Bishops’ robes
Bishops both in the Roman Catholic and Anglican traditions share some robes with the ‘lower’ clergy, some are variants (such as the purple cassock), and some are unique to them. These are the…
– Rochet
– Chimere
– Mitre
– Pectoral Cross
– Episcopal ring
Rochet
This is a typical modern Anglican (CofE) rochet. It is worn in place of the surplice, is worn over the cassock, and appears in design somewhere between a surplice and an alb. It is ankle-length, somewhat gathered, with a yoke which is neither fully round nor fully square. The sleeves are puffier than those of the alb, but don’t have the drape of the surplice bell-sleeves. The cuffs of the sleeve are gathered, and usually tied with back or red wrist bands (absent from this photo because a client production lost ours).
The Roman Catholic Rochet differs markedly from the Anglican style, and resembles an alb even more so than does the Anglican rochet. Indeed, the only difference between a Catholic rochet and a lace alb is that the alb is usually ankle-length, while the rochet is shorter, sometimes reaching barely to the knee.
(NB this image is not of Vestus stock. We do not currently hold a Roman rochet in our stock)
Chimere
The chimere is a sleeveless gown worn only by Anglican bishops – it does not exist in the Roman Catholic tradition. It resembles an academic gown, and indeed can trace its lineage to that garment. It has distinctive pleating at the back, and can be black or red. Historically, the red chimere was reserved for those bishops with a doctoral degree in divinity, but nowadays black and red are both worn widely, usually black for every-day and red for special occasions.
NB: the colour of the rochet wrist bands change to match the colour of the chimere.
Mitre
The famous pointy hat which has been worn by bishops for centuries. There has been no meaningful change except in modern times, when modern fabrics and abstract designs have been employed. Having said that, more traditional mitres are still widely worn.
As with lots of church robes, the colour is often dependent to some extent on the church season.
The only trap with the mitre regards when and where the bishop wears it. There are very specific and rather complex rules governing this. Directors and designers are recommended to consult with Vestus about the particulars of the scene being shot before deciding whether to use a mitre.
Pectoral cross and episcopal ring
The most commonly asked question we receive when dressing a regular priest is “can we give him a cross necklace?” The answer: “only if you’re promoting him to bishop.”
Only a bishop wears a cross as part of his/her uniform. And it is always worn while on duty, whether robed or not, i.e. even when wandering around the street in clerical shirt and collar, the pectoral cross is worn.
But beware: just because the cross is always worn doesn’t mean it’s always visible. The pectoral cross must not be worn above the chasuble. When the bishop wears a chasuble (i.e. for a Eucharist/Communion/Mass service), the cross must be worn above the alb, but beneath the chasuble. This means the cross is not visible. This is an error that countless real bishops make, and it’s really annoying.
Historically, the cross would contain a precious gem, usually amethyst (the colour traditionally associated with bishops, hence the colour of their shirts and cassocks), but nowadays they tend to be more modest, bishops these days trying to play down extravagance.
Roman Catholics add a layer of complexity to how the pectoral cross is worn. When worn over a shirt or a cassock, it is worn on a chain (as pictured above). However, when worn over rochet and mozzetta, it is worn on a coloured cord, as below. As with all these things, the colour of the cord is determined largely by church season.
In the above image, you can see the bishop is wearing a large ring on his right-hand ring finger. This is the episcopal ring. It is the bishop’s wedding ring, signifying his/her marriage to Christ. As with the pectoral cross, the ring historically would house a gem (again, usually amethyst), but like the cross, this is now rare.