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A fifteenth-century chasuble

The chasuble is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian Churches that use full vestments, primarily in the Roman Catholic Church, in "high church" and "broad church" Anglican congregations and in some parts of the United Methodist Church. It is also used as the primary vestment in some Lutheran denominations, especially the Nordic state Lutheran Churches, and it is the principal outer vestment worn by bishops and presbyters in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (whose ordained clergy usually follow the "Broad Church" practices of the Anglican Communion). In the Eastern Churches of Byzantine Rite, the equivalent vestment is the phelonion.

"The vestment proper to the priest celebrant at Mass and other sacred actions directly connected with Mass is, unless otherwise indicated, the chasuble, worn over the alb and stole" (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 337). Like the stole, it is normally of the liturgical colour of the Mass being celebrated.

The chasuble originated as a sort of poncho, with a round hole in the middle through which to pass the head, falling to the feet on all sides. It had to be gathered up on the arms to allow the arms to be used freely. In the west, it was folded up from the sides, as shown in the illustration here of the wearing of a fifteenth-century chasuble. Strings were sometimes used to assist in this task, and the deacon could help the priest in folding up the sides of the vestment.

A modern chasuble

Modern chasubles are cut away at the sides, making such folding unnecessary. Over the centuries this cutting away reached the stage of reducing the chasuble to the shape of a broad scapular, leaving the whole of the arms quite free. To make it easier for the priest to join his hands when wearing a chasuble of stiff (lined and heavily embroidered) material, the front was cut away further, giving it the distinctive shape often called "fiddleback". Complex decoration schemes were often used on chasubles of scapular form, especially the back, incorporating the image of the cross or of a saint; and rich materials such as silk, cloth of gold or brocade were employed, especially in chasubles reserved for major celebrations.

A "fiddleback" chasuble from the church of Saint Gertrude in Maarheeze in the Netherlands

In second half of the twentieth century, especially after the Second Vatican Council, the scapular form, sometimes called the "Roman", became less common in Roman Catholic churches, with the widespread use of the modern "Gothic" style, closer to the yet fuller style used in more ancient times. This change was accompanied by a simplification of material and design, but some radically modern designs are deemed unaesthetic by many.

Some see a preference for the "fiddleback" as a sign of traditionalism or even rebellion against the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. However, some priests express simply on grounds of taste and comfort a preference for the scapular form, which continues to be included in mainstream catalogues of liturgical vestments; and other traditionalist priests prefer, for similar reasons, ampler chasubles of less stiff material, the style of chasuble that appears in all but one of the illustrations in the article on the Tridentine Mass.

The phelonion, the Byzantine Rite vestment that corresponds to the Latin Rite chasuble, is cut away from the front and not from the sides.

To see more photos of Traditional Vestments and to ask any questions see The Society for the Promulgation of the Latin Chasuble [1]

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