[Magdalen] Hodge-Podge? Vestment Ramblings.

[Cantor03 at aol.com]

Two pictures I saw this week gave me pause to reflect.  
 
The first was the cover full color cover photo of the Installation of  TEC
Presiding Bishop on the front cover the USA weekly, "The Living  Church."
 
The other picture was a similar photo spread of the Chrism Mass this
past Maundy Thursday of the clergy of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese
of Westminster at the RC Westminster (London) Cathedral.
 
I know that TEC likes to demonstrate its extensive diversity, but the
almost bewildering variety of vestments worn by all three clerical  groups
struck me as demonstrating a completely uncoordinated ragtag  appearance.
In a couple of instances, one might conclude that the clergyperson  slept
in the vestment.
 
In contrast, the Westminster Mass was completely (and perhaps just a
little over) coordinated.  The clergy appeared to be wearing  essentially
identical vestments, and in contrast to some such events, the  vestments
seemed to be of good quality.
 
At the Presiding Bishop's Installation at the Washington National  
Cathedral,
++Curry wore a stunning gold cope and mitre which was beyond reproach
IMHO, and this signals a changeover from the very colorful  contemporary
copes and mitres favored by ++Jefferts Schori.  Though certainly  open
to new styles well done, I, for one, will not miss that style.
 
For that matter the church could do well to explore what we have left
from the medieval period.  When I visited the Harz Mountain  (Germany)
Halberstadt Cathedral (now Evangelische/Lutheran), and poked about
the largest collection of medieval vestments remaining in Europe,
I came away convinced the church couldn't do better than go retro in
the matter of vestments.
 
 
David Strang.