BBC Russian

Marian cross

A Marian Cross is a term to describe a symbolic representation of the close connection of Mary, with the redemptive mission of Jesus. The letter "M" below the cross indicates Mary's presence at the foot of the cross.

Miraculous Medal

The combination of the letter M with a Latin cross is found as part of the 1830 design of the Miraculous Medal (also known as the Medal of Our Lady of Graces based on Saint Catherine Labouré revelations). In that design the letter M is surmounted by a normal Latin cross standing on a bar interlaced with the letter M.^[1]^[2]

Coat of arms of Pope John Paul II

The papal coat of arms of John Paul II features a cross shifted away from its usual central position to make room for a letter "M" in the sinister base quarter (lower right as seen by the viewer), which represents the Virgin Mary’s presence at Jesus’ death on the cross.^[3]

In a 1978 article, Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, reported:

The coat of arms for Pope John Paul II is intended to be a homage to the central mystery of Christianity, that of Redemption. It mainly represents a cross, whose form however does not correspond to any of the usual heraldry models. The reason for the unusual shift of the vertical part of the cross is striking, if one considers the second object included in the Coat of Arms: the large and majestic capital M, which recalls the presence of the Madonna under the Cross and Her exceptional participation in Redemption. The Pontiff’s intense devotion to the Holy Virgin is manifested in this manner.^[4]

John Paul wrote: "As is well-known, in my episcopal arms, which are a symbolic illustration of the gospel text John 19:25-27."^[5] ("Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, 'Woman, behold, your son.' Then he said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother.'")^[6]

References

^ Association of the Miraculous Medal
^ Glass, Joseph. "Miraculous Medal." The Catholic Encyclopedia Archived 2018-12-25 at the Wayback Machine Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911. 12 April 2016
^ "The Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II", Liguorian
^ L'Osservatore Romano, 09.11.1978
^ Letter of Pope John Paul II to the religious of the Mortfortian congregations
^ [John 19:25–27]

External links

Coat of Arms of His Holiness John Paul II, Holy See Press Office

v t e Crosses
In modern use	Alcoraz Anchored/Saint Clement Anuradhapura Archangels Archiepiscopal Armenian Arrow/Barby Balkenkreuz Bolnisi Bottony Branch Bulgarian Cossack Burgundy Byzantine Calvary Camargue Canterbury Catherine wheel Celtic Variant Cercelée Coptic Crosslet Fitchy Crucifix Cruciform halo Double Ethiopian Evangelists Fleury Fitchy Forked Fourchy Fylfot Globus cruciger Archbishop's variant Gnostic Grapevine/Saint Nino Greek Greek Orthodox Huguenot Iron Jeremiah Jerusalem/Crusaders Jerusalem (Kingdom) Latin/Roman Macedonian Maltese Marada Marian Maronite Moline Nordic Novgorod Occitan Order of Christ Papal Patonce Pattée Fitchée Patriarchal Pommy Portate/Saint Gilbert Potent Quadrate Resistance Ringed Russian Russian Orthodox Salem Saltire/Saint Andrew Saint Chad Saint David Saint Florian Saint George Saint James/Santiago Saint John Saint Patrick Saint Peter Saint Philip Saint Piran Saint Thomas Serbian Serbian Orthodox Short Sword Syriac (Eastern) Syriac (Western) Tau/Saint Anthony
Historical	Avellane Aviz Black Blanc croix rouge Brigid Carolingian Chouan Consecration Coptic Coptic (Early) Cross cramponnée Crown Cuthbert's pectoral Engrailed Erminée Gammadion Jewelled Katanga Lazarus Lorraine Neith Nestorian Peñalba Pierced Quarterly Saint Alban Saint Julian Templar Teutonic Order Two-barred Victory Voided
By function	Altar Blessing Conciliation Heraldry Nordic Pisan High Market Mercat Memorial Mission Necklace Pectoral Plague Preaching Processional Lalibela Rood/Triumphal cross Summit Wayside
Christograms, Chrismons	Chi Rho IX monogram Labarum Signum manus Staurogram/Monogrammatic/Tau Rho
See also	Ankh Armenian eternity sign Ichthys Irminsul Kolovrat Lauburu Mjölnir Rose Rota Solomon's knot Scientology Shamrock Shield of the Trinity Sunwheel swastika Sun Swastika Triskelion/Triskele Descriptions in antiquity of the execution cross List of tallest crosses in the world
Christianity portal Arts portal

This page was last edited on 30 August 2023, at 13:59

Marian Cross

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Miraculous Medal

Coat of arms of Pope John Paul II

See also

References

External links