These photos have already appeared at the Mospat site: Metropolitan Ilarion of Volokolamsk Celebrates Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow”
Милость мира / Mercy of the World / 救主慈悲
Seeing the mitres of the bishops I was reminded of what was written in The Myth of the Domus Ecclesiae by Steven J. Schloeder:
The ascendency of the residential model as the authentic liturgical form raised another question of architectural history: what to do with the intervening 1700 years of church building? For the mid-century and later architectural writers, the simple answer was that the domestic model was the ideal, and all later grand and hierarchical buildings are the deviations. Therefore, all the intervening eras, liturgical and artistic expressions, and architectural forms and styles came in for censure.
The changes in the age of Constantine were implicated for the advent of clericalism, turning the congregation into passive viewers at a formalistic ritual, the loss of liturgical and spiritual intimacy, and the subjugation of the Church’s evangelical mission to the politics of the emperor. The Christian basilica was thereby rejected as an expression of power-mongering and imperialistic tendencies.7
The Byzantine churches were rejected for their courtly imperial formality, where the ministers are hidden behind the iconostasis, only to venture out in courtly processions.
The Byzantine-rite mitre is more obviously derived from the Imperial crown, is it not? (Though the same is true of the Western mitre and papal tiara.) It is supposed to be a symbol of their office and a reminder that they are representatives of Christ. Still, given its secular origin (shared by other vestments?) might repel some, but there is a hierarchy associated with the sacrament of order, and as animals we need sensible reminders of this reality. Still, could a unique Christian headdress have been created?
No comments:
Post a Comment