Ecclesiastical heraldry

Ecclesiastical heraldry is the use of special symbols and designs to represent Christian groups, leaders, and places of worship. It began as a way to mark important documents, but it grew into a system to help people identify different leaders and church areas. This kind of heraldry is most formal in the Catholic Church, where many bishops, including the Pope, have their own personal symbols called coats of arms.

One big difference in ecclesiastical heraldry is the special designs around the main symbol, called a shield. These designs show a person's rank in the church. A well-known symbol is a wide-brimmed hat called the galero. The color and decorations on this hat tell you what rank someone holds. For example, cardinals are known for their red hats, while priests often have black hats and bishops have green ones.

Other special symbols include a processional cross, a pointed head covering called a mitre, and a curved staff called a crosier. In Eastern church traditions, different styles of hats and curved staffs are used, along with a fancy cloak instead of the wide-brimmed hat. Each coat of arms may also include a special phrase called a motto. The Pope has unique symbols in his coat of arms, such as keys and a special umbrella-like design. Different churches and organizations have their own ways of creating these special symbols.

History

Heraldry started in medieval Europe in the late 11th century. It helped warriors be recognized in battles. The same symbols were used on seals to show that documents were real and from the right person.

The Catholic Church also used special seals. These were often in a pointed shape called a "vesica piscis". Over time, church leaders like bishops began using their own special symbols on these seals. By the 17th century, the Church had more rules about these symbols. Today, these symbols are used to mark important documents and show the rank of church leaders. Different churches, like the Church of England and Eastern Christian churches, have their own ways of using these symbols too.

Shield

The shield is the usual shape for showing a coat of arms. Clergy sometimes use other shapes like an oval cartouche, but the shield is still an option. Clergy in Italy often use a shield shaped like a horse's face-armor, and clergy in South Africa might use a Nguni shield following the national style. Women usually display their coats of arms on a diamond-shaped lozenge; abbesses follow this custom or use the cartouche.

Until the 1700s, European bishops often came from noble families and used their family arms with special symbols for their role. Today, most high-ranking clergy create their own personal shields. These shields often include religious symbols like saints, books for scripture, and images from the Bible.

There is a rule in heraldry that says colors should not be placed on other colors, and metals should not be placed on other metals. The metals are gold and silver, usually shown as yellow and white, while colors include red, green, blue, purple, and black. This rule is often ignored in church designs, especially in the flag and arms of Vatican City, which uses yellow and white together because these colors show importance and seriousness.

If a bishop is in charge of a diocese, he can combine his arms with the arms of the diocese. This is more common in England and America than in other places. This combining is called marshalling and is usually done by placing the diocese's arms on the left and the personal arms on the right. In Germany and Switzerland, a different method called quartering is used. If the design becomes too crowded, a smaller shield can be placed over the larger one.

Catholic cardinals sometimes combine their arms with the arms of the pope who made them a cardinal. A married bishop in the Church of England combines his arms with his wife's and the diocese's on two separate shields placed side by side.

Catholic bishops in England usually only use their personal arms, as the dioceses created by the See of Rome are not part of the official Church of England and cannot be recognized by the law. However, in Scotland, many Roman Catholic dioceses have their own arms. If a helper bishop has a personal coat of arms, he does not combine it with the arms of the diocese he serves.

Around the shield

The shield is the main part of heraldry, but other items are placed around it. These items are called external ornaments, and together they make up the full design, known as the achievement of arms.

One special item in Church heraldry is the ecclesiastical hat. This hat, called a galero, was originally a pilgrim’s hat. It has different colors and numbers of tassels depending on the person’s rank in the Church.

Another important symbol is the cross. In the Catholic Church, bishops and archbishops display a cross behind their shield. The type of cross depends on their rank.

The pallium, a special vestment worn by archbishops, is sometimes shown in their heraldic designs as well.

Above the shield, a mitre may be placed, especially in some Church traditions. The crosier is also used in heraldry by bishops and abbots.

Finally, a motto may appear below the shield. This is common among Catholic bishops and some Presbyterian churches.

Papal insignia

Main article: Papal armorial

In the Catholic Church, special symbols show the role of the pope and important church places. Early symbols include keys, which represent Saint Peter, the first pope. These keys appear in many church symbols and were first used with papal arms in the 1300s.

The pope also uses a special crown called the papal tiara, which has three levels. This crown shows the pope's role as a leader. Together with the keys, the tiara forms the symbol of Vatican City. Some other church leaders also use a similar crown in their symbols.

Chivalric insignia

In the Catholic Church, leaders can only show symbols of knighthood if they have special awards from the Order of the Holy Sepulchre or the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. If they have these awards, they can show a red Jerusalem Cross or a Maltese cross behind their symbol, or a ribbon showing their rank. People who are not church leaders but have titles from a king or papal order can show their symbols as a ribbon below their symbol or as a chain around it.

Leaders in the Church of England can show symbols of knighthood. The Dean of Westminster also serves as the Dean of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath and shows the badge of that order.