Cross Question

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This past weekend I was on retreat at a Greek Orthodox camp. My confirmation students noticed that the Cross on top of the chapel and in many other banners and pictures had an upper cross bar and a lower slanted cross bar in addition to the standard cross bar. Can anyone tell me the significance of these additional cross members? I know that this is an Eastern Catholic forum but perhaps, if you can excuse my ignorance, someone here might know. thank you…teachccd 🙂
 
teachccd said:
This past weekend I was on retreat at a Greek Orthodox camp. My confirmation students noticed that the Cross on top of the chapel and in many other banners and pictures had an upper cross bar and a lower slanted cross bar in addition to the standard cross bar. Can anyone tell me the significance of these additional cross members? I know that this is an Eastern Catholic forum but perhaps, if you can excuse my ignorance, someone here might know. thank you…teachccd 🙂
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It should not be a problem, since they have the same explanaiton of the Cross as the Orthodox:

As always, it’s multilayered (in the Eastern we do nothing simple).

The three are first the sign board that Pilate put “INRI” (IHBI for the Greek/Slavonic), and the footrest of the Cross.

The Three remind us of the Holy Trinity.

The slanted one is because of the agony of the Lord, he wretched it out of its place. It is to show He truly suffered, not just appear to suffer, and really bore our sins.

Btw, it is NOT, as I’ve heard Polish Latins say, that we believe that Christ had one foot shorter than the other.

It is the Balance Beam of the Cross. Both thieves blasphemed, one repeneted and entered paradise (Orthodox icons of paradise show the thief opening the door leading the souls in), the other challenged Christ to come off the Cross, and he went down blaspheming. Hence the slant up (the good thief on the right) and down (the blaspheming thief on the left). All our actions and ourselves stand in that balance beam.

Below the Cross you might see crescents (😃 ) or a mound with a skull. That’s Adam’s skull (Golgatha), the Blood dripped on it. There are often inscriptions: my favorite is “Calvary has become the Mount of Paradise.”

Hope that helps.
 
Isa_Almisry said:
It should not be a problem, since they have the same explanaiton of the Cross as the Orthodox:

As always, it’s multilayered (in the Eastern we do nothing simple).

The three are first the sign board that Pilate put “INRI” (IHBI for the Greek/Slavonic), and the footrest of the Cross.

The Three remind us of the Holy Trinity.

The slanted one is because of the agony of the Lord, he wretched it out of its place. It is to show He truly suffered, not just appear to suffer, and really bore our sins.

Btw, it is NOT, as I’ve heard Polish Latins say, that we believe that Christ had one foot shorter than the other.

It is the Balance Beam of the Cross. Both thieves blasphemed, one repeneted and entered paradise (Orthodox icons of paradise show the thief opening the door leading the souls in), the other challenged Christ to come off the Cross, and he went down blaspheming. Hence the slant up (the good thief on the right) and down (the blaspheming thief on the left). All our actions and ourselves stand in that balance beam.

Below the Cross you might see crescents (😃 ) or a mound with a skull. That’s Adam’s skull (Golgatha), the Blood dripped on it. There are often inscriptions: my favorite is “Calvary has become the Mount of Paradise.”

Hope that helps.
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It helps alot!!! Thank you soooooo much! God Bless…teachccd 🙂
 
Isa_Almisry said:
It should not be a problem, since they have the same explanaiton of the Cross as the Orthodox:

As always, it’s multilayered (in the Eastern we do nothing simple).

The three are first the sign board that Pilate put “INRI” (IHBI for the Greek/Slavonic), and the footrest of the Cross.

The Three remind us of the Holy Trinity.

The slanted one is because of the agony of the Lord, he wretched it out of its place. It is to show He truly suffered, not just appear to suffer, and really bore our sins.

Btw, it is NOT, as I’ve heard Polish Latins say, that we believe that Christ had one foot shorter than the other.

It is the Balance Beam of the Cross. Both thieves blasphemed, one repeneted and entered paradise (Orthodox icons of paradise show the thief opening the door leading the souls in), the other challenged Christ to come off the Cross, and he went down blaspheming. Hence the slant up (the good thief on the right) and down (the blaspheming thief on the left). All our actions and ourselves stand in that balance beam.

Below the Cross you might see crescents (😃 ) or a mound with a skull. That’s Adam’s skull (Golgatha), the Blood dripped on it. There are often inscriptions: my favorite is “Calvary has become the Mount of Paradise.”

Hope that helps.
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If I might add, some representations change the title to “ΙΝΒΚ” ‘Iesous o Nazoraios o Basileos tou Kosmou’ (“The King of the World”), or “ΙΝΒΔ” ‘O Basileos tis doxis’ (“The King of Glory”), not implying that this was really what was written, but reflecting the tradition that icons depict the spiritual reality rather than the physical reality.
 
Isa_Almisry said:
It should not be a problem, since they have the same explanaiton of the Cross as the Orthodox:

As always, it’s multilayered (in the Eastern we do nothing simple).

The three are first the sign board that Pilate put “INRI” (IHBI for the Greek/Slavonic), and the footrest of the Cross.

The Three remind us of the Holy Trinity.

The slanted one is because of the agony of the Lord, he wretched it out of its place. It is to show He truly suffered, not just appear to suffer, and really bore our sins.

Btw, it is NOT, as I’ve heard Polish Latins say, that we believe that Christ had one foot shorter than the other.

It is the Balance Beam of the Cross. Both thieves blasphemed, one repeneted and entered paradise (Orthodox icons of paradise show the thief opening the door leading the souls in), the other challenged Christ to come off the Cross, and he went down blaspheming. Hence the slant up (the good thief on the right) and down (the blaspheming thief on the left). All our actions and ourselves stand in that balance beam.

Below the Cross you might see crescents (😃 ) or a mound with a skull. That’s Adam’s skull (Golgatha), the Blood dripped on it. There are often inscriptions: my favorite is “Calvary has become the Mount of Paradise.”

Hope that helps.
Click to expand...
I might add another interesting story. It is said that when Saints Cyril and Methodius were evangelizing the Slavs the would plant a cross, tilt the bottom bar and explain those on Christ’s right hand would be with him in paradise and those on the left would be condemned.

Yours in Christ
Joe
 
🙂 👋 Hi, Friends
Code: 
                 I'm Nani, here is the question .
who can clarify I’ll bee thanksfull for them, and i think he is genius

My Question is :coffeeread: GOD Stands for, :hmmm:

who knows please reply.

Thanks & Regards

:dancing: Nani :clapping:
 
I have always heard that the slant represents that those on the right side Christ’s go up to heaven, while those on the left go to down to hell
 
I thought a cross with a slanted second crossbar was called a St. Andrew’s cross, because St. Andrew was crucified in the Greek fashion, where the crossbar is the same length as the upright, and after the victim is affixed to the cross, two end pieces are stuck into the ground to support it, resulting in a slanted effect, with the victim supported at a angle. He hung there for three days before dying, and tradition relates that he never stopped preaching the whole time…
 
roanoker said:
I thought a cross with a slanted second crossbar was called a St. Andrew’s cross, because St. Andrew was crucified in the Greek fashion, where the crossbar is the same length as the upright, and after the victim is affixed to the cross, two end pieces are stuck into the ground to support it, resulting in a slanted effect, with the victim supported at a angle. He hung there for three days before dying, and tradition relates that he never stopped preaching the whole time…
Click to expand...
Here is what you’re referring to :):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Folio_201r_-The_Martyrdom_of_Saint_Andrew.jpg/423px-Folio_201r-_The_Martyrdom_of_Saint_Andrew.jpg
 
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