Panagia ( el, Παναγία, fem. of , + , the ''All-Holy'', or the ''Most Holy''; pronounced ) (also transliterated Panaghia or Panajia), in Medieval and Modern Greek, is one of the titles of

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

, used especially in

Eastern Catholicism The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of th ...

and

Orthodox Christianity Orthodoxy (from Ancient Greek, Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Late antiquity, A ...

. Most Greek churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary are called ''Panagia''; the standard western Christian designation of "St. Mary" is rarely used in the Orthodox East, as Mary is considered the holiest of all created beings and therefore of higher status than the Saints.

Iconography

''Panagia'' is also the term for a particular type of

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

of the

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are " ...

, wherein she is facing the viewer directly, usually depicted full length with her hands in the '' orans'' position, and with a medallion showing the image of Christ as a child in front of her chest. This medallion symbolically represents

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

within the womb of the Virgin Mary at the moment of the

Incarnation Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It refers to the conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or the appearance of a god as a human. If capitalized, it is the union of divinit ...

. This type of icon is also called the ''Platytéra'' (Greek: Πλατυτέρα, literally ''wider'' or ''more spacious''): poetically, by containing the Creator of the

Universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Acc ...

in her womb, Mary has become ''Platytera ton ouranon'' (Πλατυτέρα τῶν Ουρανῶν), "more spacious than the Heavens". This type is also sometimes called the ''Virgin of the Sign'' or '' Our Lady of the Sign'', a reference to

Isaiah Isaiah ( or ; he, , ''Yəšaʿyāhū'', "God is Salvation"), also known as Isaias, was the 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named. Within the text of the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah himself is referred to as "the ...

7:14:

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Such an image is often placed on the inside of the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...

which rises directly over the altar of

Orthodox churches Orthodox Church may refer to: * Eastern Orthodox Church * Oriental Orthodox Churches * Orthodox Presbyterian Church * Orthodox Presbyterian Church of New Zealand * State church of the Roman Empire * True Orthodox church See also * Orthodox (di ...

. In contrast with standard religious mosaics which usually have gold backgrounds, the ''Platytera'' is often depicted on a dark blue background, sometimes dotted with gold stars: a reference to the Heavens.
As with most Orthodox icons of Mary, the letters ΜΡ ΘΥ (short for ΜΗΤΗΡ ΘΕΟΥ, "

Mother of God ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are " ...

") are usually placed on the upper left and right of the halo of the Virgin Mary.

Vestment

By extension of this last sense, a ''panagia'' is an engolpion with an icon of the Theotokos, worn by an Orthodox

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

. They can be very simple or extremely elaborate, depending on the personal taste of the particular bishop. Tikhon of Moscow

When an Orthodox bishop is

vested In law, vesting is the point in time when the rights and interests arising from legal ownership of a property is acquired by some person. Vesting creates an immediately secured right of present or future deployment. One has a vested right to an ...

for the

Divine Liturgy Divine Liturgy ( grc-gre, Θεία Λειτουργία, Theia Leitourgia) or Holy Liturgy is the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine Rite, developed from the Antiochene Rite of Christian liturgy which is that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of C ...

or another service, he wears a panagia and a pectoral cross over his other

vestment Vestments are liturgical garments and articles associated primarily with the Christian religion, especially by Eastern Churches, Catholics (of all rites), Anglicans, and Lutherans. Many other groups also make use of liturgical garments; this ...

s. The

primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians (monkeys and apes, the latter including huma ...

of an

autocephalous Autocephaly (; from el, αὐτοκεφαλία, meaning "property of being self-headed") is the status of a hierarchical Christian church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop. The term is primarily used in Eastern Ort ...

church, when fully vested, wears a panagia, a pectoral cross, and an engolpion of

. Bishops of all ranks when not vested will usually wear the panagia alone over their

riassa The cassock or soutane is a Christian clerical clothing coat used by the clergy and male religious of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, in addition to some clergy in certain Protestant denominat ...

(

cassock The cassock or soutane is a Christian clerical clothing coat used by the clergy and male religious of the Oriental Orthodox Churches, Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, in addition to some clergy in certain Protestant denomi ...

); this is often the detail that, to the casual observer, distinguishes a bishop from a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

or a

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

. The panagia is usually oval in shape and crowned with a depiction of an Eastern

mitre The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...

. Sometimes, bishops will wear a panagia which is either square (see picture, right) or shaped like a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

double-headed eagle In heraldry and vexillology, the double-headed eagle (or double-eagle) is a charge (heraldry), charge associated with the concept of Empire. Most modern uses of the symbol are directly or indirectly associated with its use by the late Byzantin ...

; this latter is especially true of Greek bishops. When the bishop is vested before the Divine Liturgy, the panagia is presented to him on a tray. He blesses it with both hands and the

subdeacon Subdeacon (or sub-deacon) is a minor order or ministry for men in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed between the acolyte (or reader) and the deacon in the order of precedence. Subdeacons in ...

s bring it to him to kiss and place the panagia around his neck, while the

protodeacon Protodeacon derives from the Greek ''proto-'' meaning 'first' and ''diakonos'', which is a standard ancient Greek word meaning "assistant", "servant", or "waiting-man". The word in English may refer to any of various clergy, depending upon the usag ...

swings the

censer A censer, incense burner, perfume burner or pastille burner is a vessel made for burning incense or perfume in some solid form. They vary greatly in size, form, and material of construction, and have been in use since ancient times throughout t ...

and says the following prayer:

''May God create a clean heart in thee, and renew a right spirit within thee, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.''

After the liturgy, when the bishop takes the panagia off to unvest, he crosses himself, kisses the panagia and places it on the Holy Table (altar). After unvesting and putting on his outer riassa, he blesses the panagia, crosses himself again, and puts it on, before exiting through the Holy Doors to bless the faithful.

Blessed bread

''Panagia'' may also refer to a

prosphoron A prosphoron ( el, πρόσφορον, ''offering'') is a small loaf of leavened bread used in Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox Christian and Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic (Byzantine) liturgies. The plural form is ''prosphora'' (). The term o ...

(, , "Bread of the All-Holy") which is solemnly blessed in honor of the Theotokos during the

(see Prosphora for details). From this loaf, a large triangle in honour of the Theotokos is cut and placed on the

diskos A paten or diskos is a small plate, used during the Mass. It is generally used during the liturgy itself, while the reserved sacrament are stored in the tabernacle in a ciborium. Western usage In many Western liturgical denominations, the p ...

(paten) during the Liturgy of Preparation. The remainder of the loaf is blessed over the Holy Table (altar) during the hymn '' Axion Estin'', just before the blessing of the antidoron. The priest makes the

Sign of the Cross Making the sign of the cross ( la, signum crucis), or blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is a ritual blessing made by members of some branches of Christianity. This blessing is made by the tracing of an upright cross or + across the body with ...

with the Panagia over the

Sacred Mysteries Sacred mysteries are the areas of supernatural phenomena associated with a divinity or a religious belief and praxis. Sacred mysteries may be either: # Religious beliefs, rituals or practices which are kept secret from the uninitiated. # Beliefs ...

(

consecrated Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

Body Body may refer to: In science * Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space * Body (biology), the physical material of an organism * Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anima ...

and Blood of Christ) as he says, "Great is the name of the

Holy Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...

." In some monasteries there is a special

rite Rite may refer to: * Ritual, an established ceremonious act * Rite of passage, a ceremonious act associated with social transition Religion * Rite (Christianity), a sacred ritual or liturgical tradition in various Christian denominations * Catho ...

ceremony called the "Lifting of the Panagia" which takes place in the trapeza ( refectory). After the

dismissal Dismissal or dismissed may refer to: Dismissal *In litigation, a dismissal is the result of a successful ''motion to dismiss''. See motion *Termination of employment, the end of employee's duration with an employer **Dismissal (employment), ter ...

of the Liturgy, a triangular portion is cut from the prosphoron by the refectorian (

in charge of the refectory). The Panagia is then cut in half and laid crust downwards on a tray. The brethren will go in procession from the '' catholicon'' (main church) to the trapeza, and the Panagia is carried on its tray at the head of the procession. Once there, the Panagia is placed on a table called the ''Panagiarion''. After the meal, the refectorian takes off his

klobuk Klobuk of Patriarch Philaret of Moscow (1619-33), Kremlin museum A klobuk is an item of monastic clothing worn by monks and, in the Russian tradition, also by nuns, in the Byzantine Rite, composed of a kamilavka (stiffened round black headco ...

(

epanokamelavkion An ( el, επανωκαλυμμαύχιον, also () is an item of clerical clothing worn by Orthodox Christian monastics who are rassophor or above, including bishops. It is a cloth veil, usually black, which is worn with a . Overview Th ...

and

kamilavkion A kalimavkion ( el, καλυμμαύχιον), kalymmavchi (καλυμμαύχι), or, by metathesis of the word's internal syllables, kamilavka (russian: камилавка), is a clerical headdress worn by Orthodox Christian and Eastern Catho ...

), and bows to the assembled brethren, saying, "Bless me, holy Fathers, and pardon me a sinner," to which the brotherhood bows and replies, "May God pardon and have mercy on you." Then, taking the Panagia in his fingertips, he lifts it up while saying, "Great is the name," and then the community continues with "of the Holy Trinity." The rite then continues with, "O All-holy Mother of God, help us!" with the reply, "At her prayers, O God, have mercy and save us." Two

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

s are then sung while the refectorian, accompanied by a cleric with a hand

, offers the Panagia to those assembled. Each takes a piece between his finger and thumb, passes it through the incense, and then consumes it as a

blessing In religion, a blessing (also used to refer to bestowing of such) is the impartation of something with grace, holiness, spiritual redemption, or divine will. Etymology and Germanic paganism The modern English language term ''bless'' likely ...

.The oldest known surviving manuscript contain the ritual of the "Elevation of the Panagia" is found among the manuscripts preserved at Dumbarton Oaks near

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

Names

From "Panagia" derive the common Greek

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

s ''Panagiota'' (feminine; pronunciation: ''Pah-nah-YAW-tah'', ; common diminutives: ''Ghiota'', ''Nota'') and '' Panagiotis'' (masculine; pronunciation: ''Pah-nah-YAW-tees'', ; common diminutives: ''Panos'', ''Notis''). Both names signify that the person is named in honor of

and consequently their name days are celebrated as if they were named Mary or

Marios Marios is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Marios Agathokleous (born 1974), retired Cypriot football striker *Marios Batis (born 1980), Greek professional basketball player *Marios Chakkas (Greek: Μάριος Χάκκας; 193 ...

. In the Orthodox world, specific icons and churches of the Virgin Mary are often given particular names, which reflect certain theological or intercessory aspects of Mary, or certain standardised depictions in

hagiography A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies migh ...

, or peculiarities of the particular church or monastery. Some examples of such names (in Greek) are: *Angeloktiste (Angel-Built) *Bebaia Elpis (the Certain Hope) *Boetheia (the Helper) *Brephokratousa (the Infant-Holder) *Chrysopege (the Fountain of Gold) *Deomene (the Supplicant) *Eleousa (the Merciful) *Eleutherotria (the Liberator) *Evangelistria (the Bearer of Good News) *Galatiane or Galatousa (the Nurse) *Giatrissa (the Healer) *Glykophilousa (of the Sweet Kiss) *Gorgoepekoos (the Quick-To-Listen) *Gregorousa (the Vigilant) *Hagia Skepe (the Sacred Protection) *Hagia Zone (the Sacred Girdle) *Hodegetria (the Leader) *Hypermachos Strategos (the Defending General) *Kataphyge (the Safe Haven) *Megalochare (Of Great Grace) *Myrobletissa (the Spring of

Myrrh Myrrh (; from Semitic, but see '' § Etymology'') is a gum-resin extracted from a number of small, thorny tree species of the genus ''Commiphora''. Myrrh resin has been used throughout history as a perfume, incense and medicine. Myrrh mi ...

) *Myrtiotissa (of the Myrtles) *Nerantziotissa (in the Bitter Oranges) *Pantanassa (the Queen of All) *Paraportiane or Portaitissa (by the Gate) *Paregoretria (the Giver of Solace) *Phaneromene (the Revealed) *Pharmakolytria (the Deliverer from poison) *Platytera ton Ouranon (the Wider than the Heavens) *Ponolytria (the Deliverer from pain) *Thalassine (of the Sea)

References

*''The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity'', p. 368 ()

External link

{{Virgin Mary Eastern Christian vestments Eastern Orthodox icons of the Virgin Mary Titles of Mary Virgin Mary in art