What is a cilice?
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 /’sɪlɪs/), and derives from the Latin cilicium, a covering made of goat’s hair from Cilicia, a Roman province in south-east Asia Minor. Holbein’s portrait of Thomas MoreSuch 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. Saints and monks are often reported to have worn one, and rich men sometimes wore one under their fine clothes as penance for adorning themselves, something forbidden in the Bible. 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.
Cilice: [Photo of cilice] a spiked chain worn around the upper thigh for two hours each day, except for Church feast days, Sundays, and certain times of the year. This is perhaps the most shocking of the corporal mortifications, and generally Opus Dei members are extremely hesitant to admit that they use them. It is a painful mortification which leaves small prick holes in the flesh, and makes the Opus Dei members tentative about wearing swim suits wherever non-Opus Dei members may be. — A.Word.A.Day–cilice cilice (SIL-is) noun 1. An undergarment of haircloth, worn by monks in penance. 2. Haircloth. [From Old English cilic, from Latin cilicium, from Greek kilikion, from kilikios (Cilician). This cloth was originally made of Cilician goats’ hair. Cilicia was an ancient region in southeast Asia Minor which later became part of the Roman Empire. It’s now part of southern Turkey.] No more hairy undergarments now — modern cilices are usually made of wires and studded with spikes. Another
