sakkos. In his writings around 1400, Symeon of Thessalonica allows it to be used by all metropolitans. Between the 12th and 15th century, the polystavrion obtained great importance, and is often seen in monumental paintings and frescos. The polystavrion was the first case of vestement that differentiated the rank of a see. Before, the highest ranking patriarch and a rural bishop would have both worn the plain phelonion with the omophorion. Strict enforcement of who was allowed to wear the polystavrion was exemplified by a 1370 letter from Philotheus I, Patriarch of Constantinople to Aleksei bishop of Novgorod in which he prohibits Aleksei from wearing it, since the right to wear the polystavrion was given to Aleskei's predecessor as a personal favor. The polystavrion was initially developed as a symbol of higher rank, but gradually was extended to all bishops. This phenomenon was later repeated with the sakkos and the mitre, which also started off as worn only by the highest-ranking patriarchs and then trickled down to the rest of the hierarchy. Styles There are two main styles of phelonion. Byzantine- or Greek-style phelonia are tailored to fit over the shoulders, while Russian-style phelonia (Фелонь, felon) have a high, stiffened collar that covers the back of the head. There is also a shortened phelonion (Фелончик, felonchik) that is worn by a reader at his tonsuring. This small phelonion is still worn by altar servers in Old Believers churches. The Greek-style phelonion is, generally speaking, worn by those with a historical and geographical closer tie with the Patriarch of Constantinople, which would include most Eastern Orthodox Christians in the Middle East, Greece, the Balkans, Romania, Bulgaria, as well as Greek-Catholics and Orthodox in western Ukraine. The Russian-style phelonion is used by the Russian Orthodox, Ukrainian Autocephalous, Ukrainian Orthodox (Moscow Patriarchate), Polish Orthodox churches, as well as the Orthodox Church in America. There is also a version used by some Ukrainian and Bulgarian Orthodox which is half-way between the Russian and Greek styles. A bishop who wishes to serve a Divine Liturgy as a priest (i.e., without the special rites and prayers of the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy) will sometimes vest in a phelonion instead of his sakkos, but with the omophorion around his neck. This is also done in the Liturgy of St. James. In Oriental Orthodoxy, the phelonion is often only clasped at the neck, and is thus more open than