When to wear tonias?

copticuser20

When exactly are we supposed to wear tonias (according to tradition)?

imikhail

Anyone serving in the Altar should be wearing the tonia.

People Serving outside should be wearing their tonyas only during the liturgy service right before the ajbeya prayers.

Amdah

I have also wondered about this. In my church we do this. However in almost every other church I've been to wheter here or Egypt doesn't have the "deacon" serving in the altar wearing a tonia during the asheya. Also how come priests do not have to wear their liturgical clothes during the asheya. I know of one priest only who never does a single asheya without a sodra but other than that I've always seen priests pray asheyas in their normal black faraghiyas and 3emas

ilovesaintmark

The faragiya is a cassock; a clerical robe.  The Sidriya is a symbol of the priest's service and authority.  It is the forward movement of the deacon's stole to parallel level on both shoulders.  In the Coptic Church the dividing gap between the two sides has been lost and it is continuous across in the front.  If you ever see Fr. Marcos Marcos of Toronto--Canada, he retains that tradition.  If you go to the Coptic Museum in Cairo--Egypt, you will find this representation on display.  Other Orthodox Churches have more gap showing.  The Western Churches have it as completely separate.  This is a simplified answer.

Another point about a deacon's service in the altar.  If there were real deacons or subdeacons, they should also wear a cassock when entering the altar, even in non-liturgical times.  The reason why the tonia is worn in liturgical services is to cover the regular worldly clothes.  In the altar, there should be no short sleeves, shorts, hairy arms or legs showing, no ties, suits, etc.  These are all of the world.  One can make a subdivision of the services; some require black cassock and others white.

I repeat for the millionth time:  chanters (psaltos), readers should not be primary servers in the altar unless there is an absence of a subdeacon or deacon.  If there is one present, then the aforementioned minors should leave the altar without having to be instructed to do so.  We all know that is not going to happen because the altar has become a nursery school and kindergarten.

I would also say that tonias should not be worn in any skits, YouTube videos, sci-fi presentations, sleeping on a cot, or any other debasement of a very tangible piece extended from the Almighty as a gift to a male in the service of the Church.

There are no tonias for girls.  There is no such thing.  It is idiotic to even allude to that as a possibility.
There are no female deacons.
There is no female service in the altar. 

copticuser20

[quote author=ilovesaintmark link=topic=12030.msg142957#msg142957 date=1313025221]
The faragiya is a cassock; a clerical robe.  The Sidriya is a symbol of the priest's service and authority.  It is the forward movement of the deacon's stole to parallel level on both shoulders.  In the Coptic Church the dividing gap between the two sides has been lost and it is continuous across in the front.  If you ever see Fr. Marcos Marcos of Toronto--Canada, he retains that tradition.  If you go to the Coptic Museum in Cairo--Egypt, you will find this representation on display.  Other Orthodox Churches have more gap showing.  The Western Churches have it as completely separate.  This is a simplified answer.

Another point about a deacon's service in the altar.  If there were real deacons or subdeacons, they should also wear a cassock when entering the altar, even in non-liturgical times.  The reason why the tonia is worn in liturgical services is to cover the regular worldly clothes.  In the altar, there should be no short sleeves, shorts, hairy arms or legs showing, no ties, suits, etc.  These are all of the world.  One can make a subdivision of the services; some require black cassock and others white.

I repeat for the millionth time:  chanters (psaltos), readers should not be primary servers in the altar unless there is an absence of a subdeacon or deacon.  If there is one present, then the aforementioned minors should leave the altar without having to be instructed to do so.  We all know that is not going to happen because the altar has become a nursery school and kindergarten.

I would also say that tonias should not be worn in any skits, YouTube videos, sci-fi presentations, sleeping on a cot, or any other debasement of a very tangible piece extended from the Almighty as a gift to a male in the service of the Church.

There are no tonias for girls.  There is no such thing.  It is idiotic to even allude to that as a possibility.
There are no female deacons.
There is no female service in the altar. 


I agree with all of your commands about the tonias.

I just have no idea what you are talking about witht eh different words. What is a cassock, and a faragiya?A sidraya is the gold breastplate right?

ilovesaintmark

Faragiya (the black robes that priests wear as a dedication to their vocation); Cassock is the western equivalent term.

Incidently, the graduation gowns that one wears are really a throw back to the days of the Western seminaries that were fused to the great Universities.  Seminarians would have to wear them on a regular basis.  Graduation gowns have their origins as clerical robes.  If you appreciate their styling, they are like the choir robes at the services of the Protestant sects and what their ministers wear.

copticuser20

But why only from the Offertory until Communion do we wear tonias? Why doesn't everyone including the priest wear liturgical clothes from vespers since the liturgy starts then?