SACRED VESTMENTS. - These are the garments worn by sacred ministers in liturgical functions.
To render worship more august and for greater reverence toward God, the Church willed that special sacred vestments be used during sacred functions. They are not derived from those in use in the worship of the Old Testament, nor from those of the pagan cults of the classical age, but were chosen from among those used in the civil life (excluding those of a military character) of the Roman world by the most serious and distinguished persons. The clergy used a long white tunic (v.) reaching to the ankles, over which the major clergy placed the sleeveless chasuble or planeta (v.) that covered the whole person; in the 6th century the dalmatic (v.) was already in use, which was soon to be the proper outer vestment of deacons. The other sacred vestments or ornaments were introduced gradually into liturgical use. This remained constant even in the face of the use of more or less scanty garments that were introduced with the barbarian invasions; the Church remained faithful to the ancient use of the upper classes. Setting aside the rochet (v.), which is not considered a sacred vestment, there is the cotta, whose name superpelliceum indicates its purpose, which was the ample white linen outer garment that covered, for the lower clergy, the everyday habit (cardinal bishops wear it over the rochet when they don the cope).
Lower vestments or liturgical undergarments are today in the Latin rite: the amice, the alb or surplice with the cincture; the upper ones are: the chasuble, for the celebrant of the Mass, the dalmatic and the tunicle for the sacred ministers, and the cope for functions outside the Mass. As major liturgical insignia there are: the maniple, for all the major clergy including the bishop; the stole, for the deacon (who wears it crossed over the shoulder), the priest and the bishop; the pallium for the metropolitan archbishop and the Pope; the rationale, worn over the chasuble only by 5 bishops of Germany, France and Poland. Pontifical insignia are: the miter, the pastoral staff, the ring and the pectoral cross. Other episcopal accessories are the gloves, the sandals and the shoes. The Pope uses the falda, a wide undergarment that covers the person from the waist down to beyond the feet; the fanone, over the chasuble, with white and gold stripes, the succintorium to be attached to the right side of the cincture (v. the respective entries).