Why 2 keys to Heaven, one gold and one silver?

[Robert_Sock]

I’m wondering why there are two keys on the Vatican flag, one gold and the other silver? Should we go for the gold and settle for the silver? Judging from the title of St Anthony Mary Claret’s book,The Golden Key to Heaven, it seems likely that he knew the difference between the gold and the silver!

 

[Robert_Sock]

*The Golden Key to Heaven
by Saint Anthony Mary Claret

The death of the just: Death will reach everyone, the good and the bad; but the destiny of each one is quite different. The just man sees himself in this valley of tears as a prisoner, serving a very hard term. He considers himself a slave in this world, suffering an extremely distressing servitude. He regards himself a sailor caught in a horrible storm. And as death means an end of his confinement, an end of his slavery, and is the port of his salvation, he ceases not to cry with David, “Woe is me that my sojourning is prolonged!. . .” (Ps. 119:5). He ceases not to ask with the Apostle, “. . . Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24)*

 

[1ke]

I’m wondering why there are two keys on the Vatican flag, one gold and the other silver?

vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/sp_ss_scv/insigne/sp_ss_scv_stemma-bandiera-sigillo_en.html

*The symbols of papal authority, which are the tiara (or triregnum) and the keys of St. Peter or supreme keys, “to bind and to unloose”, one in gold and the other in silver, crossed and bound with a red cord, are located directly behind the Pontiff’s personal coat of arms.

The symbolism is drawn from the Gospel and is represented by the keys given to the Apostle Peter by Christ.

Since the XIV Century, the two crossed keys have been the official insignia of the Holy See. The gold one, on the right, alludes to the power in the kingdom of the heavens, the silver one, on the left, indicates the spiritual authority of the papacy on earth. The mechanisms are turned up towards the heaven and the grips turned down, in other words into the hands of the Vicar of Christ. The cord with the bows that unites the grips alludes to the bond between the two powers.*

 

[Robert_Sock]

vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/sp_ss_scv/insigne/sp_ss_scv_stemma-bandiera-sigillo_en.html

*The symbols of papal authority, which are the tiara (or triregnum) and the keys of St. Peter or supreme keys, “to bind and to unloose”, one in gold and the other in silver, crossed and bound with a red cord, are located directly behind the Pontiff’s personal coat of arms.

The symbolism is drawn from the Gospel and is represented by the keys given to the Apostle Peter by Christ.

Since the XIV Century, the two crossed keys have been the official insignia of the Holy See. The gold one, on the right, alludes to the power in the kingdom of the heavens, the silver one, on the left, indicates the spiritual authority of the papacy on earth. The mechanisms are turned up towards the heaven and the grips turned down, in other words into the hands of the Vicar of Christ. The cord with the bows that unites the grips alludes to the bond between the two powers.*

Excellent explanation! Thanks!

 

[wisedom]

*The Golden Key to Heaven
by Saint Anthony Mary Claret

The death of the just: Death will reach everyone, the good and the bad; but the destiny of each one is quite different. The just man sees himself in this valley of tears as a prisoner, serving a very hard term. He considers himself a slave in this world, suffering an extremely distressing servitude. He regards himself a sailor caught in a horrible storm. And as death means an end of his confinement, an end of his slavery, and is the port of his salvation, he ceases not to cry with David, “Woe is me that my sojourning is prolonged!. . .” (Ps. 119:5). He ceases not to ask with the Apostle, “. . . Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom. 7:24)*

that’s why i have converted to LOVE, within less than 2 weeks of joining this site at age 50+, after ‘seeing’ the despicable HYPOCRISY displayed by those believing that it is possible for them to reserve their places in HEAVEN, in the front rows or even on the right & left of Jesus!..

this message refers to your quote from St Paul’s ‘magnum-opus’ on LOVE!, which the most distinguished and excessively scrupulous members of this site, would do well to read, meditate on, and understand in its entirety!

 

[wisedom]

i would like to think that the gold key is for the righteous to enter heaven effortlessly
and
the silver key is for the unrighteous to enter heaven equally effortlessly or a shade less!

it is the view of some scholars that all peoples are destined for heaven, sooner or later!

this leaves no room or offers little scope for those that sit in JUDGEMENT over others!

 

[Robert_Sock]

I thought the gold was for the Jews and the silver for the Gentiles.

 

[Nita]

vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/sp_ss_scv/insigne/sp_ss_scv_stemma-bandiera-sigillo_en.html

*The symbols of papal authority, which are the tiara (or triregnum) and the keys of St. Peter or supreme keys, “to bind and to unloose”, one in gold and the other in silver, crossed and bound with a red cord, are located directly behind the Pontiff’s personal coat of arms.

The symbolism is drawn from the Gospel and is represented by the keys given to the Apostle Peter by Christ.

Since the XIV Century, the two crossed keys have been the official insignia of the Holy See. The gold one, on the right, alludes to the power in the kingdom of the heavens, the silver one, on the left, indicates the spiritual authority of the papacy on earth. The mechanisms are turned up towards the heaven and the grips turned down, in other words into the hands of the Vicar of Christ. The cord with the bows that unites the grips alludes to the bond between the two powers.*

Thanks for the link to the official Vatican explanation of the meaning of the insignia.