TYPES OF CROSSES
The cross is, without a doubt, one of the most readily-recognizable religious symbols in the world. Defined as a geometrical figure that consists of two intersecting lines or bars, its association with the Catholic faith dates to the 2nd century, when it was represented by a letter T-shaped form in writings at the time.
By the end of the Late Antiquity period, which spanned from the 4th to 6th century in Europe, the cross was adopted in many Christian artworks and records as intersecting beams that’re familiar to many today.
Various types of crosses have since been established, and here’s a roundup of some of these.
Latin Cross
The Latin Cross represents the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and, as such, is widely symbolic of the Catholic faith. At times, it has the words “Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum” or the abbreviated “INRI” inscribed at its top. The words translate to “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” but contemporary interpretations have it mean to say “A True Christian Lies Here”.
Patriarchal Cross
This cross is often found on the heraldic arms of archbishops, and is used to symbolize patriarchs of Catholic institutions. It is also known as the Archiepiscopal cross, and it is often confused with the Orthodox cross, which is another type of cross.
Greek Cross
This cross was used by the Eastern Orthodox church during the early days of the Christian faith. It dates to the times before Christianity was founded, and it is also known as “crux immissa quadrata”, which loosely translates to cross with four equal arms.
Saltire Cross
The saltire cross is a diagonal, X-shaped cross. It is also known as “crux decussata” and Saint Andrew’s Cross. Saint Andrew was believed to have been martyred by crucifixion with this type of cross.
St. Peter’s Cross
St. Peter’s Cross is an inverted version of the Latin Cross. Like St. Andrew, it is said that St. Peter was martyred by crucifixion, but opted to be crucified in a different cross since he did not believe he was worthy to die in the same way as Jesus Christ did. It is also referred to as the Petrine Cross.
Tau-Rho Cross
This cross is believed to be a visual representation of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is made by superimposing the Greek letters tau and rho on top of each other, and is also known as the monogrammatic or staurogram cross.
Orthodox Cross
The Orthodox Cross came into prominent use by the Russian Orthodox Church in the mid16th century, and is largely viewed as the main symbol of Orthodox churches all over the world. The first bar/beam of the cross is said to hold the inscription “INRI”, the second bar/beam illustrates where Jesus’ hands were nailed, while the third is representative of a footrest beam.
Papal Cross
This cross represents the Pope or the papacy, similar to how the Patriarchal cross/ Archiepiscopal cross is used to represent Archbishops.
Jerusalem Cross
The Jerusalem cross is made of a cross with equal arm lengths and four crosslets.
Also referred to as the “Crusader’s Cross” or the “five-fold cross”, it is believed that the crosses that make it are symbolic of the Five Sacred Wounds of Jesus during the Crucifixion. Other interpretations say the four crosslets are representative of the writers of the gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Calvary Cross
Historians note that records of this type of cross date to the 7th century. It is also known as the graded or stepped cross, and is essentially a variation of the Latin cross. It is believed that the steps of the cross are representative of virtues of charity, hope and faith.