Do Catholics use Orthodox and tau cross?

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IlCajetan

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Honestly I don’t have much to say. I just wanna know if it’s an exclusively orthodox thing, or it it’s been around before the schism. Everyone likes to have a symbol that can symbolize them, but no man waves a flag that isn’t of their country if you get what I mean.
 
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You can use any style of cross you wish — there are many. There is nothing whatsoever incongruous about a Latin Rite Catholic using an Orthodox-style cross (two crossbars and a third bar slanted “one point up and one point down”).
 
In some countries, the foot bar slants for the Orthodox, and the EC use a flat bottom bar. In other countries, it’s the reverse.

the bar slants to point to the Good Thief
 
I am by no means a religious order expert, but I can very well see that
 
TK421 said:
Dont Franciscans sometimes wear the Tau cross?
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Yes, it is the universal symbol of Franciscans, just as the Franciscan habit has become the symbol of Christ, and the Tau.

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Yes Franciscans wear the Tau but of course the San Damietta cross is the most common. I go to a Franciscan college, I’ve met probably 20 Franciscan friars
 
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I have been shepherded by various religious orders growing up. A high school friend of mine visited Assisi and returned with two special gifts for me.

One is an Assisi keychain which I treasure and keep on my mailbox key.

The other was a simple wooden Tau cross on a cord. I wore it proudly for a while, especially when I was going to “hang with the Franciscans” but I was the subject of probing questions. At least one asked if I am a lay Franciscan. The pastor was intrigued by my “representing” everything like the Knights of Columbus etc.

When I found out that the same Tau I wore was the unique emblem of the Third Order lay Franciscans, I ceased wearing it. I did not want to cause confusion. I put it away carefully but I don’t really plan on joining the Franciscans, so it will remain unworn.
 
Mother Angelica’s Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament has a Tau cross on the roof of the basilica. Well, it did start off as a regular cross, but then it was struck by lightning, which knocked off the upper part of the vertical. She decided to leave it as it had been changed.

D
 
dochawk said:
In some countries, the foot bar slants for the Orthodox, and the EC use a flat bottom bar. In other countries, it’s the reverse.

the bar slants to point to the Good Thief
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The way I heard it, and this is probably entirely apocryphal, is that it signifies that “one thief went up, and the other one went down”. As for the latter, hope not.
 
St. Francis personally adopted the Tau Cross as his symbol. In the West, the Tau Cross is generally associated with the Franciscans, and I believe it is considered the “habit” of the Secular Franciscans (similar to how the Brown Scapular is the “habit” of lay Carmelites or those wishing to practice Carmelite spirituality while living in the world).

Western persons who wear the Tau are usually using it to symbolize their commitment to, or desire to practice, Franciscan spirituality and imitate St. Francis, usually in caring for the poor and those in need.
 
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It was his symbol originally and associated with the Latin Church order the Antonines.
In the Latin Church, the order has now disappeared, so the Tau is popular primarily through its association with St. Francis.

I understand the Maronites still have a religious order associated with St. Anthony of Egypt, and they use a Tau symbol.
 
Dolphin said:
Yes Franciscans wear the Tau but of course the San Damietta cross is the most common. I go to a Franciscan college, I’ve met probably 20 Franciscan friars
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The San Damiano crucifix is usually more common hanging on walls, at the altar, or in liturgical settings (it is a crucifix, after all, with corpus). The Tau is far more common on necklaces, rings, and in the person. Both are very much common in “Franciscanism”.
Tis_Bearself said:
St. Francis personally adopted the Tau Cross as his symbol. In the West, the Tau Cross is generally associated with the Franciscans, and I believe it is considered the “habit” of the Secular Franciscans (similar to how the Brown Scapular is the “habit” of lay Carmelites or those wishing to practice Carmelite spirituality while living in the world).

Western persons who wear the Tau are usually using it to symbolize their commitment to, or desire to practice, Franciscan spirituality and imitate St. Francis, usually in caring for the poor and those in need.
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Exactly. I wear one every day. I believe it is the SFO habit, but most friars wear one as a necklace outside of their shirt when out of habit, as a sort of “modified habit” as well. It’s even part of our “Modified Habit” for postulants…With three knots on the cord to represent the vows, just like the regular cords. But anyone can wear a Tau, it’s Certainly not limited to religious or professed.
 
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HomeschoolDad said:
The way I heard it, and this is probably entirely apocryphal, is that it signifies that “one thief went up, and the other one went down”
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It wouldn’t surprise me at all if even the pointing to the thief is apocryphal or a retro-fit–that’s downright common for just about anything, east or west. The “age of reason” explanation for delayed communion and confirmation (two separate disciplinary moves; no theology involved), the iconostasis and altar rail (trace to a barrier to keep animals out of the Holy Place at a time the poor couldn’t leave them behind), the hot water added to the Cup in byzantine practice (the warmth of our prayers, but originated in places where churches were cold enough for wine to freeze in winter), and so forth.
 
At least some Byzantine Catholics use the Orthodox-style cross.

A theory I heard about the slant was that our Lord’s legs turned in pain to one side, making one foot higher.
 
I am a Secular Franciscan, and the Tau cross is, indeed, our habit!

I have a Franciscan Crown Rosary (7-decade), and the crucifix on that Rosary is a San Damiano cross.
 
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