told that in the Russian tradition that a tonsured reader is to vest with his sticharion when receiving Holy Communion, even if not serving at that Liturgy, this is the practice that I follow.

 

[ufonium2]

My fiance is a Reader, has been for some time, and doesn't have a cassock. His parish is not wealthy, and the choir director (also a Reader) doesn't own a cassock either, so it looks normal there. But in my parish, which he'll join this summer when we're married, the Readers (there are 3) always wear their cassocks in church whether they're reading at that service or not. Is this normal? He plans to get a cassock when he moves here, but having never worn one he's not sure what the protocol is.

 

[ExOrienteLux]

Well, I dont own my own cassock either, but the church has several of them in the Vestry, one of which I wear when I serve. It's an Antiochian Church, if that makes a difference.

Also, our resident seminarian, a Mr. Peter Jon Gillquist, was back in the area this weekend, and he wore his cassock even though he simply sang in the choir. From what I could gather from talking to him after Liturgy, he's not a reader or subdeacon at the moment, either. I could be wrong, though.

 

[The Prokeimenon!]

At the Parishes I've been a member of (only two) the Readers kept their cassocks (they called them Jibs or Jibbis I think- probably an Arabic term but I'm not sure) at the Church and Vested whenever they entered and unvested before they left. If it was an official Liturgical function, they were always vested, but if it's a potluck or something, they usually wear their "street clothes." I know the subdeacon and deacon at my old Parish came to Church vested, but I never was sure if they wore their vestments all the time. Anyway- I don't think that was the question nor do I have any answers When I served at the alter I wore a "Jibb" because I couldn't get one of those tiny alter server robes over my exceptionally large head (both literally and figuratively.)

I think traditions vary- like in an Orthodox culture (say, for instance, 19th century Russia) you might be more likely to find "minor" clergy like readers in their vestments full time. That's just a guess, though. You might ask Fr. Vassily.

Moses
praying for a jibb of his own

ps- I'm not sure I understand how all this "Armor of God" stuff works, but somebody should add the Nassar "Divine Prayers and Services" book. Not only is it the heaviest book ever printed (only a slight exaggeration), but it's also the most poetic translation ever

 

[katherine2001]

My fiance is a Reader, has been for some time, and doesn't have a cassock. His parish is not wealthy, and the choir director (also a Reader) doesn't own a cassock either, so it looks normal there. But in my parish, which he'll join this summer when we're married, the Readers (there are 3) always wear their cassocks in church whether they're reading at that service or not. Is this normal? He plans to get a cassock when he moves here, but having never worn one he's not sure what the protocol is.

Our Reader was tonsured last month and he is expected to purchase a cassock and wear it (which he does). Our mission is hardly wealthy (with only 8 paying members, the other 3 being children), but we all contributed money (as our gift on his tonsuring) to help pay for it. Ours is also our choir director, which is why we have our other man (who is legally blind) serving as the altar server. All our children are girls and can't serve in that capacity. Our only other male is now on his way to Iraq (he is a member of the National Guard), so please keep him in your prayers. His name is Philip.

 

[Eusebios]

I purchased my own cassock upon being tonsured to the office of reader. I'm currently saving up for a reversible sticerion which Fr. has requested all readers to obtain prior to Pascha. (Rdr. Chris, where did you get yours?)
In my parish, I am expected to vest when serving in the Altaror singing in the choir, or reading during vespers, etc. The Deacon is always vested when he is within the parish. The sub[deacon, like us readers, vests upon entering.
Our altar boys also wear the cassock under their sticherion, and are obviously laity.
And now, off to get my cyber-cassock!
In Xp,
Eusebios.

 

[Matrona]

When I served at the alter I wore a "Jibb" because I couldn't get one of those tiny alter server robes over my exceptionally large head (both literally and figuratively.)

So if I like the way your cassock is shaped, does that mean I can say, "I like the cut of your jib"?

ps- I'm not sure I understand how all this "Armor of God" stuff works, but somebody should add the Nassar "Divine Prayers and Services" book. Not only is it the heaviest book ever printed (only a slight exaggeration), but it's also the most poetic translation ever

I think so, too. I had to wrestle with the Five-Pounder every Sunday for Matins before AOCANA put the readings on its website again.

 

[Oblio]

Rdr. Chris, where did you get yours?

Our parish YiaYia made it for me