Omophorion

Originally woven of wool, it is a band of brocade decorated with four crosses and an eight-pointed star; it is worn about the neck and shoulders.

[1] By symbolizing the lost sheep that is found and carried on the Good Shepherd's shoulders, it signifies the bishop's pastoral role as the icon of Christ.

In the early church, the omophorion was a broad band of white wool ornamented with crosses and draped loosely over the neck, shoulders, and breast.

In the West, over the centuries, its form has changed into a circular, thin woolen garment for the shoulders, with short, weighted pendants before and behind.

Pope Benedict XVI later reverted to the original design of the pallium, but with red crosses instead of black.

Among the pictures dating from the seventh and eighth centuries, in which the omophorion is illustrated, are the lately discovered frescoes in S. Maria, Antiqua in the Roman Forum.

Bishops may have introduced directly by a positive precept a humeral cloth resembling the ordinary omophorion and called by that name, to be used as a liturgical pontifical badge.

Fresco from the 14th century depicting St. Gregory the Illuminator of Armenia wearing a white omophorion .
Benjamin Peterson, archbishop of the Orthodox Church in America Diocese of Alaska , wearing an omophorion.
Metropolitan Neophyte Dimitrov wearing small omophorion.
Major archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk , of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , wearing a white omophorion which has been sewn into shape. The five bars at the bottom signify his position as head of an Eastern rite church.
Archbishop Sebouh Chouldjian of the Armenian Apostolic Church wearing emip'oron during liturgy.