Portal:Vatican City/Selected article/17

From WikiProjectMed
Jump to navigation Jump to search

The coat of arms of the State of Vatican City is blazoned gules, two keys in saltire Or and argent, interlaced in the rings gules/Or, beneath a tiara argent, crowned Or. Thus it is simply the emblem of the Papacy (emblem of the Holy See) displayed on a red field with the positions of the gold and silver keys reversed.

  • The crossed keys of gold and silver symbolise the keys of the kingdom of heaven promised to Saint Peter, with authority to bind and loose (Matthew 16:18–19).
  • The triple crown (the tiara) represents "the three powers of the Supreme Pontiff: Sacred Orders, Jurisdiction and Magisterium",[1] in other words: his functions as "supreme priest", "supreme pastor" and "supreme teacher".
  • The gold cross surmounting the triple crowns symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus.