Cope

Illustration of a bishop in a cope.

A cope is a long mantle or cloak, open at the front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical color. The vestment is used in Western Christianity and is associated with the service of Holy Communion.

Etymology

The term comes from the latin term "cappa" meaning cape.

History

The vestment has a common historical ancestor to the chasuble and the eastern mantle phelonion in Roman cloaks, and developed around the 8th Century into a formal clerical vestment.

Use in Anglicanism

Traditionally, since the Reformation, the use of the Cope was reserved for the service of Holy Communion in Cathedral churches.