Christian cross - what is it like? Where did the cross come from in the Christian religion and what does it mean.

The Holy Cross is a symbol of our Lord Jesus Christ. Every true believer, at the sight of him, is involuntarily filled with thoughts about the death throes of the Savior, accepted by him to deliver us from eternal death, which became the lot of people after the fall of Adam and Eve. The eight-pointed Orthodox cross carries a special spiritual and emotional load. Even if there is no image of the crucifix on it, it always appears to our inner gaze.

The weapon of death, which has become a symbol of life

The Christian cross is an image of the instrument of execution to which Jesus Christ was subjected to a forced sentence passed by the procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. For the first time, this type of killing of criminals appeared among the ancient Phoenicians and already through their colonists - the Carthaginians - entered the Roman Empire, where it became widespread.

In the pre-Christian period, mainly robbers were sentenced to crucifixion, and then the followers of Jesus Christ accepted this martyrdom. This phenomenon was especially frequent during the reign of Emperor Nero. The very death of the Savior made this an instrument of shame and suffering a symbol of the victory of good over evil and the light of eternal life over the darkness of hell.

Eight-pointed cross - a symbol of Orthodoxy

The Christian tradition knows many different designs of the cross, from the most common crosshairs of straight lines to very complex geometric designs, complemented by a variety of symbols. The religious meaning in them is the same, but the external differences are very significant.

In the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, as well as in Russia, for a long time, the symbol of the church is the eight-pointed, or, as they often say, the Orthodox cross. In addition, you can hear the expression "the cross of St. Lazarus", this is another name for the eight-pointed Orthodox cross, which will be discussed below. Sometimes the image of the crucified Savior is placed on it.

External features of the Orthodox cross

Its peculiarity lies in the fact that in addition to two horizontal crossbars, of which the lower one is large, and the upper one is small, there is also an inclined one, called the foot. It is small in size and is located at the bottom of the vertical segment, symbolizing the crossbar on which Christ's feet rested.

The direction of its inclination is always the same: if you look from the side of the crucified Christ, then the right end will be higher than the left. There is a certain symbolism in this. According to the Savior's words at the Last Judgment, the righteous will stand on his right hand, and the sinners on his left. It is the path of the righteous to the Kingdom of Heaven that the right end of the foot is pointed upward, and the left end is turned to the depths of Hell.

According to the Gospel, a board was nailed over the head of the Savior, on which it was written by hand: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." This inscription was made in three languages - Aramaic, Latin and Greek. It is she who is symbolized by the upper small crossbar. It can be placed both in the interval between the large crosspiece and the upper end of the cross, and at its very top. Such an outline makes it possible to reproduce with the greatest reliability the appearance of the instrument of Christ's suffering. That is why the Orthodox cross is eight-pointed.

About the law of the golden section

The eight-pointed Orthodox cross in its classical form is built according to the law. It is customary to understand it as a harmonic proportion, one way or another underlying everything that was created by the Creator.

One of its examples is the human body. Through simple experience, you can see that if we divide the value of our height by the distance from the soles to the navel, and then divide the same value by the distance between the navel and the crown, then the results will be the same and amount to 1.618. The same proportion is contained in the sizes of the phalanges of our fingers. This ratio of quantities, called the golden ratio, can be found literally at every step: from the structure of the sea shell to the shape of an ordinary garden turnip.

The construction of proportions based on the law of the golden ratio is widely used in architecture, as well as in other fields of art. Taking it into account, many artists manage to achieve maximum harmony in their works. The same pattern was observed by composers working in the genre of classical music. When writing compositions in the style of rock and jazz, it was abandoned.

The law of the construction of the Orthodox cross

An eight-pointed Orthodox cross was built on the basis of the golden ratio. The meaning of its ends was explained above, now let's turn to the rules underlying the construction of this main.They were not established artificially, but poured out of the harmony of life itself and received their mathematical justification.

The eight-pointed Orthodox cross, drawn in full accordance with tradition, always fits into a rectangle, the aspect ratio of which corresponds to the golden ratio. In simple terms, dividing its height by its width, we get 1.618.

The cross of St. Lazarus (as mentioned above, this is another name for the eight-pointed Orthodox cross) in its construction has another feature associated with the proportions of our body. It is well known that the width of the span of a person's arms is equal to his height and a figure with arms spread out to the sides fits perfectly into a square. For this reason, the length of the middle crossbar, corresponding to the span of Christ's arms, is equal to the distance from it to the inclined foot, that is, to his height. These simple, at first glance, rules should be taken into account by every person who is faced with the question of how to draw an eight-pointed Orthodox cross.

Calvary cross

There is also a special, purely monastic eight-pointed Orthodox cross, a photo of which is presented in the article. It is called the "cross of Golgotha". This is the outline of the usual Orthodox cross, which was described above, placed above the symbolic image of Mount Calvary. It is usually presented in the form of steps, under which the bones and skull are placed. To the left and to the right of the cross, a cane with a sponge and a spear can be depicted.

Each of these items has a deep religious meaning. For example, skull and bones. According to Holy Tradition, the sacrificial blood of the Savior, shed by him on the cross, having fallen to the top of Golgotha, seeped into its bowels, where the remains of our ancestor Adam rested, and washed away the curse of original sin from them. Thus, the image of the skull and bones emphasizes the connection between the sacrifice of Christ and the crime of Adam and Eve, as well as the New Testament with the Old.

The meaning of the image of the spear on the cross Calvary

The eight-pointed Orthodox cross on monastic vestments is always accompanied by images of a cane with a sponge and a spear. Those familiar with the text remember well the dramatic moment when one of the Roman soldiers named Longinus pierced the Savior's ribs with this weapon and blood and water flowed from the wound. This episode has different interpretations, but the most common of them is contained in the writings of the Christian theologian and philosopher of the 4th century Saint Augustine.

In them he writes that just as the Lord created his bride Eve from the rib of the sleeping Adam, so from the wound in the side of Jesus Christ inflicted by the spear of a soldier, his bride church was created. The blood and water spilled during this, according to St. Augustine, symbolize the holy sacraments - the Eucharist, where wine is transformed into the blood of the Lord, and Baptism, in which a person entering the bosom of the church is immersed in a font of water. The spear with which the wound was inflicted is one of the main relics of Christianity, and it is believed that it is currently kept in Vienna, in the Hofburg Castle.

The meaning of the image of a cane and a sponge

The images of a cane and a sponge are just as important. From the accounts of the holy evangelists it is known that the crucified Christ was twice offered a drink. In the first case, it was wine mixed with myrrh, that is, an intoxicating drink that allows you to dull pain and thereby prolong the execution.

The second time, when he heard an exclamation of "Thirst!" From the cross, they brought him a sponge filled with vinegar and bile. This was, of course, a mockery of a tormented person and contributed to the approach of the end. In both cases, the executioners used a sponge planted on a cane, since without its help they could not reach the mouth of the crucified Jesus. Despite such a gloomy role assigned to them, these objects, like the spear, were included in the number of the main Christian shrines, and their image can be seen next to the cross of Calvary.

Symbolic inscriptions on the monastic cross

Those who first see the monastic eight-pointed Orthodox cross often have questions related to the inscriptions inscribed on it. In particular, these are the IC and XC at the ends of the middle bar. These letters mean nothing more than an abbreviated name - Jesus Christ. In addition, the image of the cross is accompanied by two inscriptions located under the middle crossbar - the Slavic style of the words "Son of God" and the Greek NIKA, which means "winner".

On the small crossbar, symbolizing, as mentioned above, the tablet with the inscription made by Pontius Pilate, the Slavic abbreviation ІНЦІ is usually written, meaning the words “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews”, and above it - “The King of Glory”. It became a tradition to write the letter K near the image of the spear, and around the cane T. In addition, from about the 16th century, they began to write the letters ML on the left and RB on the right at the base of the cross. They are also an abbreviation, and mean the words "Place Forehead Crucified to Be".

In addition to the inscriptions listed, two letters G, standing to the left and right of the image of Golgotha, and which are the initial in its name, should be mentioned, as well as G and A - the Head of Adam, written on the sides of the skull, and the phrase "King of Glory", crowning the monastic eight-pointed Orthodox cross. The meaning inherent in them is fully consistent with the Gospel texts, but the inscriptions themselves can vary and be replaced by others.

Immortality bestowed by faith

It is also important to understand why the name of the eight-pointed Orthodox cross is associated with the name of St. Lazarus? The answer to this question can be found in the pages of the Gospel of John, which describes the miracle of his resurrection from the dead, performed by Jesus Christ, on the fourth day after death. The symbolism in this case is quite obvious: just as Lazarus was brought back to life by the faith of his sisters Martha and Mary in the omnipotence of Jesus, so everyone who trusts in the Savior will be delivered from the hands of eternal death.

In the vain earthly life, people are not given to see the Son of God with their own eyes, but they are gifted with his religious symbols. One of them is an eight-pointed Orthodox cross, proportions, the general appearance and semantic load of which have become the topic of this article. He accompanies a believer throughout his life. From the holy font, where the sacrament of baptism opens the gates of the Church of Christ, down to the tombstone, an eight-pointed Orthodox cross overshadows him.

Wearable symbol of the Christian faith

The custom of wearing small crosses on the chest, made of a wide variety of materials, appeared only at the beginning of the 4th century. Despite the fact that the main instrument of Christ's passions was the object of veneration among all his followers literally from the first years of the establishment of the Christian church on earth, at first it was customary to wear not crosses around the neck, but medallions with the image of the Savior.

There is also evidence that during the period of persecution, which took place from the middle of the 1st to the beginning of the 4th century, there were voluntary martyrs who wanted to suffer for Christ and put the image of the cross on their foreheads. By this sign they were recognized, and then put to torture and death. After the establishment of Christianity as a state religion, the wearing of pectoral crosses became a custom, and in the same period they began to be installed on the roofs of temples.

Two types of pectoral crosses in Ancient Russia

In Russia, the symbols of the Christian faith appeared in 988, simultaneously with its baptism. It is curious to note that our ancestors inherited two species from the Byzantines. One of them was customarily worn on the chest, under clothing. Such crosses were called vests.

Along with them, the so-called encolpions appeared - also crosses, but somewhat larger and worn over clothing. They originate from the tradition of wearing reliquaries with relics, which were decorated with the image of a cross. Over time, the encolpions were transformed into priests and metropolitans.

The main symbol of humanism and philanthropy

Over the millennium that has passed since the time when the Dnieper banks were illuminated by the light of Christ's faith, the Orthodox tradition has largely undergone changes. Only its religious dogmas and basic elements of symbolism remained unshakable, the main of which is the eight-pointed Orthodox cross.

Gold and silver, copper or made of any other material, it keeps the believer, protecting him from the forces of evil - visible and invisible. As a reminder of the sacrifice made by Christ for the salvation of people, the cross has become a symbol of the highest humanism and love for one's neighbor.

Among all Christians, only Orthodox and Catholics venerate crosses and icons. Crosses decorate the domes of churches, their homes, and are worn around the neck.

The reason why a person wears a pectoral cross is different for everyone. Someone thus pays tribute to fashion, for someone the cross is a beautiful piece of jewelry, for someone it brings good luck and is used as a talisman. But there are those for whom the pectoral cross, dressed at baptism, is really a symbol of their infinite faith.

Today, shops and church stalls offer a wide variety of crosses of various shapes. However, very often, not only the parents who are going to baptize the child, but also the sales assistants cannot explain where the Orthodox cross is and where the Catholic one, although it is, in fact, very simple to distinguish them.In the Catholic tradition, it is a quadrangular cross with three nails. In Orthodoxy, there are four-pointed, six and eight-pointed crosses, with four nails for the arms and legs.

Cross shape

Four-pointed cross

So, in the West, the most common is four-pointed cross ... Starting from the 3rd century, when such crosses first appeared in the Roman catacombs, the entire Orthodox East still uses this form of the cross as equal to all others.

For Orthodoxy, the shape of the cross does not really matter, much more attention is paid to what is depicted on it, but the most popular are eight-pointed and six-pointed crosses.

Eight-pointed orthodox cross most consistent with the historically accurate form of the cross, on which Christ was already crucified.The Orthodox cross, which is most often used by the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches, contains, in addition to a large horizontal crossbar, two more. The top symbolizes the tablet on the cross of Christ with the inscription "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews"(INCI, or INRI in Latin). The lower oblique crossbar - the support for the feet of Jesus Christ symbolizes the "righteous measure" weighing the sins and virtues of all people. It is believed that it is tilted to the left, symbolizing the fact that the repentant robber, crucified on the right side of Christ, (first) went to heaven, and the robber, crucified on the left, with his blasphemy of Christ, further aggravated his posthumous fate and fell in hell. The letters IC XC are the Christogram symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ.

Saint Demetrius of Rostov writes that "when Christ the Lord bore the cross on His shoulders then the cross was still four-pointed; because there was not yet a title or a foot on it. There was no foot, because Christ had not yet been raised on the cross and the soldiers, not knowing where their feet would reach Christ's, did not attach a foot, having finished it already on Calvary "... Also, there was no title on the cross before the crucifixion of Christ, because, as the Gospel reports, first “they crucified Him” (John 19:18), and then only “Pilate wrote the inscription and put him on the cross” (John 19:19) ). It was at first that “His garments” were divided by lot by the soldiers “who crucified Him” (Matthew 27:35), and only then "They put over His head an inscription signifying His guilt: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews"(Matt. 27:37).

The eight-pointed cross has long been considered the most powerful protective agent against various kinds of impurity, as well as visible and invisible evil.

Six-pointed cross

Widespread among Orthodox believers, especially during the time of Ancient Russia, was also six-pointed cross ... It also has an inclined crossbar: the lower end symbolizes unrepentant sin, and the upper end symbolizes deliverance by repentance.

However, it is not in the shape of the cross or the number of ends that all its strength lies. The cross is famous for the power of Christ crucified on it, and all its symbolism and miracles are in this.

The variety of forms of the cross has always been recognized by the Church as quite natural. In the words of the Monk Theodore the Studite - "A cross of every shape is a true cross" andhas unearthly beauty and life-giving power.

“There is no significant difference between Latin, Catholic, Byzantine, and Orthodox crosses, as well as between any other crosses used in the service of Christians. In essence, all crosses are the same, the only difference is in the form "- says the Serbian Patriarch Irinej.

Crucifixion

In the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, special importance is attached not to the shape of the cross, but to the image of Jesus Christ on it.

Until the 9th century, inclusively, Christ was depicted on the cross not only alive, resurrected, but also triumphant, and only in the 10th century did images of the dead Christ appear.

Yes, we know that Christ died on the cross. But we also know that then He was Risen, and that He suffered voluntarily out of love for people: to teach us to cherish the immortal soul; so that we too can be resurrected and live forever. This Easter joy is always present in the Orthodox Crucifixion. Therefore, on the Orthodox cross, Christ does not die, but freely stretches out his arms, the palms of Jesus are open, as if he wants to embrace all of humanity, giving them his love and opening the way to eternal life. He is not a dead body, but God, and his whole image speaks of this.

The Orthodox cross above the main horizontal crossbar has another, smaller one, which symbolizes a tablet on the cross of Christ indicating the offense. Because Pontius Pilate did not find how to describe the guilt of Christ, the words appeared on the tablet "Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews" in three languages: Greek, Latin and Aramaic. In Latin in Catholicism, this inscription has the form INRI, and in Orthodoxy - IHTSI(or INHI, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews"). The lower slanting bar symbolizes the leg support. It also symbolizes two robbers crucified to the left and right of Christ. One of them repented of his sins before his death, for which he was awarded the Kingdom of Heaven. The other, before his death, blasphemed and reviled his executioners and Christ.

The inscriptions are placed above the middle crossbar: "IC" "XC" - the name of Jesus Christ; and below it: "NIKA" — Winner.

Greek letters were necessarily written on the cruciform halo of the Savior UN meaning - "truly I am", because "God said to Moses: I am who I am"(Ex. 3:14), thereby revealing His name, which expresses the identity, eternity and immutability of the being of God.

In addition, in Orthodox Byzantium, nails were kept with which the Lord was nailed to the cross. And it was known for sure that there were four of them, not three. Therefore, on Orthodox crosses, Christ's feet are nailed with two nails, each separately. The image of Christ with crossed feet, nailed by one nail, first appeared as an innovation in the West in the second half of the 13th century.


Orthodox Crucifixion	Catholic Crucifixion

In the Catholic Crucifixion, the image of Christ has naturalistic features. Catholics depict Christ dead, sometimes with streams of blood on his face, from wounds on his arms, legs and ribs ( stigmata). It manifests all the human suffering, the torment that Jesus had to endure. His arms sag under the weight of his body. The image of Christ on the Catholic cross is plausible, but this is an image of a dead person, while there is no hint of the triumph of victory over death. The crucifixion in Orthodoxy just the same symbolizes this triumph. In addition, the Savior's feet are nailed down with a single nail.

The meaning of the Savior's death on the cross

The emergence of the Christian cross is associated with the martyrdom of Jesus Christ, which he accepted on the cross under the forced sentence of Pontius Pilate. Crucifixion was a common method of execution in ancient Rome, borrowed from the Carthaginians - the descendants of the Phoenician colonists (it is believed that the first crucifixion was used in Phenicia). Usually robbers were sentenced to death on the cross; many early Christians who were persecuted from the time of Nero were also executed in this way.

Before the suffering of Christ, the cross was an instrument of shame and terrible punishment. After His suffering, he became a symbol of the victory of good over evil, life over death, a reminder of God's endless love, an object of joy. The incarnate Son of God sanctified the cross with His blood and made it a conduit of His grace, a source of sanctification for believers.

The Orthodox dogma of the Cross (or Atonement) undoubtedly implies the idea that the death of the Lord is the ransom of all , the vocation of all peoples. Only the cross, unlike other executions, made it possible for Jesus Christ to die with outstretched hands calling "all the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 45:22).

Reading the Gospels, we are convinced that the feat of the Cross of the God-man is the central event in His earthly life. By His suffering on the Cross, He washed away our sins, covered our debt to God, or, in the language of Scripture, “redeemed” us (redeemed). In Golgotha is hidden the incomprehensible mystery of the infinite truth and love of God.

The Son of God voluntarily took upon Himself the guilt of all people and suffered for it a shameful and painful death on the cross; then on the third day he rose again as the conqueror of hell and death.

Why was such a terrible Sacrifice needed to cleanse the sins of mankind, and was there an opportunity to save people in a different, less painful way?

The Christian doctrine of the death of the God-man on the cross is often a "stumbling block" for people with already established religious and philosophical concepts. Both many Jews and people of the Greek culture of the apostolic times found it contradictory to assert that the almighty and eternal God descended to earth in the form of a mortal man, voluntarily endured beating, spitting and shameful death, that this feat could bring spiritual benefit to mankind. "This is impossible!"- some objected; "It's not needed!"- asserted others.

St. Paul, in his epistle to the Corinthians, says: "Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in the wisdom of the word, so as not to abolish the cross of Christ. For the word about the cross is foolishness for those who perish, but for us, who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the intelligence of the prudent. Where is the sage? where is the scribe? where is the questioner of this age? Has not God turned the wisdom of this world into madness? For when the world with his wisdom did not know God in the wisdom of God, then it was pleasing to God with the foolishness of preaching to save the faithful. For the Jews also demand miracles, and the Greeks seek wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, for the Jews a temptation, and for the Greeks foolishness, for the very called ones, the Jews and Greeks, Christ, God's power and God's wisdom "(1 Cor. 1: 17-24).

In other words, the apostle explained that what in Christianity was perceived by some as a temptation and insanity, in fact, is a matter of the greatest Divine wisdom and omnipotence. The truth of the atoning death and resurrection of the Savior is the foundation for many other Christian truths, for example, about the sanctification of believers, about the sacraments, about the meaning of suffering, about virtues, about heroism, about the purpose of life, about the impending judgment and resurrection of the dead, and others.

At the same time, the atoning death of Christ, being an event inexplicable in terms of earthly logic and even "tempting for the perishing," has a regenerating power that the believing heart feels and strives for. Renewed and warmed by this spiritual strength, both the last slaves and the most powerful kings bowed before Calvary with trembling; both the dark ignoramuses and the greatest scientists. After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles were convinced by personal experience of what great spiritual benefits the atoning death and resurrection of the Savior brought them, and they shared this experience with their disciples.

(The mystery of the redemption of mankind is closely related to a number of important religious and psychological factors. Therefore, in order to understand the mystery of redemption, it is necessary:

a) understand what actually is the sinful injury of a person and the weakening of his will to resist evil;

b) it is necessary to understand how the devil's will, thanks to sin, got the opportunity to influence and even captivate human will;

c) it is necessary to understand the mysterious power of love, its ability to positively influence a person and ennoble him. Moreover, if love reveals itself most of all in sacrificial service to one's neighbor, then there is no doubt that giving life for him is the highest manifestation of love;

d) from understanding the power of human love, one must rise to understanding the power of Divine love and how it penetrates into the soul of the believer and transforms his inner world;

e) in addition, there is a side in the redemptive death of the Savior that goes beyond the human world, namely: On the cross, a battle took place between God and the proud Dennitsa, in which God, hiding under the guise of weak flesh, emerged victorious. The details of this spiritual battle and divine victory remain a mystery to us. Even the Angels, according to ap. Peter, do not fully understand the mystery of the atonement (1 Peter 1:12). It is a sealed book that only the Lamb of God could open (Rev. 5: 1-7)).

In Orthodox asceticism there is such a concept as bearing one's cross, that is, patient fulfillment of Christian commandments throughout the life of a Christian. All difficulties, both external and internal, are called "the cross." Everyone carries their own cross of life. The Lord said about the need for personal achievement: "He who does not take up his cross (deviates from the deed) and follows Me (calls himself a Christian) is not worthy of Me."(Matthew 10:38).

“The cross is the guardian of the entire universe. The cross is the beauty of the Church, the Cross of kings is the state, the cross is the faithful affirmation, the cross is the glory of the angel, the cross is an ulcer like a devil ",- affirms the absolute Truth of the luminaries of the feast of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross.

The motives for the outrageous desecration and blasphemy of the Holy Cross by conscientious cross-haters and crucifixes are quite understandable. But when we see Christians involved in this heinous affair, it is all the more impossible to be silent, for - according to the word of Saint Basil the Great - “God is given over to silence”!

Differences between Catholic and Orthodox cross

Thus, there are the following differences between the Catholic cross and the Orthodox:

most often it has an eight-pointed or six-pointed shape. - four-pointed.

Words on the plate on the crosses are the same, only written in different languages: Latin INRI(in the case of the Catholic cross) and Slavic-Russian IHTSI(on the Orthodox cross).

Another principled position is the position of the legs on the Crucifix and the number of nails ... The feet of Jesus Christ are positioned together on the Catholic Crucifixion, and each is nailed separately on the Orthodox cross.

Different is the image of the Savior on the cross ... The Orthodox cross depicts God, who opened the way to eternal life, and the Catholic one depicts a person experiencing torment.

Prepared by Sergey Shulyak

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The Christian (Orthodox) pectoral cross is a symbol of faith, which a person receives at the moment of his initiation into the faith - Baptism and wears at his own will all his life until his last earthly days. It is designed to protect, protect from troubles and misfortunes, bring inspiration and remind of the essence of faith.

The cross has an ancient history, it appeared long before Christianity in different cultures: Eastern, Chinese Indian and others. Archaeologists find ancient cross impressions in the rock carvings of caves in Scandinavia, Easter Island, India, Japan….

The cross personifies great balance, harmony in the Universe, carries a deep secret meaning of the knowledge accumulated by our ancient ancestors. The sacred (hidden deep) meaning of the cross acquired after Jesus Christ was crucified on it.

There are people who wear the cross as an adornment, as a tribute to fashion, while not considering themselves to be believers. Is it forbidden? Of course not, for such a person the cross will play the role of decoration, completely devoid of the meaning of those things that we have outlined above.

What is the difference between an Orthodox cross and a Catholic

The eight-pointed cross with ancient people is considered the most powerful protective amulet against evil spirits, and all kinds of evil. Although hex was also widely used.

There is an opinion that Catholics and Orthodox have different forms of the cross. How to distinguish an Orthodox cross from a Catholic one? In general, an Orthodox believer should not have such a question, since any form of the cross is acceptable for such a believer. The Reverend Theodore the Studite wrote:

"The cross of every form is the true cross."

And even though the shape and meaning of the cross changed over the centuries, some attributes were added, but since Christ accepted the sacrifice on it, it has become a symbol of the victory of good over evil.

The Lord Himself spoke about how important this symbol is for every believer:

« He who does not take up his cross (deviates from the deed) and follows Me (calls himself a Christian) is not worthy of Me”(Matthew 10:38). -24).

Serbian Patriarch Irenaeus says:

« There is no significant difference between Latin, Catholic, Byzantine, and Orthodox crosses, as well as between any other crosses used in the service of Christians. In essence, all crosses are the same, the only differences are in the form».

And what is the meaning of all the facets of the cross and what do they mean?

Orthodox Christians often wore six-pointed crosses when a lower crossbar was added, symbolizing the "righteous measure": on one side of the scale - sins, on the other - righteous deeds.

For the Orthodox, the shape of the pectoral cross should not matter; the information that is indicated on it is much more important.

The inscription "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" on the crosses is the same, only written in different languages: in the Catholic Latin script "INRI", in the Orthodox - in Slavic-Russian "IHTSI". Sometimes it has this form "IC" "XC" - the name of Jesus Christ;
Often on the back of the cross there is an inscription “Save and preserve”.
At the very bottom, sometimes in another place, you can see the inscription "NIKA" - which means the Winner.

Another distinctive feature is the position of the legs on the Crucifix and the number of nails. The feet of Jesus Christ are positioned together on a Catholic crucifix, and each is individually nailed to an Orthodox cross.

Western Christians (Catholics) portray Jesus as tortured and dead for them, he is a man. For the Orthodox, Jesus is God and man in one person, his crucifixion most often has a flat image. Catholics make it more voluminous.
Catholics have a crown of thorns on the head of Jesus, while the Orthodox have not covered their heads.

But I repeat once again, in fact, all these differences are not so significant.

And yet, choosing a cross and a child for yourself, give preference to the one that is not crucified. With all your love for Jesus and filled with gratitude and reverence, remember that the crucifixion contains the energy of pain and suffering, which presses on your soul and heart chakra, filling your life, which is already full of suffering. Think…. Watch this video:

And remember that the cross is just a symbol of faith, and it cannot replace faith itself.

For more than two thousand years of its existence, Christianity has spread across all continents of the Earth, among many peoples with their own cultural traditions and characteristics. Therefore, it is not surprising that one of the most recognizable symbols in the world, the Christian cross, has such a variety of shapes, sizes and uses.

In today's article, we will try to talk about what crosses are. In particular, you will learn: are there “Orthodox” and “Catholic” crosses, can a Christian treat the cross with contempt, are crosses in the shape of an anchor, why we also honor the cross in the shape of the letter “X” and many more interesting things.

Cross in the church

First, let's remember why the cross is important to us. The veneration of the cross of the Lord is associated with the atoning sacrifice of the God-man Jesus Christ. Honoring the cross, the Orthodox Christian gives reverence to God Himself, incarnate and suffering on this ancient Roman instrument of execution for our sins. Without the cross and death, there would be no redemption, resurrection and ascension, there would be no organization of the Church in the world and no opportunity to walk the path of salvation for every person.

Since the cross is so revered by believers, they try to see it as often as possible in their lives. Most often, the cross can be seen in the temple: on its domes, on sacred utensils and vestments of priests, on the chest of priests in the form of special pectoral crosses, in the architecture of the temple, often built in the form of a cross.

Cross behind the church fence

In addition, it is common for a believer to expand his spiritual space to the entire surrounding life. The Christian sanctifies all its elements, first of all, with the sign of the cross.

Therefore, in the cemeteries above the graves there are crosses as a reminder of the future resurrection, on the roads there are worship crosses that sanctify the path, on the bodies of Christians themselves there are cross-worn crosses, reminding a person of his high vocation to follow the path of the Lord.

Also, the shape of the cross among Christians can often be seen in home iconostases, on rings and other household items.

Pectoral cross

The pectoral cross is a special story. It can be made from a wide variety of materials and have all kinds of sizes and decorations, keeping only its shape.

In Russia, the pectoral cross is accustomed to seeing as a separate item hanging on a chain or string on the chest of a believer, but other cultures also met other traditions. The cross could not be made of anything at all, but applied to the body in the form of a tattoo, so that a Christian could not accidentally lose it and so that it could not be taken away. This is how the Celtic Christians wore the pectoral cross.

It is also interesting that sometimes the Savior is not depicted on the cross, but an icon of the Mother of God or one of the saints is placed on the field of the cross, or even the cross is turned into a kind of miniature iconostasis.

About "Orthodox" and "Catholic" crosses and contempt for the latter

In some modern popular science articles, one can find the statement that an eight-pointed cross with a short upper and oblique short lower additional crossbars is considered "Orthodox", and a four-pointed cross elongated from top to bottom is "Catholic" and the Orthodox, allegedly, belong or in the past belonged to it with contempt.

This is a statement that defies criticism. As you know, the Lord was crucified precisely on the four-pointed cross, which for the above reasons was revered by the Church as a shrine long before the Catholics fell away from Christian unity in the 11th century. How could Christians despise the symbol of their salvation?

In addition, at all times in churches, four-pointed crosses were widely used, and even now on the chest of Orthodox clergy you can find several possible forms of the cross - eight-pointed, four-pointed and figured with ornaments. Would they really wear some kind of "non-Orthodox cross"? Of course not.

Eight-pointed cross

The eight-pointed cross is most often used in the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches. This form recalls some additional details of the Savior's death.

An additional short upper crossbar denotes a titlo - a tablet on which Pilate wrote the wine of Christ: "Jesus of Nazareth - King of the Jews." In some images of the crucifixion, the words are abbreviated and it turns out "INCI" - in Russian or "INRI" - in Latin.

A short oblique lower crossbar, usually depicted with the right edge raised up and left down (relative to the image of the crucified Lord) denotes the so-called "righteous measure" and reminds us of the two robbers crucified on the sides of Christ and their posthumous fate. The right one repented before death and inherited the Kingdom of Heaven, and the left one blasphemed the Savior and went to hell.

St. Andrew's cross

Christians revered not only a straight, but also an oblique four-pointed cross, depicted in the form of the letter "X". Tradition tells that it was on a cross of a similar shape that one of the twelve disciples of the Savior, the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, was crucified.

The "St. Andrew's cross" is especially popular in Russia and the countries of the Black Sea region, since it was around the Black Sea that the missionary path of the Apostle Andrew passed. In Russia, St. Andrew's cross is depicted on the flag of the navy. In addition, the St. Andrew's cross is especially revered by the Scots, who also depicted it on their national flag and believe that the Apostle Andrew preached in their country.

T-shaped cross

This cross was most common in Egypt and other provinces of the Roman Empire in North Africa. Crosses with a horizontal beam superimposed on a vertical pillar, or with a cross-bar nailed just slightly below the upper edge of the pillar, were used to crucify criminals in these places.

Also, the "T-shaped cross" is called "the cross of St. Anthony" in honor of the Monk Anthony the Great, who lived in the IV century, one of the founders of monasticism in Egypt, who traveled with a cross of this shape.

Arychiepiscopal and Papal crosses

In the Catholic Church, in addition to the traditional four-pointed cross, crosses with the second and third crossbars over the main one are used, reflecting the hierarchical position of the carrier.

A cross with two bars signifies the rank of cardinal or archbishop. Such a cross is sometimes also called "patriarchal" or "Lorraine". The cross with three bars corresponds to papal dignity and emphasizes the high position of the Roman pontiff in the Catholic Church.

Lalibela's cross

In Ethiopia, church symbolism uses a four-pointed cross, surrounded by a complex pattern, which is called the "cross of Lalibela" in honor of the holy negus (king) of Ethiopia Gebre Meskel Lalibela, who ruled in the 11th century. Negus Lalibela was known for his deep and sincere faith, the help of the Church and the generous work of charity.

Cross anchor

On the domes of some churches in Russia, you can find a cross, which stands on a crescent-shaped base. Some mistakenly attribute such symbolism to the wars in which Russia defeated the Ottoman Empire. Allegedly, "the Christian cross tramples on the Muslim crescent."

In fact, this shape is called the Anchor Cross. The fact is that already in the very first centuries of the existence of Christianity, when Islam had not even emerged, the Church was called the "ship of salvation", which delivers a person to the safe haven of the Kingdom of Heaven. At the same time, the cross was depicted as a reliable anchor on which this ship can wait out the storm of human passions. The image of a cross in the form of an anchor can be found even in the ancient Roman catacombs where the first Christians were hiding.

Celtic cross

Before converting to Christianity, the Celts worshiped various elements, including the eternal luminary - the sun. According to legend, when Saint Patrick was enlightening Ireland, he combined the symbol of the cross with the earlier pagan symbol of the sun to show the eternity and importance of the Savior's sacrifice for every new convert.

Chrisma - a hint of the cross

During the first three centuries, the cross, and even more so the Crucifixion, was not depicted openly. The rulers of the Roman Empire opened a hunt for Christians and they had to identify each other with the help of not too obvious secret signs.

One of the closest to the cross in terms of the hidden symbols of Christianity was "chrism" - a monogram of the name of the Savior, usually composed of the first two letters of the word "Christ" "X" and "P".

Sometimes the symbols of eternity were added to the "chrism" - the letters "alpha" and "omega" or, as an option, it was made in the form of St. like "Jesus Christ".

There are many other varieties of the Christian cross that are widely used, for example, in the international award system or in heraldry - on the coats of arms and flags of cities and countries.

Andrey Segeda

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Among all Christians, only Orthodox and Catholics venerate crosses and icons. Crosses decorate the domes of churches, their homes, and are worn around the neck.

The reason why a person wears a pectoral cross is different for everyone. Someone thus pays tribute to fashion, for someone the cross is a beautiful piece of jewelry, for someone it brings good luck and is used as a talisman. But there are those for whom the pectoral cross worn at baptism is really a symbol of their infinite faith.

Today, shops and church stalls offer a wide variety of crosses of various shapes. However, very often, not only the parents who are going to baptize the child, but also the sales assistants cannot explain where the Orthodox cross is and where the Catholic one, although it is, in fact, very simple to distinguish them. In the Catholic tradition, it is a quadrangular cross with three nails. In Orthodoxy, there are four-pointed, six and eight-pointed crosses, with four nails for the arms and legs.

Cross shape

Four-pointed cross

So, in the West, the most common is four-pointed cross... Starting from the 3rd century, when such crosses first appeared in the Roman catacombs, the entire Orthodox East still uses this form of the cross as equal to all others.

Eight-pointed orthodox cross

For Orthodoxy, the shape of the cross does not really matter, much more attention is paid to what is depicted on it, but the most popular are eight-pointed and six-pointed crosses.

Eight-pointed orthodox cross most consistent with the historically accurate form of the cross, on which Christ was already crucified. The Orthodox cross, which is most often used by the Russian and Serbian Orthodox Churches, contains, in addition to a large horizontal crossbar, two more. The upper one symbolizes a tablet on the cross of Christ with the inscription “ Jesus the Nazarene, king of the Jews"(INCI, or INRI in Latin). The lower oblique crossbar - the support for the feet of Jesus Christ symbolizes the "righteous measure" weighing the sins and virtues of all people. It is believed that it is tilted to the left, symbolizing the fact that the repentant robber, crucified on the right side of Christ, (first) went to heaven, and the robber, crucified on the left, with his blasphemy of Christ, further aggravated his posthumous fate and fell in hell. The letters IC XC are the Christogram symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ.

Saint Demetrius of Rostov writes that “ when Christ the Lord bore the cross on His shoulders then the cross was still four-pointed; because there was not yet a title or a foot on it. There was no foot, because Christ had not yet been raised on the cross and the soldiers, not knowing where the feet of Christ would reach, did not attach a foot, having finished this already at Calvary". Also, there was no title on the cross before the crucifixion of Christ, because, as the Gospel says, at first “ crucified him"(John 19:18), and then only" Pilate wrote the inscription and put it on the cross”(John 19:19). It was at first that “His garments” were divided by lot by the soldiers “ who crucified him"(Matthew 27:35), and only then" placed over His head an inscription signifying His guilt: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS”(Matt. 27:37).

The eight-pointed cross has long been considered the most powerful protective agent against various kinds of impurity, as well as visible and invisible evil.

Six-pointed cross

Widespread among Orthodox believers, especially during the time of Ancient Russia, was also six-pointed cross... It also has an inclined crossbar: the lower end symbolizes unrepentant sin, and the upper end symbolizes deliverance by repentance.

The variety of forms of the cross has always been recognized by the Church as quite natural. In the words of the Monk Theodore the Studite - “ a cross of every shape is a true cross”And has unearthly beauty and life-giving power.

« There is no significant difference between Latin, Catholic, Byzantine, and Orthodox crosses, as well as between any other crosses used in the service of Christians. In essence, all crosses are the same, the only differences are in the form”, - says the Serbian Patriarch Irinej.

Crucifixion

In the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, special importance is attached not to the shape of the cross, but to the image of Jesus Christ on it.

Until the 9th century, inclusively, Christ was depicted on the cross not only alive, resurrected, but also triumphant, and only in the 10th century did images of the dead Christ appear.

The Orthodox cross above the main horizontal crossbar has another, smaller one, which symbolizes a tablet on the cross of Christ indicating the offense. Because Pontius Pilate did not find how to describe the guilt of Christ, the words appeared on the tablet “ Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews»In three languages: Greek, Latin and Aramaic. In Latin in Catholicism, this inscription has the form INRI, and in Orthodoxy - IHTSI(or INHI, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews"). The lower slanting bar symbolizes the leg support. It also symbolizes two robbers crucified to the left and right of Christ. One of them repented of his sins before his death, for which he was awarded the Kingdom of Heaven. The other, before his death, blasphemed and reviled his executioners and Christ.

The inscriptions are placed above the middle crossbar: "IC" "XC"- the name of Jesus Christ; and below it: "NIKA"- Winner.

Greek letters were necessarily written on the cruciform halo of the Savior UN, meaning - "truly I am", because " God said to Moses: I am who I am”(Ex. 3:14), thereby revealing His name, which expresses the identity, eternity and immutability of the being of God.

Orthodox Crucifixion Catholic Crucifixion

The meaning of the Savior's death on the cross

Crucifixion among the Romans

The Orthodox dogma of the Cross (or Atonement) undoubtedly implies the idea that the death of the Lord is the ransom of all, the vocation of all peoples. Only the cross, unlike other executions, made it possible for Jesus Christ to die with outstretched hands calling "all the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 45:22).

Why was such a terrible Sacrifice needed to cleanse the sins of mankind, and was there an opportunity to save people in a different, less painful way?

The Christian doctrine of the death of the God-man on the cross is often a "stumbling block" for people with already established religious and philosophical concepts. Both many Jews and people of the Greek culture of the apostolic times found it contradictory to assert that the almighty and eternal God descended to earth in the form of a mortal man, voluntarily endured beating, spitting and shameful death, that this feat could bring spiritual benefit to mankind. " This is impossible!"- some objected; " It's not needed!"- asserted others.

St. Paul the Apostle in his Epistle to the Corinthians says: “ Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in the wisdom of the word, so as not to abolish the cross of Christ. For the word about the cross is foolishness for those who perish, but for us, who are being saved, it is the power of God. For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will reject the understanding of the prudent. Where is the sage? where is the scribe? where is the co-questioner of this age? Hasn't God turned the wisdom of this world into madness? For when the world with its wisdom did not know God in the wisdom of God, then it was pleasing to God to save the believers by the foolishness of preaching. For both the Jews demand miracles, and the Greeks seek wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, for the Jews a temptation, and for the Greeks madness, for the very called ones, the Jews and Greeks, Christ, God's power and God's wisdom"(1 Cor. 1: 17-24).

a) understand what actually is the sinful injury of a person and the weakening of his will to resist evil;

b) it is necessary to understand how the devil's will, thanks to sin, got the opportunity to influence and even captivate human will;

d) from understanding the power of human love, one must rise to understanding the power of Divine love and how it penetrates into the soul of the believer and transforms his inner world;

In Orthodox asceticism there is such a concept as bearing one's cross, that is, patient fulfillment of Christian commandments throughout the life of a Christian. All difficulties, both external and internal, are called "the cross." Everyone carries their own cross of life. The Lord said about the need for personal achievement: “ He who does not take up his cross (deviates from the deed) and follows Me (calls himself a Christian) is not worthy of Me”(Matthew 10:38).

« The cross is the guardian of the entire universe. Cross the beauty of the Church, Cross of kings orb", - affirms the absolute Truth of the luminaries of the feast of the Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross.

The motives for the outrageous desecration and blasphemy of the Holy Cross by conscientious cross-haters and crucifixes are quite understandable. But when we see Christians drawn into this heinous affair, it is all the more impossible to remain silent, for - according to the word of St. Basil the Great - “God is given over to silence”!

Differences between Catholic and Orthodox cross

Thus, there are the following differences between the Catholic cross and the Orthodox:

Catholic cross Orthodox cross

Orthodox cross most often it has an eight-pointed or six-pointed shape. Catholic cross- four-pointed.
Words on the plate on the crosses are the same, only written in different languages: Latin INRI(in the case of the Catholic cross) and Slavic-Russian IHTSI(on the Orthodox cross).
Another principled position is the position of the legs on the Crucifix and the number of nails... The feet of Jesus Christ are positioned together on the Catholic Crucifixion, and each is nailed separately on the Orthodox cross.
Different is the image of the Savior on the cross... The Orthodox cross depicts God who opened the way to eternal life, and the Catholic one depicts a person in torment.

Prepared by Sergey Shulyak

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