English
GermanStole
The word stole derives via the Latin stola, from the greek for "garment", originally "array" or "equipment".
The stole was originally a kind of shawl that covered the shoulders and fell down in front of the body; on women they were often very large indeed. After being adopted by the Church of Rome about the seventh century (the stole having also been adopted in other locals prior to this), the stole became gradually narrower and so richly ornamented that it developed into a mark of dignity. Nowadays, the stole is usually wider and can be made from a wide variety of material.
The most likely origin for the stole is to be connected with the scarf of office among Imperial officials in the Roman Empire. As members of the clergy became members of the Roman administration they were granted certain honors, one specifically being a designator of rank within the imperial (and ecclesiastical) hierarchy. The various configurations of the stole (including the pallium and the omophorion) grew out of this usage. The original intent, then was to designate a person as belonging to a particular organization and to denote their rank within their group, a function which the stole continues to perform today. Thus, unlike other liturgical garments which were originally worn by every cleric or layman, the stole was a garment which was specifically restricted to particular classes of people based on occupation.
Stoles are normally in the liturgical colour of the season and are worn over both sholders by bishops and priests and over the left shoulder by deacons.
