Latin Cross
Latin Cross; a symbol of Christianity.
The Latin Cross
also called the Roman, Protestant, Western or Plain Cross
Latin Cross
The Latin cross (crux ordinaria) is a stipe (upright post) with a patibulum (horizontal beam) inserted at right-angles. It is a symbol of Christianity even though it was used as a pagan symbol for millennia before the foundation of the Christian Church.
Although an identification mark of their faith, Christians cannot (and generally do not) claim that they have exclusive right to use the symbol. The Latin Cross is not a registered trademark and it is used freely in heraldry, fashion jewelry, by Freemasons, and still today, by Pagans.
As a Pagan symbol...
... it has been found in China and Africa. It appears on Scandinavian Bronze Age stones depicting the destructive hammer of Thor, their god of thunder and war. It is regarded a magical symbol, bringing good luck and diverting evil. Rock carvings of the cross have been interpreted as a solar symbol, or a symbol of Earth with its points representing north, south, east, and west. As a representation of the human form:
- upper section - corresponds to the north wind, the most powerful, the all-conquering giant, the head and intelligence
- lower section - the south wind, the seat of fire and passion, and of melting and burning
- right arm of the crossbeam - the east wind, the heart and the source of life and love
- left arm of the crossbeam - the gentle wind from the spirit land, the dying breath and the subsequent journey into the unknown
To alchemists, the cross was a symbol of the four elements: air, earth, fire, water. Elsewhere, the cross variously symbolised health, fertility, life, immortality, the union of heaven and earth, spirit and matter, the Sun and the stars.
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As a Christian symbol...
...it is sometimes referred to as the Western Cross to differentiate from cross designs favoured in the East. The Latin Cross is typically used as the basic floor plan of Western churches1. It can be the identification mark for a church or chapel, hence the alternative names: Chapel Cross or Church Cross2.
As a representation of the Trinity, the three shorter sections represent the Three Persons of the Trinity and the longer, lower portion signifies the One Divinity.
It can also be called a Protestant Cross because it is plain, without any corpus3 attached. It does not deny the suffering on the cross but focuses the mind on Christ's resurrection and is mostly used in Protestant churches.
Baptists, for example, tend to favour the empty Latin cross to emphasize the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. (See also Baptist Union Logo)
When the cross includes a corpus, it is usually referred to as a crucifix and emphasises Christ's suffering and sacrifice which gives meaning and sense to His resurrection.
For many Catholics, the corpus is sacramental and its removal would be heretical4. Protestantism initially prohibited the corpus as a graven image and idolatrous. Rood screens were pulled down to allow closer access to the altar by lay worshippers and Altar Crosses were removed as illegal 'Ornaments Rubrics'.5 This helped Protestants distance themselves from Roman Catholics and even today, crucifixes are found more in Catholic churches than Protestant churches6.
Generally today however, Protestants no longer protest too much and not averse to using a crucifix, and Catholics are quite happy to use a plain cross. Christ's resurrection is central to Christian doctrine, whatever the sect.
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In Freemasonry...
...the Latin cross with its single horizontal bar, is known as a Passion Cross. (With two bars a cross is known as a Patriarchal Cross and with three bars, a Salem Cross, signifying the ultimate rank of the wearer.
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As a civic symbol...
Christian Flag, for all Christians but mainly used by Protestants. Red - the blood shed by Jesus Christ, blue - royalty of Jesus Christ as King, white - purity of Jesus Christ
...the Latin Cross is seen on several regional flags; Recife (Brazil), Pernambuco (Brazil), and Tucumán (Argentina), for example. A heraldic version, such as the Greek and Nordic crosses, are seen on many national flags.
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Heraldic terms
The posh name for this most common of all crosses is Crux Immissa, which simply means a cross with a horizontal beam (patibulum) inserted at right-angles to the upright post. Immissa means 'inserted'. Another name is Crux Capitata, which means 'with a head'.
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The cross is now carried by more people than any other religious talisman and is considered by a few to be sacred to the extent that it becomes icon of adoration in its own right7. However, such idolatory is certainly not the norm in Christendom, particularly Protestant Christianity.
If people worship the cross, they are missing the point.
Why spend even a minute, worshipping and adoring a man-made, material symbol, when they could be worshipping and adoring God? See the meaning of the cross and also read Folly and Power by Rev. David Linde.
| 1 : | In the East, the floor plan is typically based on the Greek Cross |
| 2 : | Cathedral crosses are usually more ornate. See Budded Cross. |
| 3 : | Corpus - an image or figurine representing the body of Christ. See Crucifix. |
| 4 : | St. Paul warned that the Cross should not be "emptied of its power": 1 Corinthians 1:17 |
| 5 : | An exception was made for the private chapel of Queen Elizabeth I, where the crucifix was retained. |
| 6 : | Crucifixes are also common in Orthodox, Coptic, and Lutheran churches. High Anglican altars also feature a crucifix, as seen for example in London's fabulous St. Paul's Cathedral. The body of Christ gives meaning and sense to the resurrection. |
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