The “Pantokrator” and its companion piece, “The Hodegetria” were created as a pair of icons, or “diptych” as gifts to the Cathedral from the Trinity Iconography Institute, to commemorate the consecration of The Reverend Johncy Itty as the Ninth Bishop of Oregon on September 20, 2003.
This icon may correctly be referred to by either Christ Pantokrator or Christ Enthroned. The term “Pantokrator” translates to “Ruler of All” or “All Powerful” or “Lord of Hosts” and is a common icon, found almost universally in Orthodox Churches.
The icon shows Christ enthroned and vested in the sacerdotal garb of an Orthodox bishop. Orthodox bishops traditionally wear all the vestments that a priest would wear, plus a seamless over-garment, or “saccos”, representative of the garment worn by Christ. In this icon the saccos is covered by small blue crosses. A bishop also wears two “stoles”, the “epitrachelion” of a priest (in this icon it is red, under the saccos) and an “omophorion” – the stole of a bishop – over the saccos. The white omophorion in this icon is also decorated with crosses, this time of gold.
