Det medeltida prästerskapets civila dräkt – Anders Lindkvist

Den katolska kyrkans bestämmelser rörande prästers dräkt
Reglering av prästerskapets kläder har skett sedan den institutionella kristendomens barndom.
Kyrkanlagarna har utmärka prästernas ämbete genom att visa på ett dygdig och enkel klädedräkt.
Sedan 500-talet gjordes försök att förbjuda skärningar på kläder, extravaganta färger och dyrbara
ornament, det har även förekommit att kyrkan förbjudit allmänheten att klä sig i kläder som varit
förbehållna präster och på så vis försökt formalisera prästklädseln. Under medeltiden företas både
koncilier med allmängiltiga regler samt lokala kyrkomöten som berör frågan. Det första och
viktigaste var det fjärde latterankonciliet som hölls åren 1215-1218 under påven Innocentius III
styre. Detta kyrkomöte lyfte fram flera livsfrågor rörande prästerskapet leverne och med 16:e
kanoniska lagen beslöts följande i dräktfrågan:
Their garments must be worn clasped at the top and neither too short nor too long. They are not to use red
or green garments or curiously sewed together gloves, or beak-shaped shoes or gilded bridles, saddles,
pectoral ornaments (for horses), spurs, or anything else indicative of superfluity. At the divine office in
the church they are not to wear cappas with long sleeves, and priests and dignitaries may not wear them
elsewhere except in case of danger when circumstances should require a change of outer garments.
Buckles may under no condition be worn, nor sashes having ornaments of gold or silver, nor rings, unless
it be in keeping with the dignity of their office. All bishops must use in public and in the church outer
garments made of linen, except those who are monks, in which case they must wear the habit of their
order; in public they must not appear with open mantles, but these must be clasped either on the back of
the neck or on the bosom 229
Under nästa stora koncilium hölls åren 1311-1312 i Wien och förutom att bekräfta föregående
koncilium lagstadgas följande:
Since he who abandons the dress proper to his order, and puts on other clothes and wears them in
public, without a good reason, renders himself unworthy of the privileges of that order, we ordain
by the present constitution that any cleric wearing striped or variegated clothes in public, without a
good reason, is automatically suspended, if he is beneficed, from receiving the revenues of his
benefices for a period of six months. If however he does not have a benefice but is in sacred orders
below the priesthood, he becomes automatically disqualified for the same period from obtaining
an ecclesiastical benefice. The same penalty applies to other clerics having the tonsure yet wearing
such clothes in public. He who holds a dignity, a parsonage or another benefice to which the cure
of souls is annexed, as also any other priests and religious, whose outward garb should reveal their
inner integrity, who without reasonable cause wear such clothing in public, or appear thus with a
woolen band or linen cap on their heads, are, if beneficed, automatically suspended for a year from
receiving the revenues of their benefices. Such other priests and religious are also disqualified for
the same period from obtaining any ecclesiastical benefices. These and any other clerics who wear
a gown or tabard which is furred to the edge and so short that the lower garment is clearly seen, if
they are secular clergy or religious with administrative posts, are obliged to give the gown to the
poor within a month. The other religious who do not have administrative posts are obliged within
the same period to consign the gown to their superiors, to be used for some pious purpose. If this is
not done, the above penalties, of suspension in the case of the beneficed clergy and of
disqualification in the case of the rest, are incurred for the above period of time. To this penalty we
add that clerics, especially those with benefices, may not wear in public chequered, red or green
boots. 230
I dessa stadgar finns en strävan att försöka konkretisera förordningarna i fjärde
Latterankonciliumet med straff för olika dräktmässiga förseelser.
Efter kyrkomötet i Wien hölls inga ekumeniska koncilier förrän det i Konstanz år 1414-1418. Här
229 Lateran Council IV : 1215 A.D.
230 Council of Vienne : 1311-12 A.D
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