Tau-Cross (St. Anthony's Cross) Tau-Cross St. Anthony's Cross The Tau-Cross is so named because of its resemblance to the Greek letter "T" (tau). It symbolizes life, the key to supreme power, the phallus. In ancient Egypt - a sign of fertility and life. In biblical times - a symbol of protection. At

Orthodox and Catholics depict the Savior on the cross in different ways. Why did it happen? What is the meaning of each of the churches in the main Christian symbol? How should an Orthodox person treat a cross that does not correspond to the Orthodox tradition? We'll try to answer.

History of the Cross

Even before the advent of Christianity, the cross, as a magical sign, was widely used among pagan peoples. In Egypt, the veneration of the cross dates back to the 15th century BC. Interestingly, the Egyptians had a cross in a ring and was called Ankh.

The Egyptians believed that it was a symbol of life and the gods and painted it on mummies. The tradition of honoring a cross of this form spread to the following civilizations - Babylon and its colony Assyria. Later, a similar cross became a symbol of the Masons.

Archaeological finds confirm that in pre-Christian times, the cross was also used for religious purposes on more distant continents - North and South America, Asia. In India, the cross was depicted on the hands of the god Krishna. In Peru, the cross was believed to drive out evil spirits.

Therefore, the Christian philosophers of the first centuries Tertullian and Minucius Felix in their writings indicated that the cross was known to pagan peoples and revered by them.

At the same time, in the Roman Empire, the cross was considered an instrument of execution. In the only monotheistic religion at that time - Judaism - the cross was not mentioned at all. Although we see the prototypes of the cross in many places of the Old Testament.

According to the Old Testament, Moses sent poisonous snakes against the Israelites because they murmured against him. When the Israelites repented and begged for mercy, Moses installed a copper serpent on a T-shaped pole to drive away real snakes. Such a copper serpent, according to legend, had healing powers.

However, accepting that the long-awaited Messiah would die on the cross was wild for the Jews. This is pointed out by the Apostle Paul in the words: “We preach Christ crucified, for the Jews a stumbling block, but for the Greeks foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:23).

The worship of the cross among Christians has been known since the end of the 2nd century. We know from pagan sources that Christians were then called crucis religiosi or crusaders. Such an epithet was not rejected by Christian apologists and Church fathers.

In the first centuries of Christianity, the Church did not establish any mandatory form of the image of the cross. It was painted in free form, which is confirmed by modern archaeological research. The main thing is that the image should at least remotely resemble a cross.

The period before the Ecumenical Councils is characterized by the monogram inscription of the cross as the name of Christ. Currently, decorations in the form of the name of Christ can often be found in Orthodox shops and candle shops.

The main elements of such a monogram are the letters "X" and "P". The letter "X" stands for the name Christ. In it, the Christians of the first centuries expressed their faith and the whole essence of Christianity. The monogram of the name of Christ with the letter "X" was so popular that the Roman emperors - the persecutors of Christians - designated the fight against Christianity as the fight against X.

In 355, the symbol “P” appears in the monogram of the name of Christ, which denotes the second letter in the name of Christ. Since the second half of the 4th century, this symbol has become the main one in Christianity. In the first centuries in Christianity, the image of the cross as such was not yet established. This is due to numerous persecutions against the Church.

The image of the cross is known, which is inscribed on the labarum of Constantine the Great. It was under this sign that the troops of Constantine won the victory after the appearance of the cross in heaven.

It can be seen that the Christian character of this banner was given not by the cross itself, but by the monogram of the name of Christ. In the future, the emperor continued to use this image as his flag.

Only from the second half of the 4th century did the symbolic forms of the inscription of the cross in the form of a monogram of the name of the Son of God begin to give way to their own image of the cross. During the reign of Emperor Theodosius, Christianity finally triumphs over paganism. Images of the cross begin to openly appear in all spheres of Roman life - in the Church, in state paraphernalia, in everyday life. As St. John Chrysostom noted: "The Cross is everywhere."

Cross shapes

It is customary to distinguish three main types of the Christian cross: crux commissa, crux immissa and crux decussata.

Crux commissa or Patibulata- the oldest form of the Christian cross. The tau-cross consists of two bars in such a way that they form the figure of the Greek letter T. This form of the cross appeared due to the opinion that it was on such a cross that Jesus Christ was crucified. The well-known father of the Church Tertullian testifies that "the Greek letter ταῦ is the image of the cross."

crux immissa or capitata- a four-pointed cross in which two of its beams intersect at right angles. This form of the cross, in turn, is divided into Greek or square and Latin, in which the vertical line of the cross is much longer than the horizontal.

From the 5th century, an image of the view crux immissa becomes common.

Crux decussata- oblique, or in our opinion St. Andrew's cross is the third ancient form of the cross. It is a cross in the form of the letter X. In addition to the name we are used to, in the Western Church it is often called Burgundy. Crux decussata is not a cross in the strict sense of the word, but combines the ancient tradition of monogramming the name of Christ. The Greek letter X represents Christ, since this letter begins His name - Χριστός.

The difference between the Orthodox and Catholic cross

In Orthodoxy, the eight-pointed cross is traditionally revered. Such a cross corresponds to the shape of the cross on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. According to the testimony of Saints Irenaeus of Lyons and Justin the Philosopher: “When Christ the Lord carried the cross on His shoulders, then the cross was still four-pointed; because there was still no title or footstool on it. There was no footstool, because Christ had not yet been lifted up on the cross, and the soldiers, not knowing where Christ's feet would reach, did not attach footstools, finishing it already at Golgotha.

As we know from the Gospel, it was after the crucifixion of Christ that Pilate ordered to write an inscription and put it on the cross. This is evidenced by the Apostle Matthew, who points out that “they placed over His head an inscription signifying His guilt: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (Matthew 27:37).

Mariotto di Nardo, Italy XV century. Jesus Christ, traditionally for Catholics, is depicted suffering on the cross with a crown of thorns.

In this we see a fundamental difference between the veneration of the cross by Orthodox and Catholics. The veneration of the four-pointed cross by the Roman church focuses on the suffering and death of the Lord. The Orthodox cross puts at the forefront the veneration of the resurrected and triumphant God-Word. It is interesting that until the 9th century inclusive, Jesus Christ was depicted on the cross exclusively resurrected and triumphant. But since the 10th century, images of the suffering and even the dead Lord began to appear in the West. This is due to the departure of the Roman Church from the true Christian dogma in 1054.

Over time, the innovations of Catholics on the cross-crucifixion were aggravated. So, after the split, the image of God the Word on the cross-crucifixion was painted by the Roman church with three nails. And in the second half of the 13th century, Catholics continued their experiments, depicting the Savior with crossed feet, nailed with one nail.

In addition, in Catholicism, Christ is often depicted with clenched fists, and in Orthodoxy, with open palms, into which he takes the whole world, taking upon himself the sins of each of us.

Vasily Petrovich Vereshchagin "Crucifixion". Cathedral of Christ the Savior, Moscow

Now in Orthodox shops and candle shops, various forms of the cross are sold. You don't need to be afraid. It is hardly possible to find anything "heretical" in the Church. The cross itself is sanctified by the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ on it. The forms of the cross reflect historical eras, the development of culture and traditions of the area where this or that image originated. Sometimes, for example, crosses are found in Orthodox shops, where the Savior's legs are crossed. Although it is believed that the feet of the Son of God should be located next to each other.

A resident of the Sretensky Monastery, priest Afanasy Gumerov, when asked how the feet of Christ should be located on the cross, answers that in such cases we are talking about different iconographic traditions that have nothing to do with theological dogmatic judgments.

Priest Afanasy Gumerov:

« In the Catholic churches of Rome, there are Crosses-Crucifixes, made in both the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Our attitude to the redemptive feat of the Savior does not depend at all on the solution of this issue... »

Unfortunately, due to ignorance of history, culture and the era in which this or that image originated, modern "zealots of Orthodoxy" can call the primordially Christian ancient symbols satanic.

Most often, Catholics depict a four-pointed cross.

Four-pointed crosses have been known since the 3rd century. Appearing once in the Roman catacombs, to this day they remain the main form of the image of the cross among Catholics. However, Catholics do not attach much importance to the shape of the cross, noting that this is not the basis of the dogma. The image of the Savior is not always found on Catholic crosses, but if it is present, then Jesus' feet are nailed with three nails. Catholics believe that three nails were used in the Crucifixion. Above the head of Jesus there is a tablet on which is written in Latin "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews" - INRI. Usually, the crucified person had a description of his crime above his head. Pontius Pilate did not find another name for the “crime” of the Savior.

Catholic cross: difference from the Orthodox

The Orthodox cross does not always have an eight-pointed shape, although Orthodox Christians of the East use this form of the cross. The lower crossbar can also be added to the Orthodox cross, which symbolizes the “righteous measure”. On one side of the scales - sins, on the other - good and righteous deeds of people.

The shape of the cross for the Orthodox is also not decisive. Much more important in this case is what is depicted on the cross. So the tablet “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews” in Orthodoxy looks like IHHI (in Slavic-Russian). The feet of Jesus are not nailed together to the cross, and there are only four nails on the crucifix. The letters IC XC on the right and left hand of the Savior are the Christogram and are deciphered as Jesus Christ.

On the reverse side of the Orthodox cross there is always the inscription "Save and save."

The palms of Jesus on the Orthodox cross are usually open. Jesus seems to take the world into his arms. On the Catholic cross, the hands of the Savior can be clenched into fists.

The use of the cross also differs: so during burial, the Orthodox put a cross at the feet of the deceased, and the Catholics - at the head. However, the rule is not mandatory and mainly depends on the local traditions of Christians. Catholics always install a four-pointed cross on domes (spiers near churches), while in Orthodoxy there are different forms of crosses.

Catholic and Orthodox cross - the difference is significant?

The Monk Theodore the Studite wrote, “a cross of every form is a true cross.” Neither Catholics nor Orthodox attach much importance to the shape of the cross. The Catholic cross has changed over the centuries, like the Orthodox one. So until the 10th century, Christ was depicted on the cross resurrected and triumphant, the image of the dead and suffering Christ appeared only in the 10th century and is more common among Catholics.

Both in Catholicism and in Orthodoxy there are six and eight-pointed crosses, these are the crosses of the hierarchy (archiepiscopal and papal).

The main thing that unites all Christians is that if earlier the cross was an instrument of torture and shame, then after the sacrifice of Christ on the cross it became a symbol of the victory of good over evil. The Lord himself spoke about the necessity and significance of the feat of the cross: Whoever does not take up his cross (shirks the feat) and follows Me (calls himself a Christian), he is not worthy of Me» (Matthew 10:38). The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, also addressed the subject of the sacrifice on the cross: 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 to those who are perishing, but to 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 put away the understanding of the prudent. Where is the sage? where is the scribe? where is the questioner of this world? Has not God turned the wisdom of this world into folly? For when the world through its wisdom did not know God in the wisdom of God, it pleased God with the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. For the Jews also demand miracles, and the Greeks seek wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, for the Jews a stumbling block, and for the Greeks folly, but for the called ones themselves, Jews and Greeks, Christ, God's power and God's wisdom"(1 Cor. 1:17-24).

The Magic of Signs and Symbols. Continuation.

Cross

This is a symbol of Rule and Navi, separated by a line of Reveal. All sides of the cross are of equal length, because all the elements are in balance, i.e. a balance of power is maintained.

Christians appropriated this symbol for themselves, changing the whole structure. They lengthened the Navi line, thereby establishing themselves as a religion of death. The balance of power was upset.

The energy of such a cross is negative, because. Navi's field is increased, he is essentially a vampire. And, if we take into account that such crosses are hung around the neck of all people, and in addition with a corpse, then the very low energy of the adherents of this religion becomes understandable. When hanging a cross on children, the harmonious development of the child is disturbed.

Now many adults understand that they need to get away from Christian vampirism, but do not know how to do it. So, regardless of when a person was baptized (as an adult or a child), the baptism procedure can be carried out independently, quietly and imperceptibly to others. And do not trust this to any "wizards in the Nth generation." To do this, you only need a desire and a conscious decision to leave the sect of the dead. And the procedure is extremely simple, anyone can handle it.

So, it is necessary to remain completely alone so that no one distracts. It can be indoors, it can be outdoors. First, the cross is removed. Then we imagine a dark cloud above our head (this is a Christian egregor), from which a “hose” goes to our crown. Mentally, we take this “hose” with our hand, unhook it from the head, but do not let go.

Mentally (and you can say it out loud) we say thanks to the egregor for all the good that he has done to us throughout life. And it doesn't matter whether it was or not - the main thing here is gratitude. Then we say that our paths have diverged, and it's time for us to part forever. Only after that we release the “hose”, and observe how it is drawn into the cloud, which floats away, or dissolves. Everything. Usually a person feels a strong relief. The shoulders are straightened at the physical level.

As for the cross, then together with the chain you need to clean it with the fire of a candle (not a church one), then it is better to melt it into some other decoration. You can simply take it to the church and leave it there, i.e. give.

A circle

The circle is a symbol of the sun, the planet. All children draw the same sun. This is life.

But with the advent of Christianity, “horror stories” appeared in the form of evil spirits, from which you need to hide inside the circle. And now everyone begins to draw circles around themselves - eternal protection from the outside world. And psychics propagate this, and magicians of all levels and sorcerers in the Nth generation ...

Everyone builds around themselves protection in the form of circles, raising them in height in the form of cylinders, barrels, etc., etc. And they do not understand that for every action there is a reaction. The more powerful the defense against the alleged attack, the weaker the person actually becomes, because. he, fencing himself off from the World, does not receive the energy of the Cosmos. Everything is elementary. Any defense always loses. It is necessary to strengthen your energy and then no "muck" will be able to get it.

It’s worth mentioning right away that there is no actual “Masonic” symbolism in the temple and cannot be (just as there is no “pagan” symbolism). It is more correct to speak of symbols borrowed from Freemasonry or paganism or similar to pagan, Masonic, etc.

Not the discovery that in the temple we are surrounded by symbols of pagan origin. There is nothing strange in this. After all, no culture emerges from a vacuum. And Christian is no exception. Just as the Fathers of the Church used the philosophical apparatus of the pagan ancient world to explain Christian truths, in the same way the pagan ancient symbols and images entered Christian iconography, having received a new meaning. Many symbols that we have long been accustomed to consider as “ours” (for example, halos) actually come from paganism.

But still, some symbols found in Orthodox churches still confuse a certain part of church society, especially if they are somehow associated with Freemasonry.

The most characteristic symbol is an eye in a triangle. Indeed, it is one of the famous Masonic signs and means the creator ("Eye of the Great Architect of the Universe"). Who exactly the Masons mean by the creator depends on the ideologies of the Masonic lodges. We are more interested in the Christian explanation of this symbol.

"All-seeing eye" on a ritual Masonic apron

The symbol of the eye as the "All-seeing eye" has been known since ancient times. It is found in ancient Egypt (for example, the hawk eye of the god Horus, the so-called Wadjet). Similar symbolism is used in other religions, such as Hinduism (the third eye of the god Shiva).

The triangle is also an ancient symbol. It can be found in Plato and among the Pythagoreans. In the early Christian era, the triangle as a symbol of the Holy Trinity was first used (commonly considered) by the Gnostic sect of the Manichaeans. Over time, these symbols fell into the arsenal of alchemists, from where they were borrowed by the philosophers of the Renaissance. The eye was enclosed in a triangle, symbolizing the Trinity, and acquired the Christian meaning of the All-Seeing Eye of the Lord. After that, it was also used in Western European icon painting as a sign of God the Father. In parallel, it was adopted by the Masons.

"The All-Seeing Eye of the Lord" Icon

At the end of the 17th century, the All-Seeing Eye moved from Western to Orthodox iconography. This sign was most popular in the 18th century, and reached its apogee at the beginning of the 19th century, during the reign of Alexander I. church in Kiev), and in the civil sphere - pedestals of monuments, award medals, etc.

Medal "In memory of the Patriotic War of 1812" (obverse and reverse). 1813

The idea of ​​the “All-seeing Eye of the Lord” does not in the least contradict Scripture, where the Lord is depicted as possessing the organs of sight and omniscience, for example: “Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear Him and hope in His mercy” (Ps. 32:18).

Although the origin of this symbol is somewhat doubtful, the meaning that the Church puts into it is more important for us. There are quite a few examples of the use of the same or similar symbols in different iconographic systems.

The nimbus of Christ, the Mother of God, saints and angels on icons and the nimbus-aura in pagan, Buddhist and other images.

A gesture of attention in an Orthodox icon and a rocker "goat".

The blessing gestures of Orthodox icons are the "wise" of Buddhism.

The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit and a "dove of peace".

However, alas, the fear of Masons often prevails over sanity. If we meet a certain symbol in the temple and something similar among the Masons, is this a reason to be afraid? A halo or a blessing gesture on an icon and similar details, for example, on a Buddhist image - is this not a reason to abandon the icon?

Many Masonic symbols should be viewed through the prism of architecture, the construction of the “mystical temple of Solomon”: steps, a floor lined with checkerboard tiles, columns, etc. are used by Masons, and, therefore, their counterparts in our temple architecture could also be considered if desired. to "Masonic".

Thus, it is necessary to separate the symbols in the temple (and, more broadly, in the entire Church) and the symbols outside the Church.

Dmitry Marchenko