Information AboutCilice |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT CILICE | |
| catholic penitential practices | |
| opus dei | |
| corporal punishments | |
| roman catholic religious clothing | |
| underwear | |
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The term cilice traditionally refers to the ''' Hairshirt ''', a garment or undergarment made of coarse cloth or animal hair. The word is pronounced "SILL-iss" ( IPA ), and derives from the Latin ''cilicium'', a covering made of goat's hair from Cilicia, a Roman Province in south-east Asia Minor . Such garments were worn at various times in the history of the Christian faith, for the purposes of the Mortification Of The Flesh . Apart from the itchiness of the shirt's coarse texture, when worn continuously it formed a breeding-ground for Lice , which would have the effect of increasing the discomfort. Saint s and Monk s are often reported to have worn one, and rich men sometimes wore one under their fine clothes as Penance for adorning themselves, something some people believe to be forbidden in the Bible , though less drastic forms of penance are normal throughout the Christian church. For instance, in the Holbein portrait of Thomas More , a small portion of a hair shirt appears to be visible near the wrists and at the neck under the fine robes of office. In more recent times the word has come to refer to a spiked metal belt or chain worn strapped tight around the upper thigh. This practice has existed in various parts of the Roman Catholic Church , but has become associated in the twentieth century with the Catholic Personal Prelature known as Opus Dei . POPULAR CULTURE The use of the cilice on the upper thigh is a prominent signature trait of Silas, a fictional member of Opus Dei , and one of the lead antagonists in Dan Brown 's novel, '' The Da Vinci Code ''. |
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