Why does the Coptic Church have Roman Catholic like Bishop hats?

[Justice Renoux]

Hi everyone,

I'm wondering since I'm new to the Coptic Churchwhy do the priests wear hats that look very similar in design to RC ones. Is it because the Latins had some influence on the Copts?

In Christ,
Justice

 

[dzheremi]

Hi Justice,

In Egyptian Arabic, the mitre is called "tag" (تاج), which means crown. Butler's 1884 work on the Coptic Church (which is available for free on Google Books) suggests that the use of the mitre is something that was originally unique to Alexandria and dates back to before the schism of Chalcedon, as can be suggested by the fact that both the Copts and the Greeks in Egypt use it, while it is unknown to Greeks elsewhere. It is attested to in Rome quite early on as well, but did not originate there, as it descends from headgear worn by Byzantine officials. It is also found from an early date in the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Maronites also use mitres, though theirs are of the 'double' Roman/Latin style, as you can see here:

I don't really know how it came to be used as it currently is in the Coptic Orthodox Church (if you read Butler's work linked above you will find a lot of references to its use by bishops and in various ceremonies for the installation of patriarchs and bishops, but I don't recall seeing anything about its use by priests), but maybe someone else will know that. From what I have seen, it is used only by married clergy, as the few times I was lucky enough to attend liturgies in monasteries or served by monk-priests, it did not appear.

 

[Justice Renoux]

Thank you for your reply, I will most certainly check out that book.

In Christ,
Justice