Papal cross

The papal cross is a Christian cross, which serves as an emblem for the office of the Pope in ecclesiastical heraldry. It is depicted as a staff with three horizontal bars near the top, in diminishing order of length as the top is approached.

The cross is analogous to the two-barred archiepiscopal cross used in heraldry to indicate an archbishop, and seems to have been used precisely to indicate an ecclesiastical rank still higher than that of archbishop. In the past, this design of the cross was often used in ecclesiastical heraldry as a distinctive mark of his office. It was often merely an artistic device, as use of a staff or crosier was not part of the traditional papal insignia.^[1] However, at least one staff surmounted with a papal cross does exist.

Symbolism connected with the papal powers have been attached to the three crossbars, similar to the symbolism attached to the three bands on the papal tiara.

Papacy

Episcopate of the bishop of Rome

Jurisdiction

Holy See
(Full communion)

Pope Francis as bishop of the Diocese of Rome
- Primacy
  - History

Vatican City
(index, outline)

Enclaved in Rome, Italy
- Lateran Treaty, 1929
along with extraterritorial properties of the Holy See

Headquarters

Major basilicas

Titles
Papal names

Symbols

Proclamations

Activities

Arbitration
- Deposition
Blessing
- "Pontifical"
- Urbi et Orbi
Conclave
- List
Coronation
Consistory
Diplomacy
Inauguration
Mass
- High Mass
Travel

Vestments

Transportation

Household

Staff

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
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Contents

Background

References

Further reading