Ecclesiastical heraldry refers to the use ofheraldry withinChristianity fordioceses, organisations andChristianclergy. Initially used to mark documents,ecclesiastical heraldry evolved as a system for identifying people anddioceses. It is most formalized within theCatholic Church, where mostbishops, including the Pope, have a personalcoat of arms. Clergy inAnglican,Lutheran,Eastern Catholic andEastern Orthodox churches follow similar customs, as do institutions such as schools and dioceses.
Ecclesiastical heraldry differs notably from other heraldry in the use of special insignia around theshield to indicate rank in a church ordenomination. The most prominent of these insignia is the low crowned, wide brimmed ecclesiastical hat, commonly the Romangalero. The color and ornamentation of this hat indicate rank.Cardinals are famous for the "red hat", while other offices and churches have distinctive colors of hat, such as black for priests and green for bishops, customarily with a defined number oftassels that increases with rank.
Other insignia include the processionalcross, and the episcopalmitre andcrosier. Eastern traditions favor the use of their own style of hat and crosier, and the use of themantle or cloak rather than the ecclesiastical hat. Themotto and specific shapes of shields are more common in ecclesiastical heraldry, whilesupporters andcrests are less common. Thepapal coats of arms have their own heraldic customs, primarily thepapal tiara, the keys ofSaint Peter, and theumbraculum.Pope Benedict XVI substituted a specific design of mitre for the papal tiara in his coat of arms, being the first pope to do so, althoughPope Paul VI was the last pope to becrowned with the papal tiara. The arms of ecclesiastical institutions have somewhat different customs, using the mitre and crozier more often than is found in personal arms, though different churches greatly vary in their use. The arms of corporations (organizations) are denominated "impersonal" or "corporate" arms.
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Heraldry developed inmedieval Europe from the late 11th century, originally as a system of personal badges of the warrior classes, which served, among other purposes, as identification on the battlefield. The same insignia were used onseals toauthenticate documents. The earliest seals bore a likeness of the owner of the seal, with his shield and heraldic insignia included.[1]
TheCatholic Church likewise identified the authenticity and ownership of documents and buildings with seals, which were ordinarily enclosed in a pointed ovular shape denominated a "vesica piscis", or simply "vesica", to distinguish them from the circular seals of secular use.[2] KingEdward I of England decreed in 1307 that all legal documents required a seal.[3] These seals originally depicted a person, but as secular seals began to depict only shields, clergy likewise used seals with heraldic insignia.[4] Personal seals ofbishops andabbots continued to be used posthumously, and gradually became the impersonal seals ofdioceses.[3] Clergy tended to replace martial devices with clerical devices. The shield was retained, but helmets andcoronets were replaced by ecclesiastical hats; in some religious arms askull replaced the helmet.[5]
Ecclesiastical heraldry developed significantly in the 17th century when a system for ecclesiastical hats that is attributed toPierre Palliot came into use.[6] The full system of emblems around the shield was regulated in theRoman Catholic Church by the letter ofPope Pius XInter multiplices curas of 21 February 1905, while the Heraldry Commission of theRoman Curia regulated composition of the shield itself untilPope John XXIII abolished the body in 1960.[7] TheAnnuario Pontificio ceased to publish the arms of cardinals and previous popes after 1969. International custom and national law govern some aspects of ecclesiastical heraldry, but composition of shields is now mostly guided by expert advice. ArchbishopBruno Heim, a noted ecclesiasticalarmorist, i.e., designer of arms, stated that:
Ecclesiastical heraldry is not determined by heraldic considerations alone, but also bydoctrinal,liturgical andcanonical factors. It not only produces arms denoting members of the ecclesiastical state but shows the rank of the bearer. ... In the eyes of the Church it is sufficient to determine who has a right to bear an ecclesiastical coat of arms and under what conditions the different insignia are acquired or lost... . The design ofprelatial arms is often a disastrous defiance of the rules of heraldry, if only as a breach of good taste.[8]
A similar system for theChurch of England was approved in 1976.[9] The traditions ofEastern Christian heraldry have less developed regulation. Eastern secular coats of arms often display a shield before a mantle topped with a crown. Eastern clergy often display coats of arms according to this style, replacing the crown with a hat drawn from liturgical use.
Marking documents is the most common use of arms in the Church today. A Roman Catholic bishop's coat of arms was formerly painted on miniature wine barrels and presented during the ordination ceremony.[10][11] Cardinals may place their coat of arms outside the church of their title in Rome.[12] Impersonal arms are often used as the banner of a school or religious community.
Theshield is the normal device for displaying a coat of arms. Clergy have used less-military shapes such as the ovalcartouche, but the shield has always been a clerical option. Clergy inItaly often use a shield shaped like a horse's face-armor. Clergy inSouth Africa sometimes follow the national style using aNguni shield.[13] Women traditionally display their coats of arms on a diamond-shapedlozenge;abbesses follow this tradition or use the cartouche.
Until the 18th century European bishops were often chosen from noble families which already possessed family arms, which were then used in combination with episcopal attributes.[14] Since then, with the majority of high ranking clergy coming from non-noble backgrounds, devising a personal shield has become the norm. Today the clergy ofCatholic Church may use their family arms[7] subject to limitations on "warlike or inappropriate symbolism".[15]
Personal shields of bishops are nowadays decorated with charges with religious significance, such as saints, books representing scripture, biblical imagery, and more.[14]
The first rule of heraldry is therule of tincture: "Colour must not appear upon colour, nor metal upon metal."[16] The heraldic metals aregold andsilver, usually represented as yellow and white, while red, green, blue, purple and black normally comprise the colors. Heraldic bearings are intended for recognition at a distance (in battle), and a contrast of light metal against dark color is desirable. The same principle can be seen in the choice of colors for mostlicense plates.
This rule of tincture is often ignored[16] in clerical arms: the flag and arms ofVatican City notably have yellow (gold) and white (silver) placed together. Because gold and silver express sublimity and solemnity, combinations of the two are often used regardless of the rule of tincture.[17]
If a bishop is a diocesan bishop, he may combine his arms with the arms of the diocese following normal heraldic rules.[3] This custom is more prevalent in English and American contexts than in other regions.[14] This combining is termedmarshalling, and is normally accomplished byimpalement, placing the arms of the diocese to the viewer's left (dexter in heraldry) and the personal arms to the viewer's right.[3] The arms ofThomas Arundel are found impaled with those of theSee of Canterbury in a document from 1411.[18] InGermany andSwitzerland,quartering is the norm rather than impalement.Guy Selvester, an American ecclesiastical heraldist, says if arms are not designed with care, marshalling can lead to "busy", crowded shields. Crowding can be reduced by placing a smaller shield overlapping the larger shield, known as aninescutcheon or an escutcheon surtout. In the arms ofHeinrich Mussinghoff,Bishop of Aachen, the personal arms are placed in front of the diocesan arms, but the opposite arrangement is found in front on the arms ofPaul Gregory Bootkoski, Bishop ofMetuchen.[19][20]
Catholic cardinals sometimes combine their personal arms with the arms of the pope who named them a cardinal. AsPrefect of the Pontifical Household,Jacques Martin impaled his personal arms with those of three successive pontiffs.[21]
A marriedChurch of England bishop combines his arms with those of his wife and the diocese on two separate shields placedaccollé, or side by side.[18]
Catholic bishops in England historically used only their personal arms, as dioceses established by theSee of Rome are not part of the official stateChurch of England and cannot be recognized in law,[22][10] though in Scotland the legal situation has been different and many Roman Catholic dioceses have arms. If asuffragan orauxiliary bishop has a personal coat of arms, he does not combine it with the arms of the diocese he serves.[2]
The shield is the core of heraldry, but other elements are placed above, below, and around the shield, and are usually collectively called external ornaments.[2] The entire composition is called the achievement of arms or the armorial bearings. Some of these accessories are unique to Church armory or differ notably from those which normally accompany a shield.
The ecclesiastical hat is a distinctive part of the achievement of arms of a Catholic cleric. This hat, called agalero, was originally a pilgrim's hat like a sombrero. It was granted in red to cardinals byPope Innocent IV at theFirst Council of Lyon in the 13th century, and was adopted by heraldry almost immediately. The galero in various colors and forms was used in heraldic achievements starting with its adoption in the arms of bishops in the 16th century. In the 19th century the galero was viewed heraldically as specifically "Catholic",[6] but the Public Register of Arms in Scotland show Roman Catholic, presbyterian Church of Scotland and Anglican Episcopalian clergy all using the wide brimmed, low crowned hat. The galero is ornamented with tassels (also calledhouppes orfiocchi) indicating the cleric's current place in the hierarchy; the number became significant beginning in the 16th century, and the meaning was fixed, for Catholic clergy, in 1832:[23]
A special exception is made forChinese bishops andVietnamese bishops, mostly observable through the Diocese of Hong Kong, who avoid using a green hat in their arms since "to wear a green hat" (戴綠帽) is a Chinese idiom forcuckoldry.[31] Rather than green, these bishops use a variety of colors from violet and black to blue, or scarlet if a cardinal. However,John Tong Hon, the bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, broke this exception before he was created a cardinal and reverted his coats of arms to bear a green galero. The subsequent coats of arms of succeeding bishops and auxiliary bishops of the Hong Kong Diocese now use green galeros.
The depiction of the galero in arms can vary greatly depending on the artist's style. The top of the hat may be shown flat or round. Sometimes the brim is shown much narrower; with a domed top it can look like acappello romano with tassels, but in heraldry it is still called a galero. The tassels may be represented as knotted cords.
Clergy of theChurch of England who were not bishops historically bore arms identical to alayman, with a shield, helm and crest, and no ecclesiastical hat. In England in 1976 a system fordeans,archdeacons andcanons was authorized by theCollege of Arms, allowing a black ecclesiastical hat, black or violet cords, and three violet or red tassels on each side.[32][33][9] A priest uses a black and white cord with a single tassel on each side, and adeacon a hat without tassels. ADoctor of Divinity may have cords interwoven with red and a hat appropriate to the degree, and members of theEcclesiastical Household add aTudor rose on the front of the hat. According toBoutell's Heraldry, this system represents the practice of the Church in England in the 16th century.[34]
WithinPresbyterian Church heraldry, a minister's hat is represented as black with a single tassel on each side, sometimes blue, though a doctoral bonnet or Geneva cap may replace the brimmed hat.[35] Clergy of theChapel Royal display red tassels. The office ofmoderator does not have corporate arms,[36] but for official occasions, a moderator may add tassels to his personal arms to indicate parity with offices of other churches: three for a moderator of a presbytery, and six for a moderator of a regional synod.[37] Themoderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland now uses a differenced version of the General Assembly's arms, with a hat having a blue cord and ten tassels on each side, and may also show the moderator's staff, a gold Celtic crosier, behind the shield as can be seen in vol 41, p 152 of the Scots Public Register.
In the Catholic Church, display of a cross behind the shield is restricted to bishops and archbishops as a mark of their dignity.[38] The cross of an ordinary bishop has a single horizontal bar or traverse, also known as aLatin cross. Apatriarch uses thepatriarchal cross with two traverses, also called thecross of Lorraine. The papal cross has three traverses, but this is never displayed behind the papal arms.
Beginning in the 15th century, the cross with a double traverse is seen on the arms of archbishops, and relates to their processional cross and the jurisdiction it symbolizes.[39][40] Except for cardinals of theRoman Curia, most cardinals head an archdiocese and use anarchiepiscopal cross on their arms. Other cardinals use a simple Latin cross,[41] as is found in the arms of CardinalJoseph Zen,Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, because Hong Kong is not an archdiocese. Today all cardinals are required to be bishops or archbishops, but priests named cardinal at an advanced age often petition the pope for an exception to this rule.Bruno Heim says that since the cross is one heraldic emblem that only bishops have the right to bear, cardinals who are not bishops or archbishops do not use it.[42][6] Notable examples are CardinalsAlbert Vanhoye andAvery Dulles; the latter's arms do display a cross.[43]
Thepallium is a distinctive vestment ofmetropolitan archbishops, and may be found in their bearings as well as the corporate arms of archdioceses, displayed either above or below the shield. The pallium is sometimes seen within the shield itself. With the exception ofYork, the archiepiscopal dioceses in England andIreland include the pallium within the shield.[44]
In the western churches, themitre was placed above the shield of all persons who were entitled to wear the mitre, including abbots. It substituted for thehelmet of military arms, but also appeared as acrest placed atop a helmet, as was common in German heraldry.[45] In the Anglican Churches, the mitre is still placed above the arms of bishops and not an ecclesiastical hat. In the Lutheran churches, only the Churches ofSweden andFinland place the mitre above the arms of bishops. In the Catholic Church, the use of the mitre above the shield on the personal arms of clergy was suppressed in 1969,[46] and is now found only on some corporate arms, like those of dioceses. Previously, the mitre was often included under the hat,[47] and even in the arms of a cardinal, the mitre was not entirely displaced.[48]
The mitre may be shown in all sorts of colours. It may be represented either gold or jewelled, the former more common in English heraldry.[49] A form of mitre withcoronet is proper to theBishop of Durham because of his rôle asPrince-Bishop of thePalatinate of Durham.[50] For similar reasons the Bishop of Durham and some other bishops display asword behind the shield, pointed downward to signify a former civil jurisdiction.[51][52]
Thecrosier was displayed as a symbol of pastoral jurisdiction by bishops, abbots, abbesses, and cardinals even if they were not bishops. The crosier of a bishop is turned outward or to the right. Frequently the crosier of an abbot or abbess is turned inward, either toward the mitre or to the left, but this distinction is disputed and is not an absolute rule.[53][54]Pope Alexander VII decreed in 1659 that the crosiers of abbots include asudarium or veil, but this is not customary in English heraldry.[55] The veil may have arisen because abbots, unlike bishops, did not wear gloves when carrying an actual crosier.[6] Because the cross has similar symbolism,[34] the crosier was suppressed for cardinals and bishops by the Roman Catholic Church in 1969,[56] and is now used only on some corporate arms, and the personal arms of abbots and some abbesses.[57] In English custom and in the Anglican Churches, two crosiers are often found crossedin saltire behind the shield.[58][59][49]
In the LutheranChurch of Sweden, the crosier is displayed in the arms of bishops, while the arms of theArchbishop of Uppsala and theBishop of Lund show a latin cross and a crosier in saltire.[60][61] In this tradition, crosiers and crosses are displayed while the bishop is in office, and removed once he or she retires.
Abourdon or knobbed staff is shown behind the arms of some priors and prioresses as a symbol of office analogous to the crosier.[62][63] Arms ofpriors from the 15th century had a banner surrounding the shield,[64] but today this is often arosary.[65]
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Mantling was originally a piece of material attached to a helmet and covering the shoulders, possibly to protect from the sun. In secular heraldry the mantling was depicted shredded, as if from battle. In the 17th and 18th centuries, another form of mantling called a "robe of estate" became prominent.[66] This form is used especially in theOrthodox Churches, where bishops display a mantle tied with cords and tassels above the shield. The heraldic mantle is similar to themantiya, and represents the bishop's authority. It can also be found in the arms of the Grand Master of theSovereign Military Order of Malta.[67]
The outside of the mantle may be any color, typically red, while the inside is white or sometimes yellow to distinguish it from a secular mantle.[68] David Johnson suggested that the mantle of all bishops should be white inside, excepting only patriarchs who useermine, to indicate that all bishops are equally bishops.[69] Above the mantle is a mitre (of the Eastern style) between a processional cross and a crosier. The earliest examples of the arms of Orthodox hierarchs have the cross to the dexter of the mitre and the bishop's staff to sinister, but opposite examples exist. An abbot (archimandrite orhegumen) should display a veiled abbot's staff to distinguish it from the bishop's staff.
Archpriests and priests would use a less ornate mantle in their arms, and an ecclesiastical hat of the style they wear liturgically. Although anEastern Orthodox monk (not an abbot) displaying personal arms is rare, ahieromonk (monk who has beenordained a priest) would display a monastic hat (klobuk) and a black cloak or veil suggestive of hisattire, and ahierodeacon (monastic deacon) would display anorarion behind the shield.
A shield in front of a mantle or cloak may be found among bishops of theEastern Catholic Churches.[70] However, some Eastern ecclesiastical variations omit the mantle but retain the mitre, cross and staff.[71]Maronite bishops traditionally display a pastoral staff behind the shield, topped with a globe and cross or a cross within a globe.[72] Eastern Catholic bishops may follow the Roman style with a low crowned, wide brimmed ecclesiastical hat, although the shield itself is often rendered in a Byzantine artistic style, and a mitre if present would be in a liturgical style.[73]
Amotto is a short phrase usually appearing below the shield as a statement of belief. Catholic bishops and Presbyterian churches use a motto in their arms,[74] though it is rare among Anglican bishops.[49][2] A notable exception is the motto on the coat of arms ofRowan Williams, formerArchbishop of Canterbury.
Gustavo Testa, created cardinal in December 1959, quickly selected as his arms a shield with the wordssola gratia tua and the mottoet patria et cor in order to meet a publishing deadline. Literally these phrases mean "only by your favor" and "both fatherland and heart". Testa explained toPope John XXIII that the shield meant "I am a cardinal because of you alone", and the motto meant "because I am from Bergamo and a friend".[75]
Pope Francis was the first pope to include the motto in his heraldic achievements.[76]
Saint Peter was represented holding keys as early as the fifth century. As the Catholic Church considers him the first pope and bishop of Rome, the keys were adopted as a papal emblem; they first appear with papal arms in the 13th century.[15] Two keys perpendicular were often used on coins, but beginning in the 15th century were used to representSt. Peter's Basilica. Perpendicular keys last appeared in the shield of the papacy in 1555, after which the crossed keys are used exclusively.[77] The keys are gold and silver, with the gold key placed to dexter (viewer's left) on the personal arms of the pope, although two silver keys or two gold keys were used late into the 16th century.[78] The keys as a symbol of Saint Peter may be found within many coats of arms; the coat of arms of thePrince-Archbishopric of Bremen displayed twoargent (silver) crossed keys as Saint Peter is the patron saint of theBremian archiepiscopal cathedral.
Thepapal tiara ortriregnum is the three-tiered crown used by the pope as a sovereign power. It is first found as an independent emblem in the 13th century, though at that time with only one coronet.[79] In the 15th century, the tiara was combined with the keys above the papal shield. The tiara and keys together within a shield form the arms of Vatican City. In heraldry, the white tiara is depicted with a bulbous shape and with two attached red strips calledlappets or infulae.[80] Thecoat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI sparked controversy by displaying a three tiered mitre and pallium instead of the customary tiara, a practice followed byPope Francis.
Proposal for specific insignia for Pope Benedict XVI upon becomingemeritus pope were put forward by Father Antonnio Pompili: a white cardinal's galero, instead of the papal tiara. Despite said proposal being appreciated by theemeritus pope, he declined the adoption of said insignia to reflect is status within the Catholic Church.[81]
Besides the Holy See, another Catholic see has the right to bear the triple tiara in its coat of arms: thePatriarchate of Lisbon.[82] The title of Patriarch of Lisbon was created in 1716 and is held by thearchbishop of Lisbon since 1740. While the coat of arms of the Holy See combines the tiara with the crossed keys of St. Peter, that of the Lisbon Patriarchate combines it with a processional cross and a pastoral staff.
The red and gold stripedumbraculum or pavilion was originally a processional canopy or sunshade and can be found so depicted as early as the 12th century.[83] The earliest use of the umbraculum in heraldry is in the 1420s when it was placed above the shield ofPope Martin V. It is more commonly used together with the keys, a combination first found underPope Alexander VI.[84] This combined badge represents the temporal power of Vatican City between papal reigns, when the acting head of state is the cardinalCamerlengo. The badge first appeared with a cardinal's personal arms on coins minted by order of the Camerlengo, Cardinal Armellini, during the inter-regnum of 1521. During the 17th and 18th centuries, it appeared on coins mintedsede vacante by papal legates, and on coins minted in 1746 and 1771 while a pope reigned.[85] The umbraculum appears in the arms ofbasilicas since the 16th century, with ornamentation for major basilicas. If found in a family's coat of arms, it indicates that a relative had been pope.[86]
Thepapal coats of arms are often depicted withangels assupporters.[87] Other Catholic or Anglican clergy do not use supporters unless they were awarded as a personal honor, or were inherited with family arms.[49][2] Some cathedral arms use a single chair (cathedra) as a supporter.[88]
Roman Catholic clergy may not display insignia ofknighthood in their arms, except awards received in theOrder of the Holy Sepulchre or theSovereign Military Order of Malta. If entitled, Roman Catholic clergy may display the redJerusalem Cross for the former or theMaltese cross for the latter behind the shield, or may display the ribbon of their rank in the order.[89] This restriction does not apply to laymen who have been knighted in any royal orpapal order, who may display the insignia of their rank, either a ribbon at the base of the shield or a chain surrounding the shield.[citation needed]
Church of England clergy may display chivalric insignia. TheDean of Westminster is also the Dean of the Most HonourableOrder of the Bath, and displays the civil badge of that order.[90]
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