Chasubles and dalmatics
Between the 9th and 13th centuries, the range of vestments became fully developed, the details for their use codified, and symbolic meanings applied to them. The ‘undergarments’ were the amice, a kind of neckcloth, the long alb, and the cincture for gathering the alb in at the waist.
The deacon wore the dalmatic, a square garment with short sleeves (named after Dalmatia – of 101 dogs’ fame – where the style developed), except during penitential seasons when, curiously, he wore a specially folded version of the priest’s chasuble.
The sub-deacon (for there were such in the Roman Rite until 1972) wore a tunicle, very similar to a dalmatic but with different banding.
The priest and bishop wore the chasuble, also, on the left arm, the maniple (now abolished), a hanging band of cloth whose exact significance was a mystery: some said it represented the towel of Christ washing feet at the Last Supper, others that it was simply a stylised handkerchief (not actually to be used as such, I hasten to add), in lieu of the real handkerchiefs which clergy now push up their shirt sleeves in case their albs have no pockets.
It was also standardised that the chasuble was a garment for Mass only. For solemn celebrations outside Mass, the ancient, long, cape (cope) was used.
It is strange to realise that for a long time the humble acolyte (whose role was almost universally usurped by the lay altar server) actually wore the same vestments as the priest. It may also be strange to know that the bishop, to show the fullness of his orders, wore underneath his chasuble both the deacon’s dalmatic and the sub-deacon’s tunicle. [Even now he may still wear the dalmatic underneath, though few do, and equipped as he was with all the other episcopal paraphernalia he was padded out as if for American football].
As bishops became increasingly important in civil life during this period, so their garments multiplied. Apart from the garments they shared with the priest, they had: the dalmatic, the tunicle, the sandals, the gloves, the gloves, the stockings – or ‘buskins’, the pallium (now reserved to Archbishops) and, of course, the mitre on the head. Thus popular prayer cards which show ancient saints like St. Patrick decked out in all these regalia are anachronistic. There were complex rules for the donning and discarding of these during certain services, which is how one priest (since laicised) who served at Westminster Cathedral described his time there as “dressing and undressing the Cardinal to music”.