in RCIA we were going over the robes or vestibules and other technical things the priests and deacons wear, and the colors and other things about that. what nobody knew including the deacon or priest was if there was a reason that the deacon's (i forget the term!) shall? sash? something? goes diagonal across his body where as the priest's seems to go straight down on both sides. anyone know if there is a reason besides just being able to differentiate between them?
To the best of my knowledge, the reason is for differentiation. The stole was originally a sign of power in the Roman courts, so there may have been some basis for the difference there, but I don't know what it was.
The Catholic Encyclopedia at New Advent speculates that the stole was worn over the deacon's left shoulder to keep his right arm free for service, since that is the deacon's primary role. (See "Dress and Number of Deacons") in this article.
I think most likely the deacon's stole (that's what it's called) is worn over the left shoulder and the ends permanently joined as a symbol of his ministry of service (the word "deacon" means "servant") to that the ends wouldn't loosely flap into whatever he was serving. But the truth is that we don't know.
____________________ Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
