Owls

The Latin cross pictured here is also called the western cross to differentiate
it from the Greek cross. It is also called the protestant cross as it is a plain
cross without the body of Christ, which is called a crucifix. The crucifix is
used mainly in Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, high Anglican and Lutheran
churches, and emphasizes Christ's suffering and sacrifice. The plain or
Latin cross focuses on Christ's resurrection and is mostly used in Protestant
churches.

A microscopic examination of the fragments of the Cross scattered
through the world in the form of relics reveals the fact that it was made
from a pine-tree. According to an ancient tradition the Cross of Jesus
Christ measured nearly 15 feet in length, and 8 feet in width. As noted by
scholars, two thieves were crucified, one on either side of Christ. Their
crosses must have resembled His. A large portion of the cross of the good
thief (traditionally known as Dismas) is preserved at Rome in the altar of
the Chapel of the Relics at Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.

The Rose Cross was an early cross in the Christian Church; the red rose
symbolized the blood of Christ. In the 1600's the Rose Cross was adopted
by the Rosicrucians, a secretive brotherhood who remained hidden for
nearly 200 years. Started by a nobleman named Rosenkreuz (1378-1484),
they believed in magic and mysticism.

The Chi-Rho emblem can be viewed as the first Christian Cross. As a
pre-Christian symbol, the Chi-ro signified good fortune. The Chi ro
became an important Christian symbol when adopted by the Roman
Emperor Constantine, representing the first two letters in the name of
Christ the 'C' and 'R'.

The ankh is an ancient Egyptian symbol of life. Also known as an
Ansata cross, it is a visual representation of a sandal strap. The ankh
appears frequently in Egyptian writings and this symbolism was
adopted by Coptic Christians, to symbolize the resurrection of Christ
and the heavenly marriage. The ankh was an earlier form of the cross
than the better known "latin" cross.

The Coptic Orthodox Church is the Church of Alexandria that was established by Saint
Mark, the apostle and evangelist, in the middle of the 1st century (approximately 42
AD). The head of the church today, is the Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of All Africa
on the Holy See of Saint Mark, the current Pope is His Holiness Pope Shenouda III.
More than 95% of Egypt's Christians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church of
Alexandria.

The Greek Cross is a variation of the Patriarchal Cross with a
small cross bar at the bottom appearing on a slant. While many
explanations have been forth for the small slanted bar near the
bottom the true meaning may have been lost to legend.

Another variation of the Patriarchal Cross is the Cross of
Lorraine named after the region in france of the same name. It
has two horizontal bars of equal length placed with the lower bar
located close to the bottom and the upper bar close to the top.
The patriarchal cross, on the other hand, has both bars are near
the top and the upper is noticeably smaller than the lower. In the
twentieth century the cross of Lorraine began to be represented,
in the flag of the Free French Forces. On October 23rd 1902, at
a conference in Berlin, Germany, the Lorraine Cross was chosen
as the symbol of the global fight against tuberculosis.

Lorraine saw poison gas used extensively in WWI to choke
soldiers to death. From this macabre history, the American
Lung Association has adopted a variation of the Lorraine Cross
as its emblem to help in its fight against lung disease. Poison gas
in WWI killed an estimated 91,198 soldiers. A dreadful waste of
young lives.

What is the symbolism of the Celtic Cross?. The answer is not as straight
forward as one might hope. The history of this powerful symbol is
ambiguous. There are many variations of interpretations and legends about
the original meaning that are commonly repeated even today. The
Presbyterians and Catholics are often startled to learn that the other
considers this symbol their own. In our modern multicultural world the
ringed cross is as much a symbol of ethnic heritage as it is of faith and it is
often used as an emblem of one's Irish, Scottish or Welsh identity.

The Irish Catholic priest will have no hesitation telling you that the circle of the Celtic Cross
is a symbol of eternity that emphasizes the endlessness of God's love as shown through
Christ's sacrifice on the cross. That is unless he says the circle is a halo. He may go on to
explain that the crucifixion is important not just as an event at a certain point in time but, as
the circle symbolizes, as the unending mystery of how through the crucifixion and
resurrection Christ continues to offer the hope of salvation to the faithful throughout all time.

Staying on the Emerald Isle, Brigid's crosses are associated with
Brigid of Kildare, who is venerated as one of the patron saints of
Ireland. The crosses are traditionally made on February first,
which is Brigid's feast day, the day of her liturgical celebration.
Brigid was born in approximately the year 453 in Faughart.
Even as a child it was already apparent that Brigid had a calling
as she showed a special love for the poor. From earliest
childhood the stories of her kindness and miracles associated
with her are told. While still a child she was put in charge of the
dairy by her mother. One day she had given away so much milk
and butter to poor people that none remained for the family. She
feared her mother's displeasure and so resorted to prayer. When
her mother visited the dairy she found such an abundance of
milk and butter that she praised the dairy maids for their
industry. Brigid was also renowned for her love of animals and
many stories were told of her kindness to stray and starving
dogs.

The Marian Cross is an informal name applied to a Roman Catholic
cross design. It consists of a traditional Latin cross with the crossbar
extended on the right, and a letter "M" (for the Virgin Mary) in the
lower right quadrant. The Marian Cross was displayed prominently
on the casket of Pope John Paul II.