Thehumeral veil is one of the liturgicalvestments of theRoman Rite, also used in someAnglican andLutheran churches. It consists of a piece of cloth about 2.75 metres (108 in) long and 90 centimetres (35 in) wide draped over the shoulders and down the front, normally ofsilk orcloth of gold. At the ends there are sometimes pockets in the back for hands to go into so that the wearer can hold items without touching them with the hands.[1]
There is no clarity on when the humeral veil first appeared, though it was certainly in use in the continentalTridentine Rite and in other pre-Reformation usages including theSarum Rite.[2]
The humeral veil is of theliturgical colour of the day on which it is used, or else is white or cloth of gold.
The humeral veil is most often seen during the liturgy of Exposition andBenediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Whenpriests ordeacons bless the people with themonstrance, they cover their hands with the ends of the veil so that their hands do not touch the monstrance as a mark of respect for the sacred vessel and as an indication that it isJesus present in theEucharistic species who blesses the people and not the minister.
The humeral veil is also seen at theMass of the Lord's Supper of theCatholic Church. It is used when theCiborium containing the Blessed Sacrament is taken inprocession to theplace of reposition, and again when it is brought back to the altar without solemnity during theGood Friday service. The ritual forRequiem masses does not require the use of a humeral veil.[3] The exception to this is theDominican Rite[4] which has a number of distinctive liturgical customs.
In theHigh Mass form ofTridentine Mass, thesubdeacon uses a humeral veil when carrying thechalice,paten, or other sacred vessels, which should be touched only by a deacon or another man inmajor orders.
There are several ways to fold the humeral veil; it can be folded so that each side is folded individually like anaccordion (with the folds either on top of the center or underneath the center of the humeral veil), or it can be folded by folding both sides simultaneously in anaccordion style (after offsetting one side).[5]
The humeral veil should not be confused with thevimpa, which is of a similar but narrower design. The vimpa is sometimes used when abishop celebratesMass. In the Roman Rite, if the bishop uses amitre andcrosier, thealtar servers assigned to the task of holding those items cover their hands with the vimpa when holding them, symbolizing that the items do not belong to them. The vimpa may be in the color of the day or alternatively of a simple material in white or green.
In Imperial Roman court ceremonial, a similar veil, orsudarium, was used by attendants approaching the Emperor to cover their hands, presumably in case he handed them something. In art, angels adjacent to Christ often have such a cloth inLate Antique andEarly Medieval art.
Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913)."Humeral Veil".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.