Pope Francis Coat of Arms (official)

 
gselvester
 
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gselvester
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18 March 2013 09:34
 

http://www.korazym.org/images/stories/stemma pontificio papa francesco.jpg

 
gselvester
 
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gselvester
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18 March 2013 09:44
 

I like the slightly higher mitre/tiara hybrid. (I’ve been predicting for weeks the next pope, whomever he was, would stick with that same kind of mitre that Benedict XVI used). But the exclusion of the pallium i good. This makes these, actually, MORE traditional. I also think it’s good that the star and grapes were changes from silver to gold. It just looks better. The fanons on the mitre and the keys are an exact copy of the ones Bruno Heim drew for the arms of John Paul II. It could have been worse and I feared it would be. All in all: its not that bad. It’s not great heraldry but it isn’t awful either.

 
Kenneth Mansfield
 
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18 March 2013 10:13
 

Well, the firewall at the office is blocking the image, but it sounds like the only change is the color of the star and grapes from silver to gold. That’s too bad. As his achievement now has the gold and silver crossed keys behind it, I thought the mix of metals gave the entire achievement a nice sense of cohesiveness and balance.

 
 
steven harris
 
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18 March 2013 10:54
 

I also preferred the grapes and the star as they were.

 
Pelayo
 
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18 March 2013 11:47
 

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/elezione/stemma-papa-francesco_it.html

LO SCUDO

 

Nei tratti, essenziali, il Papa Francesco ha deciso di conservare il suo stemma anteriore, scelto fin dalla sua consacrazione episcopale e caratterizzato da una lineare semplicità.

 

Lo scudo blu è sormontato dai simboli della dignità pontificia, uguali a quelli voluti dal predecessore Benedetto XVI (mitra collocata tra chiavi decussate d’oro e d’argento, rilegate da un cordone rosso). In alto, campeggia l’emblema dell’ordine di provenienza del Papa, la Compagnia di Gesù: un sole raggiante e fiammeggiante caricato dalle lettere, in rosso, IHS, monogramma di Cristo. La lettera H è sormontata da una croce; in punta, i tre chiodi in nero.

 

In basso, si trovano la stella e il fiore di nardo. La stella, secondo l’antica tradizione araldica, simboleggia la Vergine Maria, madre di Cristo e della Chiesa; mentre il fiore di nardo indica San Giuseppe, patrono della Chiesa universale. Nella tradizione iconografica ispanica, infatti, San Giuseppe è raffigurato con un ramo di nardo in mano. Ponendo nel suo scudo tali immagini, il Papa ha inteso esprimere la propria particolare devozione verso la Vergine Santissima e San Giuseppe.

 

IL MOTTO

 

Il motto del Santo Padre Francesco è tratto dalle Omelie di San Beda il Venerabile, sacerdote (Om. 21; CCL 122, 149-151), il quale, commentando l’episodio evangelico della vocazione di San Matteo, scrive: “Vidit ergo lesus publicanum et quia miserando atque eligendo vidit, ait illi Sequere me” (Vide Gesù un pubblicano e siccome lo guardò con sentimento di amore e lo scelse, gli disse: Seguimi).

 

Questa omelia è un omaggio alla misericordia divina ed è riprodotta nella Liturgia delle Ore della festa di San Matteo. Essa riveste un significato particolare nella vita e nell’itinerario spirituale del Papa. Infatti, nella festa di San Matteo dell’anno 1953, il giovane Jorge Bergoglio sperimentò, all’età di 17 anni, in un modo del tutto particolare, la presenza amorosa di Dio nella sua vita. In seguito ad una confessione, si sentì toccare il cuore ed avvertì la discesa della misericordia di Dio, che con sguardo di tenero amore, lo chiamava alla vita religiosa, sull’esempio di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola.

 

Una volta eletto Vescovo, S.E. Mons. Bergoglio, in ricordo di tale avvenimento che segnò gli inizi della sua totale consacrazione a Dio nella Sua Chiesa, decise di scegliere, come motto e programma di vita, l’espressione di San Beda miserando atque eligendo, che ha inteso riprodurre anche nel proprio stemma pontificio.

 

 

 

Copyright © L’Osservatore Romano

 

 

SHIELD

Essentially, Pope Francis has decided to keep his prior coat of arms, chosen from his episcopal consecration and characterized by a linear simplicity.

 

The blue shield is surmounted by symbols of papal dignity, the same as those taken by his predecessor Benedict XVI (miter placed between crossed keys of gold and silver, bound by a red cord). At the top, stands the emblem of the order of origin of the Pope, the Society of Jesus, a radiant and flamboyant sun with the letters in red, IHS, monogram of Christ. The letter H is surmounted by a cross, at the tip, the three nails in black.

 

Below, are the star and the flower of nard. The star, according to the ancient heraldic tradition, symbolizes the Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, while the flower of nard shows St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church. In the Hispanic iconographic tradition , in fact, St. Joseph is depicted holding a branch of spikenard. By placing these images in his shield, the Pope wanted to express his particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph.

 

MOTTO

 

The motto of the Holy Father Francis is taken from the Homilies of St. Bede the Venerable, priest (Om. 21, CCL 122, 149-151), who, commenting on the Gospel story of the calling of St. Matthew writes: "Vidit ergo lesus publicanum et quia miserable atque eligendo vidit, ait unlimited Sequere me "(Jesus saw a tax collector and as he looked at him with feelings of love and chose him, said to him: Follow me.)

 

This homily is a tribute to God’s mercy and is reproduced in the Liturgy of the Hours of the feast of St. Matthew. It has a particular meaning in the life and the spiritual journey of the Pope, on the feast of St. Matthew the year 1953, the young Jorge Bergoglio experienced at the age of 17 years, in a very special way, the loving presence of God in his life. Following a confession, he felt his heart touched and felt the descent of God’s mercy, that with the eyes of tender love, called him to the religious life, following the example of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

 

Once elected bishop, His Excellency Bishop Bergoglio, in memory of the event which marked the beginning of his total consecration to God in His church, decided to choose as its motto and way of life, the expression of St. Bede miserable atque eligendo, which he sought to reproduce even in his papal coat of arms.

 
steven harris
 
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18 March 2013 12:18
 

Thank you for this!

So it’s not a bunch of grapes, but rather a spikenard flower – how interesting!  I’ve never seen Saint Joseph with one of these flowers, but usually with lily blossoms.  Is it common for one iconographic tradition (here the Hispanic) to develop its own unique attributes that are not repeated in other traditions?  I thought that the whole purpose of having symbolism attached to certain saints was to be able to recognize them no matter where you were.  If I was in a church in Korea, for example, the stained glass of a female saint labeled “알렉산드리아의 카타리나” would be fully lost on me, but if she was standing with a breaking wheel, then I would know that she was Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

 

 

Miserandō atque Ēligendō” is a beautiful motto.  I have elsewhere seen it translated as “lowly and yet chosen”.  It is a moving sentiment.

 
Kenneth Mansfield
 
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18 March 2013 12:54
 

Plus, those are grapes. Regardless of what they’re supposed to be.

 
 
david
 
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david
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18 March 2013 13:07
 

They do look like grapes. Perhaps a better emblazonment will clear some things up. The image that Fr. Guy posted is not the best possible rendition by any means.

 
Benjamin Thornton
 
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18 March 2013 14:16
 

Thanks for posting this, Father Guy.  I’m ambivalent about the color change - it depends, I suppose, whether one is seeking a more unified look or trying to differentiate the charges (symbolically or visually).

If pressed, I’d have preferred to see the lower charges stay argent. If there wasn’t going to be a fruitful and substantive redesign, I could have supportedthe decision to use the arms HH has already been using. It would have been a nice lesson in heraldic permanency.

 
Dcgb7f
 
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18 March 2013 15:02
 

Something also needs to be said for basically keeping one’s already assumed arms. That is more in keeping with heraldry than a redesign at each promotion. John Paul II did this (essentially) as well as several of his predecessors.

 
gselvester
 
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18 March 2013 17:05
 

Kenneth Mansfield;97963 wrote:

Plus, those are grapes. Regardless of what they’re supposed to be.


Well, actually, no. This is why the artistic rendering is not as important as the blazon. The blazon, not the picture, determines what they are. In addition, in heraldry grapes are usually depicted with grape leaves attached so that it is clear that they are grapes and not something else…like a flower of nard.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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18 March 2013 17:09
 

gselvester;97956 wrote:

All in all: its not that bad. It’s not great heraldry but it isn’t awful either.


Channeling Michael McCartney?  I was about to say the same thing but better you first!

 

An additional thought:  at least there was no additional slippage from the traditional style beyond what occurred the last time.  And considering that the triregno appeared in many applications other than the "official" emblazonment under Benedict XVI (e.g., the heraldic flower beds, the regimental color of the Swiss Guards), I expect the same will be the case this time.

 
Dcgb7f
 
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18 March 2013 17:30
 

steven harris;97962 wrote:

“Miserandō atque Ēligendō” is a beautiful motto.  I have elsewhere seen it translated as “lowly and yet chosen”.  It is a moving sentiment.

Close but not quite. That translation makes it sound as if the Latin is in the nominative case. The -o ending indicates an ablative or dative case. To clarify which it is, we need to consider the words in the original context, which in this case is a quote from Ven. Bede. Bede writes: "Vidit ergo Iesus publicanum, et quia miserando atque eligendo vidit, ait illi, ‘Sequere me’.—-"Jesus, therefore, saw the publican, and because he saw by having mercy and by choosing, He said to him, ‘Follow me’”.—- The phrase in context is an ablative of means… how something is carried out. So a better translation of his motto would "by having mercy and deciding" in the sense that this is how he will carry out his episcopal ministry.

 
Kenneth Mansfield
 
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18 March 2013 19:30
 

gselvester;97972 wrote:

Well, actually, no. This is why the artistic rendering is not as important as the blazon. The blazon, not the picture, determines what they are. In addition, in heraldry grapes are usually depicted with grape leaves attached so that it is clear that they are grapes and not something else…like a flower of nard.


By that logic I could draw a horse and call it a unicorn as long as the blazon stated that it was a unicorn. If there is a question, the blazon takes precedence over the illustration, but that doesn’t mean where a blazon and an emblazonment disagree what is drawn becomes something else. I will concede that the pope’s actual coat of arms is what the narrative states, but what is illustrated is a leafless bunch of grapes.

 

And since he didn’t draw it, that is no reflection on him.

 
 
gselvester
 
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18 March 2013 22:51
 

Kenneth Mansfield;97975 wrote:

If there is a question, the blazon takes precedence over the illustration, but that doesn’t mean where a blazon and an emblazonment disagree what is drawn becomes something else.


I don’t think the blazon and the illustration disagree. You may think they look only like grapes. The explanation goes on to explain that in Hispanic iconography St. Joseph is depicted holding a blossoming staff of spikenard. Such a blossoming or flowering staff of spikenard has berries on it that look like…grapes. But, when something looks like grapes and you consult the explanation (blazon) to see how they’re described and discover that they aren’t grapes then you kind of have to let go of your assertion that they are grapes no matter what you think they look like.

 

The explanation says:

 

"In basso, si trovano la stella e il fiore di nardo. La stella, secondo l’antica tradizione araldica, simboleggia la Vergine Maria, madre di Cristo e della Chiesa; mentre il fiore di nardo indica San Giuseppe, patrono della Chiesa universale. Nella tradizione iconografica ispanica, infatti, San Giuseppe è raffigurato con un ramo di nardo in mano."

 

"Below, are the star and the flower of nard. The star, according to the ancient heraldic tradition, symbolizes the Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church, while the flower of nard shows St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church. In the Hispanic iconographic tradition, in fact, St. Joseph is depicted holding a branch of spikenard."

 

Perhaps spikenard just looks a lot more like grapes than you knew.

 
Joseph McMillan
 
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18 March 2013 23:51
 

Here’s a picture of spikenard berries:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NUEZmBcMFtc/TH8aUwYmhqI/AAAAAAAAFpI/NlLN6OrY9eE/s400/spikenard.jpg

 

Close enough, except that the blazon says fiore di nardo, and the spikenard flower looks nothing like what’s on the arms.

 

http://www.oilsandplants.com/pics/spikenard.jpg

 

It’s as if someone emblazoned the strawberry blossoms on the arms of Fraser as strawberries.