Armiger Pope Francis | Adopted 2013 | |
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Motto Miserando atque eligendo (Latin: "by having mercy, by choosing him") | ||
On 18 March 2013, Pope Francis adopted in his Papal coat of arms the arms and motto he used since his episcopal consecration in 1991, differenced following his election as Roman Pontiff.
Contents
Charges and field
His coat of arms displays three charges on a blue field. In reference to Francis being a Jesuit, the uppermost charge is the emblem of the Society of Jesus. The emblem is composed of a Sun radiant, within which is the IHS christogram (a monogram of the Holy Name of Jesus) in red, with a red cross surmounting the H and three black nails below the H.
Below the Jesuit emblem is an eight-pointed star, the star being a long-standing symbol of the Virgin Mary, and a spikenard representing Saint Joseph. In Hispanic iconographic tradition Saint Joseph is often depicted with a branch of spikenard in his hand.
These charges appeared on Bergoglio's previous coat of arms displayed when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, but as Pope the tincture of the star and the spikenard were elevated from Argent (silver) to Or (gold). The first version of the papal coat of arms published by the Vatican showed a five-pointed star from Bergoglio's previous one, but this was later amended to eight points; the representation of the spikenard was also slightly altered.
Blazon
The Vatican has not yet published the official blazon of the arms, but an approximation has been made by John Hamilton Gaylor, as follows:
Azure on a Sun in Splendour Or the IHS Christogram ensigned with a Cross paty fitchy piercing the H Gules all above three Nails fanwise points to centre Sable, and in dexter base a Mullet of eight points and in sinister base a Spikenard flower Or.