ASPECTS OF HERALDRY IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

by the Revd. Fr. Guy W. Selvester, M.Div., M.A.

Summary of a Presentation
Made on Wednesday 14 September 2005
at the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society

Friends, members and supporters of heraldry were privileged to attend an excellent and
highly informed address entitled Aspects of Heraldry in the Catholic Church given by the
Rev. Guy Selvester at the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society (the G&B) on
14 September 2005. The talk was co-sponsored by the G&Bs Committee on Heraldry
and the College Arms Foundation, Inc. As the reverend lecturer said himself, it is a huge
challenge to describe 800 years of church heraldry in about 45 minutes. Nonetheless he
managed to present a masterful overview of a very visible, although not always wellunderstood, tradition of the Roman Catholic Church.
Father Selvester is a priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen, New Jersey and
Parochial Vicar of the Church of Saint Matthew the Apostle in Edison, New Jersey. He
is a Fellow of the American College of Heraldry, a member of the Committee on
Heraldry of the G&B as well as several other heraldic societies and organizations. For the
past twenty-three years Fr. Selvester has been involved in the areas of heraldic research
and design with a specialty in Roman Catholic ecclesiastical heraldry. He has had the
opportunity to design and/or artistically render arms for prelates, institutions and clergy
of the Roman and Eastern Catholic Churches including St. Vincent Seminary, Latrobe,
PA; Mary, Mother of the Church Abbey, Richmond, VA, The Catholic Theological
Society of America, The Chicago Oratorian Community and the Diocese of Metuchen.

INTRODUCTION
Fr. Selvester stated at the outset that his views on heraldry
have been influenced by his mentor, Dr. Geza Grosschmid, a
professor of economics at Duquesne University who was also
a member of the Acadmie Internationale dHraldique as
well as a friend and collaborator of the late Archbishop
Bruno Heim, a church prelate who is considered one of the
great 20th century authorities on church heraldry.
A perusal of the United States Catholic Directory, published by P.J. Kennedy & Sons,
which also shows the arms of the dioceses, reveals two facts. One is that every diocese
and diocesan bishop has a coat or arms; another is that the design standards are uneven.

This is directly attributable to the fact that there is no Church regulatory heraldic
authority to establish guidelines and maintain standards. As a result, contemporary
church heraldry varies widely in quality. Fr. Selvester noted that there was formerly a
Church heraldic office for the Papal States, before the unification of Italy by the House of
Savoy reduced the Churchs geographical dominion to the present-day Vatican City.

Above: Arms of Bishop Adamec of Altoona-Johnstown, PA (left)

Bishop Albert Ottenweller formerly of Steubenville, OH (right)

With no official guidance, modern Church heraldry for the most part reflects the personal
tastes and choices of the persons using it. Frequently, they have no experience in the
subject. That does not mean that there are no experts who can offer advice; only that the
experts have no authority other than a moral one.

An unfortunate design: the arms

of a diocese in Mexico

Archbishop Heim, for example, was both highly respected as a Church heraldist as well
as an admired artist with a distinctive, modern style. He was often consulted and
designed many excellent coats of arms, yet he was not officially a church herald. His
influence was partly due to his close association with Pope John XXIII, whose private
secretary he was in the days when he was Papal Nuncio to France. Paradoxically enough,
however, it was Heim who persuaded Pope John not to establish a Church heraldic office
on the grounds that it is impossible to legislate good taste. Or, put another way, de
gustibus non est disputandem (In matters of taste there can be no dispute).

HERALDRY AS SCIENCE AND ART

Before embarking on his topic, Fr. Selvester iterated some definitions. Heraldry is the art,
practice and science of recording genealogies, blazoning arms or armorial ensigns and
also devising coats of arms. (John A. Nainfa, Costumes of Prelates of the Catholic
Church.) Heraldry is a science, insofar as it does lay down correct principles and draws
conclusions which properly flow from them. It is also an art: a medium for creative
expression and ingenuity, which is constantly evolving and changing. It is alive.
Whether [heraldry] is a noble science or merely the science of the fools with long
memories remains in question. However, it is guided by positive rules which cannot be
violated with impunity. As long as it is employed at all it can only be done after some due
attention has been paid to the requirements which, while seeming arbitrary, have the
sanction of being observed for centuries. It is insufficient reason to violate these rules
because they are deemed obsolete or absurd. For if heraldry is to be introduced at all it
must be rightly done. (F.E. Hulme: The History, Principles and Practice of Heraldry)
HOW BISHOPS ASSUME ARMS
The first step to a bishop assuming arms is, of course, becoming a bishop. The Papal
Nuncio will call him and inform him of his appointment. It is possible to serve the
Church as a cleric and not need a coat of arms. However, bishops commonly use them
and it would be unusual if one did not.
Typically, the new bishop will impale his arms with those of his diocese. This is
common practice in the English speaking world; though Fr. Selvester noted that, in
Switzerland and Germany, quartering is the norm.
As noted above, the new bishop can design his own arms. It seems to be established
practice to combine personal references (perhaps ethnic origin, or previous jobs, or
interests) with statements of faith. There is nothing wrong with this approach. However,
in the absence of any heraldic design authority, the result is often busy: the shield is
over-crowded with charges. When these arms are impaled, the result can be opposite of
clear and simple.

Two versions of the arms of Bishop

Bootkoski of the Diocese of Metuchen.
The version on the right is a rearrangement Fr. Selvester did of the
original version (at left). By placing each
of the four elements (fish, book, water, and
family housemark) in their own quarter,
they become clearer. (The escutcheon on
top of the bishops shield is the shield of
the diocese.)

Good design is best expressed through good artwork. Heraldry is a visual discipline and
subject to interpretation by artists. Different artists may interpret the same blazon very
differently, and some will do so better than others because they have the training and skill
to create a successful composition.
ARMS IN THE CHURCH
Heraldry first appeared in Europe in the 12th Century. Arms were borne originally by
monarchs, great nobles and knights essentially the noble and warrior classes. However,
the practice of using arms was widely imitated, and not only by individuals. Heim states
that the Church began to use arms in the mid-13th Century for the purpose of
identification.
In the early days of heraldry, before the establishment of heraldic regulatory authorities,
arms were assumed. The assumption of arms implied no virtue or qualification but was
merely a mark of identification. The adopted armorial compositions had to be distinctive,
rather than symbolic, to be effective. Also, Fr. Selvester stated that the designs did not
necessarily contain a meaning that could be read like some code or arcane language.
Dioceses, cathedrals, churches, abbeys and other religious organizations displayed arms,
particularly in seals. In addition, members of the clergy used personal arms even
though, in theory, they would never be combatants and thus, again in theory, would not
need to be easily recognizable on a battlefield.
The principal vehicle for heraldry coming into the
Church was the seal. In the Middle Ages, as they
became more involved in civil administration, a
greater use of seals by bishops occurs. Heraldry
became increasingly important to the Church as it
was a means to distinctly mark more than
documents.
Episcopal seals were originally oval, or in a
vesica, to differentiate them from the round
secular seals, and usually depicted figures of saints
or even portraits of the bishop himself (as seen in the
example at left).
Anything could be marked as belonging to a bishop, abbey or
prelate via heraldic symbols. Buildings and property were
marked as were servants and officials with heraldic badges.
The heraldic emblem often evolved into symbols of office and
authority.
As non-combatants the clergy replaced some of the more martial elements in heraldry
with objects they used in the exercising of their office(s). The shield remained; but the

helm, mantle, torse and crest (as well as supporters and symbols of secular honors and
dignities) disappeared and were replaced by the mitre, cross, crozier and galero, an
ecclesiastical hat of which the color and the number of tassels denote the ecclesiastic rank
of the armiger. (See below.)
There was no heraldic uniformity or commonality until the 17th Century when a heraldist
named Pierre Palliot created a system for ecclesiastical hats. He drew from the writings
of Fr. Matthew Compain, S.J. (who managed in the space of one lifetime to be both an
artist AND a Jesuit!); but a coherent system as we know it today for all the ranks of
clergy did not emerge until 1905 with the directive Inter Multiplices of Pope St. Pius X.

Above: Shields ensigned with galeros for (left to right) a priest, a dean, a canon, a papal chaplain and a
prelate of honor.

Above: Shields ensigned with galeros for (left to right) a prothonotary apostolic, an abbot, a bishop, an archbishop
and a patriarch.
Below: shield ensigned with a cardinals galero.

A system of emblems was developed to indicate the status of church officials.

Croziers a symbol of pastoral jurisdiction were frequently, though not always,
displayed with their arms of abbeys. (See Arms of the Abbey of Richmond) Croziers
were used by abbots and abbesses, as well as bishops and cardinals (whether or not they
were bishops). Abbatial croziers (e.g., arms of Abbot Kalcic) are turned inward (to

dexter) and veiled with a sudarium, or shroud, since gloves were forbidden to abbots.
The use of the veil by abbots was decreed by Pope Alexander VII in 1659. Archabbots
(see arms of Archabbot Nowicki) and territorial abbots (arms of Territorial Abbot
Novecoskey) also use abbatial croziers in their arms.

Above, from left to right: Arms of the Abbey of Richmond; Abbot Dismas Kalcic, OSB; Archabbot Douglas
Nowicki, OSB; and Territorial Abbot Peter Novecoskey, OSB.

Bishops replaced the headgear of knights and noblemen with their own headgear: mitres.
The mitre, which, according to Heim, derived from the camelaucum, an ancient form of
head dress also known as a Phrygian bonnet (see below), came into use in the 10th
Century; and was originally utilized exclusively by the popes. In the 11th Century,
pontiffs granted to some bishops permission to use it, although it did not signify
episcopal rank; and abbots too were given mitres, when Pope Alexander II gave it to
Elgensinus, Abbot of St. Augustines at Canterbury. Eventually all bishops adopted the
mitre both in practice and in heraldry, with the tacit consent, if not the explicit
permission, of the popes.
The practice also evolved for abbots, abbeys, dioceses and bishops to display their arms
with mitre, cross and crozier.

Two examples of episcopal

arms. At left, the personal arms
of the Archbishop Williams of
Canterbury, ensigned with a
mitre. At right, the arms of the
Diocese of Paisley with mitre,
cross and crozier.

The galero, mentioned above, was originally a Roman custom and was almost never seen
outside of Italy. By the 16th Century Catholic bishops adopted it and its use became
widespread. By the 19th Century the use of the mitre alone was waning and the galero
was seen as more Catholic.

The galero was used by bishops with the mitre, cross and crozier until the 1969
instruction Ut Sive of Pope Paul VI suppressed the use of mitres in the arms of persons.
However, they were retained in corporate arms.

Left: the arms of an archbishop impaled

with those of his diocese combining a
galero with a mitre, cross and crozier, a
practice discontinued by Pope Paul VI in
1969. Right: the arms of the Diocese of
Metuchen, New Jersey, ensigned with a
mitre.

The cross is the supreme mark of episcopal dignity and its use is restricted to bishops
alone. (Non-episcopal cardinals may not display a cross in their arms.) As with many
other church symbols, the cross has evolved. Originally, a simple cross (termed a Latin
cross) was carried before the popes in liturgical or ceremonial processions.
Subsequently, the cross was utilized by papal legates in processions to indicate that they
represented the pope. A processional cross (or crucifix) is not the same thing as a
heraldic cross.
Patriarchs adopted a double-bar cross (the patriarchal cross) in the 15th century,
followed by Catholic archbishops in the 17th century. Bishops retain the use of the
simple Latin cross.

(Left to right) Arms of Bishop Wuerl of Pittsburgh, PA with an episcopal

cross. Arms of Cardinal Dulles with a cardinals red galero but no cross as he is not a bishop. Arms of
Archbishop Sheehan of Santa Fe, NM with archiepiscopal double-barred cross.

The highest rank in the Church under that of Pope is the rank of cardinal, for which
several heraldic conventions have been created over the centuries.
The cardinals red hat was granted by Pope Innocent IV (reigned 1243-1254) to the
cardinals at the Council of Lyons. It was the first hat to receive a special color; and it
bore tassels. (The number of tassels was not prescribed at first and was only set at 30 in
1832.)

The red hat was used heraldically almost immediately, as suggested by 13th century
tombs, to the point (says Heim) where the mitre begins to disappear from cardinals arms.
After the cardinals, the prothonotaries apostolic started to use the galero, and then other,
lesser Roman prelates. Although it continues in heraldic use, Pope Paul VI (reigned
1962-1978) ceased to confer them upon new cardinals.
Red galeros may still be seen hanging in cathedrals today as a result of an old tradition of
hanging the galero of deceased cardinals in their cathedrals until they decay.
Pope Innocent X prohibited the use by cardinals of secular heraldic privileges (such as
coronets, supporters and decorations) in the bull Militantes Ecclesiae (1644). This
prohibition was extended to patriarchs, archbishops and bishops by Pope Benedict XV in
1915. However, all may if entitled display the emblems of the Sovereign Military
Order of Malta and/or the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

Left: the arms of Cardinal Keeler

of Baltimore showing a cardinals
red hat with 30 tassels. Right: the
arms of Patriarch Sabah of
Jerusalem ensigned with a
patriarchs green hat with 30
tassels and displaying the cross of
the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
behind the shield. Both feature
the double barred archiepiscopal
cross.

PAPAL HERALDRY
Certain ancient emblems appertain solely to the
supreme head of the church, the pope. The accession of
Pope Benedict XVI, and the promulgation of his papal
coat of arms which appears to change one of the most
famous and distinctive of those the papal tiara has
ignited a controversy among church heraldists.
The origins of the papal tiara, or triple crown, go back
many centuries, to the camelaucum, or Phrygian cap (at
left), which was conferred upon Pope Sylvester I
(reigned 314-335) as a sign of the freedom of the
Church. By the 7th Century the camelaucum is
particular to the pope.

Starting after the 9th Century a crown is added to the

cap to denote the Churchs temporal power. Boniface
VIII (reigned 1294-1303) added a second crown, to
symbolize the Churchs spiritual power. A third crown
appears by 1315. The tiara, shown in photo at left
being worn by Pope John XXIII (reigned 1959-1963),
is neither a religious nor a spiritual emblem. It is no
longer physically used although again it continues
heraldically,

The crossed keys (shown with the papal ombrellino at right) are
another well-known emblem of the popes. They symbolize the
power to bind and loose given to the Church in Matthews Gospel.
Indeed, the keys (which, of course, do not actually exist and never
did) symbolize the Church itself: when a pope dies, the keys are
used emblematically by the papal camerlengo (or chamberlain) who
guards the Church during the period of sede vacante (literally
empty chair, meaning interegnum).

The final symbolic element utilized the popes as head of the Catholic Church is the
pallium, a white vestment that rests on the shoulders with pendants hanging at its front
and back. It symbolizes the popes supreme pastoral authority and Pope Benedict is
giving new emphasis to it in his coat of arms. It has not been customary to depict it in
papal arms; although it has been forbidden either.
This is the time to underscore the main facts of papal heraldry. The pope has no arms of
office. The rules have never been fixed by law but, instead, have been defined by
custom and precedent. Where papal heraldry has deviated from precedent, the
differences have been attributed to errors of execution by artists or mistakes by low-level
functionaries. These basic facts have never changed in five centuries until now.

Several weeks after his accession, the Vatican revealed

the arms of Pope Benedict XVI (seen at left). The
design caused consternation among heraldists for some
of its changes of the traditional papal heraldry. The
main one is the replacement of the tiara with something
resembling a bishops mitre with three golden stripes
which are presumably intended to suggest or make
reference to the traditional tiara. Another change is the
appearance of the pallium under the shield after a long
absence (presumably situated there for want of any

other place). More generally, the rendering was thought to be singularly lacking in
vibrancy. The world was informed that the Pope wished for a simpler design that
displays the symbols of his office in use today. The tiara is no longer in use and has been
replaced with something else, a sort of hybrid tiara-mitre which does not exist either (at
least, not yet). Why not revert to the original camelaucum instead? At the same time,
since bishops no longer use heraldic mitres, the new hybrid effectively is unique in the
Catholic Church. Meanwhile, if the aim is to eliminate objects that do not exist, one
might well ask why the keys remain.
The paucity of artistic quality is plain to see when the original Vatican-issued rendering is
contrasted with renderings by noted artists, such as Michael McCarthy, Ikkon-Andre
Yamashita and Marco Foppoli. These show more clearly than words the critical role the
artist plays in transforming heraldic concepts into visual reality.

Four different renderings of Pope Benedict XVIs arms by three different artists. The one at left is by
Michael McCarthy, an Australian artist; the middle two (one without and one with the pallium) are by
Marco Foppoli, an Italian; and the one on the right is by a Japanese artist who was trained by Bruno Heim,
Ikkon-Andre Yamashita.

Arguments can be made for and against the changes. On the pro side, they reinforce
the fact that heraldry is a living art form, open to new ideas for a new time. The new
mitre is distinctive to the Pope today. On the con side, the new design disregards
tradition and contradicts the rules laid down in Ut Sive. The pallium does not fit easily
into the arms. Lastly, heraldic symbols do not have to be real: the keys of St. Peter are
not, nor are galeros.
However, the tiara and keys remain a symbol of the Holy See, the Catholic Church and
the Vatican City State. It will take time to change that and, Fr. Selvester suggested, it
may never happen. Only time will tell.
Fr. Selvester showed these two
images to underscore the continuity
in the use of the papal tiara and
crossed keys since the accession of
Benedict XVI. At left, the Popes
arms were planted in a frame that
formerly contained Pope John Paul
IIs arms. At right, a Swiss Guard
carries a banner showing Benedicts
arms with the old papal emblems.

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SUGGESTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Elvins, Mark T., Cardinals and Heraldry (London, 1988).
Galbreath, Donald L., Papal Heraldry (Cambridge, 1930)
Heim, Bruno B., Heraldry in the Catholic Church: It's Origins, Customs and Laws
(Gerrards Cross, 1978, 1981)
Martin, Jacques, Heraldry in the Vatican (Gerrards Cross, 1987)
Nainfa, John A., Costume of Prelates of the Catholic Church (Baltimore, 1926)
Woodward, John, A Treatise on Ecclesiastical Heraldry (Edinburgh & London, 1894)

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