San Damiano cross

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The San Damiano Cross
Copy now in the original position inside the Church of San Damiano

The San Damiano Cross is the large

Franciscans cherish this cross as the symbol of their mission from God
.

The cross is a

Eastern Church and possibly reached Italy via Montenegro and Croatia
.

History

The San Damiano Cross was one of a number of crosses painted with similar figures during the 11th century in

Giotto
.

According to Franciscan tradition, it was while praying before this cross in the chapel of San Damiano, just outside Assisi, that Francis of Assisi received a call to rebuild the Church.

When the

altar of the ancient church of San Damiano is a copy. Franciscans
regard this cross as a symbol of their mission to commit their lives and resources to renewing and rebuilding the Church.

Description

Latin: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.[3][4]

The next largest figures are five witnesses of the crucifixion.

saints
and are therefore represented with halos. Their names are written beneath their pictures.

Two smaller figures are located in the corners with the witnesses. On the lower left is

Longinus the traditional name of the Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus with a lance. He is represented here as holding the lance and looking up at Jesus. The blood running down the right arm of Jesus begins at the elbow and drips straight down and will land on the upturned face of Longinus. In the lower right is Stephaton, the traditional name for the soldier who offered Jesus the sponge soaked in vinegar wine.[3]

Peering over the left shoulder of the centurion is a small face. A close look reveals the tops of the heads of three others beside him. This represents the centurion's son who was healed by Jesus and the rest of his family to show that "he and his whole household believed" (John 4:45-54).

Six

angels
are represented as marvelling over the event of the crucifixion. They are positioned at both ends of the crossbar. Their hand gestures indicate they are discussing this wondrous event of the death and calling us to marvel with them.

At the foot of the cross there is a damaged picture of six figures, two of whom are represented with halos. In accordance with the traditions of the day, these six are the

St. Paul. On the top of the cross, one sees Jesus now fully clothed in his regal garments and carrying the cross as a triumphant sceptre
. He is climbing out of the tomb and into the heavenly courts. Ten angels are crowded around, five of whom have their hands extended in a welcoming gesture to Jesus, who himself has his hand raised in the form of a greeting,

At the very top of the cross is the

Early Christian art
.

Sources

References

  1. ^ Scanlon T.O.R.,Michael. "A Brief Explanation", The Franciscans Archived 2009-01-22 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ The Catholic Exchange, 10/05/2007[verification needed]
  3. ^ a b c Scanlon T.O.R., Michael. The San Damiano Cross: An Explanation, Franciscan University Press, Steubenville, Ohio, 1983 Archived 2014-05-02 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ CORRIGAN, FR. GEORGE (October 2012). "SAN DAMIANO CROSS: TELLING THE HISTORY OF CHRIST'S PASSION". Franciscan Mission Service.

Further reading

  • Scanlan, Michael (1983). The San Damiano Cross: An Explanation. Steubenville, Ohio: Franciscan University Press.
    OCLC 10409763
    .

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=San_Damiano_cross&oldid=1215581140"