Everyone looked at the green cover of the patriarch’s coffin, this is what it symbolizes

Patriarch Irinej, Photo: Tanjug / Rade Prelic

Patriarch Irinej, passed away yesterday at age 91, today it is in a glass coffin covered with sumptuous green robes, exposed in front of the faithful in a scaffolding of flowers.

Today, all of Serbia has witnessed the farewell of the blessed patriarch who will tomorrow be buried in the crypt of the Temple of Saint Sava as the first patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church to rest in that place.

The coffin with its earthly remains was covered with green clothing and everyone wondered what that color meant.

Clothing, as it is said in Russian and as it is spoken in Old Slavonic, is the ceremonial clothing of Orthodox priests in worship. In the historical and regional context, the same word was used for the ceremonial garb of rulers, knights, kings, and nobles.

The vestments of the church are of certain colors, each of which has a special meaning.

White is a symbol of joy, purity and enlightenment.

The color red signifies the blood shed by Christ and his disciples, apostles, saints, and martyrs.

The green color is a symbol of hope for eternal bliss, acquired through the merit of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Black and dark red represent remorse and sadness. The clothes themselves warn the priest to perform pious acts of worship and remind him of the virtues with which he must distinguish himself.

Each sacred garment is obligatorily consecrated by a bishop or a priest. When the clothes are put on, the prayers prescribed by Tipik are said. Clothing can only be worn for worship purposes. As for the color of church clothing, initially white dominated. Later purple or black clothes were introduced during Lent, and red, green, gold and others during the year. They are usually embroidered and decorated.

Since the Orthodox clergy has three degrees, each degree has its own specific clothing.

Patriarch Irinej, Photo: Tanjug

Deacon robes are: a verse (usually white similar to a Greek chiton gown, covering the entire body from neck to bottom), bracelets, and a pray (a long sash that the deacon wears on his left shoulder and gives a common prayer sign during worship);

the clothing of the presbyter (priest) is: stichar, epitrachil (pray whose ends are bent forward, the priest puts it around the neck), belt, bracelets and felon (sleeveless cloak with opening to put it on the head, dressed over the stichar);

Hierarchical (episcopal) garments are: stichar, epitrachil, belt, bracelets, thigh cloth (a quadrangular cloth that hangs around the waist on the right thigh in one corner; the thigh is also worn by deserving priests), sakos (clothing created by combining the clothing of the Byzantine emperors and the clothing of the illuminating Old Testament, cut to one side and tied with gold flags; carries a verse), an omophorion (worn by the archbishop on both shoulders), a miter (in Greek: a belt, a scarf that wraps his head; a hat) and a hierarchical scepter in the ordination). Signs of episcopal dignity are also the panagia and the pectoral cross.