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Show The 'cross' is a universal emblem By CHERIE HUBER The cross is a universal emblem for Christ and Christianity. To the Christian it represents salvation, but it appeared on Indian cave walls and in Egyptian tombs long before the birth of Christ. The cross is said to represent a combination of opposi-ties. opposi-ties. The vertical is the positive, the spiritual, the good and life. The horizontal is the negative, the worldly, the evil and death. The cross can be seen throughout the Christian world, from elaborate, gold altar ornaments to simple wayside shrines, in stone marketplace crosses and in the basic floor plan of traditional tradi-tional Christian churches. The cross has also sometimes been a symbol of the Tree of Life. Crosses important in Christian art are the Latin cross and its variations, and the crucifix. This form, commonly used in scenes of the Crucifixion, symbolizes the Passion. It is also a universal attribute of all followers of Christ. Some of the variations varia-tions of the Latin cross include the Archiepiscopal, Calvary, Papal and Eastern crosses. The Archiepiscopal cross, for patriarchs and archbishops, has two crossbars, the upper shorter than the other. The upper crossbar stands for the inscription over the head of the crucified Christ. The Calvary cross is the Latin cross set on a pedestal of three graded steps, which stand for faith, hope and love. The Papal cross, attribute of Popes and papal saints, is the Latin cross with three graduated, ascending bars. The Eastern cross is the Archiepiscopal cross with a short, slanting crossbar at the base, suggesting Christ's footrest. In the Eastern Church, Christ was crucified with his feet together, not crossed. The Greek cross, with arms of equal length, is the basic floor plan of many churches. The Tau cross (Old Testament Cross) is based on the Greek letter tau, or T. According to legend, this form was used by the Israelites to mark their identity in blood on their doorposts during the Passover. It was thought that Moses raised the brazen serpent on a pole shaped like a tau cross. A variation sometimes called the Egyptian ankh is a tau cross with a looped handle. The Coptic Christians living in Egypt used it frequently and believed it to have special protective power. It is the amule-tic amule-tic cross of the Western world, worn by the stick in hope of recovery from illness. The Maltese cross, composed of four spearheads with points together, originated during the Crusades, when the Hospitalers used it as their emblem. It is the insignia of the Knights of Malta, the highest order of the Roman Catholic Church. The Celtic cross has a circle at the crossing of the horizontal and vertical bars. It appears throughout Europe at crossroads and marketplaces, is made of stone and is often carved with scenes of the life of Christ. |