Sunday, April 4, 2010

The Sacred Rationale of the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Kraków See

Passed on from generation to generation.

Such a sacred vestment.

9 comments:

  1. Isn't that the Rationale? There are only a couple left in use...

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  2. Oh yeah, this pallium is very special. It is called rationale and you can come across it only in several places (four if I'm not mistaken) in the world including Kraków. Cracow is one of them. It's meaning is similiar to palium.
    Greetings from Poland and thanks for your blog it's really nice.
    Artur from Poland

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  3. That Vestment is called a Rationale.

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  4. Actually, that's a rationale. It's an ancient vestment used by only a few Archbishops and Bishops in Europe but, unlike the pallium, is not a symbol of metropolitical status.

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  5. You are obviously referring NOT to the Pallium but to the RATIONALE - an episcopal humeral, only used by the Bishops of Eichstätt, Paderborn, [Nancy] Toul, and Cracow.

    The one used by the Bishop of Cracow is made of two bands crossing the shoulder and joined at the breast and at the back, having the appearance of a discoid connected by medallions.

    It originated undoubtedly in the pomp developed in episcopal vestments during the tenth century, and took its name from the breast ornament of the Jewish high-priest.

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  6. You are obviously referring to the RATIONALE and not the Pallium.

    The rationale, Catholic Encyclopedia explains, is an episcopal humeral, a counterpart of the pallium, and like it worn over the chasuble. At the present time it is only used by the Bishops of Eichstätt, Paderborn, [Nancy] Toul, and Cracow.

    As worn by the Bishops of Eichstätt, Paderborn, and Toul, the rationale is in the form of a humeral collar, ornamented in the front and back with appendages.

    The one used by the Bishop of Cracow is made of two bands crossing the shoulder and joined at the breast and at the back, having the appearance of a discoid connected by medallions.

    It originated undoubtedly in the pomp developed in episcopal vestments during the tenth century, and took its name from the breast ornament of the Jewish high-priest.

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  7. A series of photos of the rationale:
    http://dappledphotos.blogspot.com/2005/11/rationale.html

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  8. I have seen a photo of Cardinal Wojtyla wearing the pallium in addition to the rationale.

    ~Bonifacius

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  9. Yes, see here: http://dappledphotos.blogspot.com/2005/11/rationale.html

    Several of the metropolitan archbishops of Krakow are wearing both the pallium and rationale.

    ~Bonifacius

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