{"id":22943,"date":"2014-09-23T20:31:20","date_gmt":"2014-09-24T01:31:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/kathyschiffer\/?p=22943"},"modified":"2014-09-23T20:31:20","modified_gmt":"2014-09-24T01:31:20","slug":"the-dalmatic-is-dramatic-but-where-did-it-come-from","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/kathyschiffer\/2014\/09\/the-dalmatic-is-dramatic-but-where-did-it-come-from\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dalmatic Is Dramatic. But Where Did It Come From?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"Dalmatic\"<\/a>Priests wear chasubles. \u00a0Deacons wear dalmatics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

My own husband is a deacon, so I already know that. \u00a0An awful lot of Catholics don\u2019t know, though, how to tell the difference between the liturgical attire for a priest and a deacon.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a big hint: \u00a0Sleeves!<\/strong><\/p>\n

The chasuble, the outer garment worn by a priest during Mass, does not have sleeves. \u00a0The deacon\u2019s dalmatic is a matching garment, in the same liturgical color, but it has wide sleeves.<\/p>\n

This has been on my mind since I read this week\u2019s\u00a0\u201cOn the Liturgy\u201d column by Fr. Edward McNamara on the Catholic website Zenit, in which he answers questions from readers. \u00a0Father McNamara is a professor of liturgy\u00a0and dean of theology at the Regina Apostolorum university in Rome. \u00a0This week, he\u2019s talking about the dalmatic\u2013and I thought I\u2019d share his insights, and a little bit more.<\/p>\n

\u00a0* \u00a0 \u00a0 * \u00a0 \u00a0 * \u00a0 \u00a0 * \u00a0 \u00a0 *<\/p>\n

The History of the Dalmatic<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Dalmatic<\/a>Nothing new, the dalmatic was introduced by Pope Sylvester in 314 A.D. \u00a0Deacons wore it as an outer garment, as they do today; and the pope himself wore it as an under garment, under the chasuble. \u00a0Interestingly, bishops and priests were normally not<\/span> permitted to wear a dalmatic; it was reserved for popes and deacons.<\/p>\n

Fr. McNamara explains that even before the dalmatic was worn as part of Roman Catholic liturgical functions, it was worn by Roman citizens. \u00a0At first it was longer, reaching down to the heels, and much more ample. \u00a0Some complained that it was effeminate; but it eventually became popular among Roman senators and imperial officers. \u00a0It became a substitute for the toga, and was even used as the proper garb for the consecration of the emperor.<\/p>\n

Because of its cruciform shape, the dalmatic is sometimes regarded as a symbol for the sufferings of Christ.<\/p>\n

\"Liturgy<\/a>
Priest (center) with two deacons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Dalmatic in Current Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n

The dalmatic, Fr. McNamara explains, is for deacons what the chasuble is for priests. \u00a0It\u2019s used during liturgy as an outer garment.<\/p>\n

Fr. McNamara mentioned one other unusual use: \u00a0Bishops today may wear a light dalmatic underneath the chasuble in solemn situations, especially ordinations.<\/p>\n

The Liturgical Colors<\/strong><\/p>\n

The dalmatic and deacon\u2019s stole, like the chasuble and stole worn by the priest, will generally be in the color appropriate for the liturgical season. \u00a0Typically, the colors are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • White<\/span><\/strong> \u2013 signifies light, innocence, purity, joy, \u00a0glory. \u00a0White is worn for Christmas and Easter, Feasts of the Lord (other than his passion), Feasts of Mary, the angels, and saints who were not martyrs, Feasts of the apostles. \u00a0White is also appropriate for nuptial masses and masses for the dead.<\/li>\n
  • Red<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 signifies Christ\u2019s Passion, blood, fire, God\u2019s love, and martyrdom. \u00a0Red is worn on Feasts of the Lord\u2019s Passion, Blood and Cross, as well as on Feasts of the martyrs. \u00a0Red is also worn on Palm Sunday and on Pentecost, when it signifies the fire of the Holy Spirit.<\/li>\n
  • Green<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 signifies the Holy Spirit, life eternal, and hope. \u00a0It is the traditional color of Ordinary Time\u2013the time after Epiphany and after Pentecost.<\/li>\n
  • Violet<\/strong><\/span> \u2013 (amaranth red) signifies penance, humility, and melancholy (sadness). \u00a0 Violet is worn during the seasons of Advent and Lent, and on Vigils except for Ascension and Pentecost. \u00a0It\u2019s also worn on Good Friday.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Gold<\/strong><\/span> and Silver<\/strong><\/span> may sometimes be used in place of\u00a0white.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Priests wear chasubles. \u00a0Deacons wear dalmatics. My own husband is a deacon, so I already know that. \u00a0An awful lot of Catholics don\u2019t know, though, how to tell the difference between the liturgical attire for a priest and a deacon. Here\u2019s a big hint: \u00a0Sleeves! The chasuble, the outer garment worn by a priest during […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":556,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49,79,147],"tags":[2065],"class_list":["post-22943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-catholic","category-diaconate","category-liturgy","tag-dalmatic"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Dalmatic Is Dramatic. But Where Did It Come From?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Priests wear chasubles. \u00a0Deacons wear dalmatics. 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