The fascia is a sash worn by clerics and seminarians with the cassock in the

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, in the Anglican Church, and, in certain cases, in

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. It is not worn as a belt but is placed above the waist between the navel and the breastbone (sternum). The ends that hang down are worn on the left side of the body and placed a little forward but not completely off the left hip.

Etymology

''Fasciare'' is the Latin word for to bind or wrap. This meaning of binding together shows a significance of the fascia keeping the cassock tight to the cleric.

Use

The fascia is not a vestment, but is part of choir dress and is also used in more solemn everyday dress.

Colours

The

pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

's fascia is

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

. Only the

may have his

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placed on the ends of the fascia that hang down near or past the knees. The fascia worn by cardinals is scarlet-red watered silk. Fascia of purple watered silk are worn by nuncios within the territories assigned to them. Plain (not watered) purple fascia are worn by patriarchs, archbishops and bishops who are not cardinals, and also by protonotaries apostolic, honorary prelates, and chaplains of the Pope, these three being the different ranks of monsignors, from highest to lowest. However, the Eastern Catholic patriarchs have been allowed to wear scarlet fascia in their choir dress at times, especially before

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, even when they were not also cardinals.

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

fascia are worn by priests, deacons, seminarians, and acolytes and the fascia worn by priests in the service of the Papal Household is black watered silk.

Forms

Prior to the changes that followed the Second Vatican Council there were two types of fascia: the ''tufted'' fascia, on which each end was finished in a single large tassel, and the ''fringed'' fascia, on which each end is straight and finished with fringe. The Instruction ''Ut sive sollicite'' of the Secretariat of State, dated 31 March 1969, declared that "the sash with tassels is abolished" for cardinals, bishops, and "Prelate Superiors of the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia who do not have the episcopal dignity, the Auditors of the Sacred Roman Rota, the Promotor General of Justice and the Defender of the Bond in the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the Protonotaries Apostolic ''de numero'', the Clerics of the Apostolic Camera and the Prelates of the Pontifical Antechamber". This Instruction did not deal with canons,Instruction, 35 some few of whom have retained the tufted sash to which membership of their particular chapter entitled them.

References

{{Reflist History of clothing History of clothing (Western fashion) Catholic clerical clothing Regalia Robes and cloaks