Papal flag waves over airwaves

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By James Breig

The historic resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the election of his successor have focused the media spotlight not only on the Vatican, but also on the papal flag.

A rare square flag,* it is split vertically in two, half yellow and half white. That’s a change from the original flag of the Papal States, which was yellow and red. The switch was made in 1808 by Pope Pius VII, and the current design was finalized in 1929, when a concordat was signed between Italy and the Vatican.

In the center of the white field is the Vatican seal, primarily made up of crossed keys (one gold, one silver) and the papal tiara. The keys recall the Gospel passage about Jesus giving the keys of the heavenly kingdom to St. Peter (Matthew 16:19). Roman Catholics believe that popes are the direct successors of Peter.

The golden key refers to the kingdom of heaven, while the silver one “indicates the spiritual authority of the papacy on earth,” according to the Vatican website (www.vatican.va). It adds that “the cord…that unites the grips [of the keys] alludes to the bond between the two powers.”

The tiara – a triple crown – represents the pope’s authority as “father of kings, governor of the world and Vicar of Christ,” as noted on the same website.

In addition to the Vatican’s coat of arms, the new pope gets one of his own. Papal coats of arms, which have existed since the 13th century, carry the keys and tiara seen on the flag. Pope Benedict’s coat of arms was unusual because it also contained the images of two living things:

*a brown bear with a pack on its back, recalling a legend about a German bishop who rode a bear to Rome; and

*a Moor wearing a crown, a common image in heraldry in Benedict’s native Bavaria.

(*Only one other nation has a square flag: Switzerland.)

 

James Breig is a veteran author who specializes in history. His most recent book is “Star-Spangled Baseball: True Tales of Flags and Fields” about the links between the sport and flags. He is also the author of a nonfiction book about WWII, "Searching for Sgt. Bailey: Saluting an Ordinary Soldier of World War II" and co-author of "The Mystery of the Multiple Mothers," a novel. All three are available at www.amazon.com. His articles have appeared in newspapers and national magazines, including the Colonial Williamsburg Journal (search for them at www.history.org/journal) and History Magazine. He has won many national awards for his opinion writing, media columns and feature articles.

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