Church cross. What are Orthodox crosses, meaning and differences

Domes Orthodox churches crowned with crosses. Believers wear crosses on their chests to always be under the protection of God.

What should be the correct Orthodox cross? on his back side there is an inscription: “Save and preserve.” However, this attribute is not a talisman that can protect against all misfortunes.

The pectoral cross is a symbol of the “cross” that God gives to a person who wants to serve Him - in fulfillment of the words of the Lord Jesus Christ: “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him turn aside, and take up his cross and follow Me” (Mark 8, 34).

A person who wears a cross thereby gives a guarantee that he will live according to the commandments of God and steadfastly endure all the trials that befall him.

Our story about what to consider when choosing an Orthodox cross will be incomplete if we do not turn to history and talk about the festival dedicated to this Christian attribute.

In memory of the discovery of the Cross of the Lord in Jerusalem in 326, near Golgotha, where Jesus Christ was crucified, the Orthodox Church celebrates a holiday called the Exaltation of the Honest and Life-giving Cross The Lord's. This holiday symbolizes the triumph of the Church of Christ, which has gone through a difficult path of trials and persecution and spread throughout the world.

As legend says, the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, Queen Helena, went in search of the Holy Cross to Palestine. Excavations were carried out here, as a result of which the cave of the Holy Sepulcher was found, and three crosses were discovered not far from it. They were placed one by one on a sick woman, who, thanks to touching the Cross of the Lord, was healed.

According to another legend, a dead man was resurrected from contact with this cross and was being carried funeral procession. However, what exactly the cross on which Christ was crucified looked like is unknown. Only two separate crossbars were found, along with a sign and a footstool.

Queen Helena brought part of the Life-Giving Tree and nails to Constantinople. And Emperor Constantine erected a temple in Jerusalem in 325 in honor of the Ascension of Christ, which included the Holy Sepulcher and Golgotha.

The cross began to be used as a symbol of faith thanks to Emperor Constantine. As the church historian Eusebius Pamphilus testifies, “Christ, the Son of God, appeared in a dream to the emperor with a sign seen in heaven and commanded, having made a banner similar to this one seen in heaven, to use it for protection from the attacks of enemies.”

Constantine ordered images of the cross to be placed on the shields of his soldiers and installed three commemorative Orthodox crosses in Constantinople with gold inscriptions in Greek “IC.XP.NIKA”, which means “Jesus Christ the Victor”.

What should be the correct pectoral cross?

There are different graphic types of crosses: Greek, Latin, St. Peter's cross (inverted cross), Papal cross, etc. No matter how different the different branches of Christianity may be, this shrine is revered by all denominations.

But if in Catholicism Jesus Christ is depicted sagging in his arms, which emphasizes His martyrdom, then in Orthodoxy the Savior appears in power - as a winner, calling the entire Universe into His arms.

The palms of Jesus on the Orthodox cross are usually open; the figure expresses peace and dignity. In Him are embodied His most important hypostases - Divine and Human.

The attribute of the Catholic crucifix is ​​the Crown of Thorns. In the Orthodox artistic tradition it is rare.

Also in Catholic images, Christ is crucified with three nails, that is, nails are driven into both hands, and the soles of his feet are put together and nailed with one nail. In the Orthodox crucifix, each foot of the Savior is nailed separately with its own nail, and a total of four nails are depicted.

Canon image Orthodox crucifix was approved back in 692 by the Tula Cathedral and remains unchanged to this day. Of course, Orthodox believers should use crosses that are made in accordance with the Orthodox tradition.

It must be said that the debate is about what should be christian cross the correct shape - eight-pointed or four-pointed - has been coming for a long time. In particular, it was led by Orthodox believers and Old Believers.

According to Abbot Luke,
"V Orthodox Church its holiness does not depend in any way on the shape of the cross, provided that the Orthodox cross is made and consecrated exactly as christian symbol, and not originally made as a sign, for example, of the sun or part of a household ornament or decoration.”

What form of the pectoral cross is considered correct in Orthodoxy?

The Orthodox Church recognizes four-pointed, six-pointed, and eight-pointed types of crosses (the latter, with two additional partitions - inclined in left side for the legs and a crossbar at the head, are used more often), with or without the image of the crucified Savior (however, such a symbol cannot be 12-pointed or 16-pointed).

The letters ІС ХС are a christogram, symbolizing the name of Jesus Christ. Also, the Orthodox cross has the inscription “Save and Preserve.”

Catholics also do not give of great importance the shape of a cross, on Catholic crosses The image of the Savior is not always found.

Why is the cross called a cross in Orthodoxy?

Only clergy wear crosses over their clothes, and ordinary believers should not wear crucifixes for show, thereby demonstrating their faith, because such a manifestation of pride is not appropriate for Christians.

It must also be said that an Orthodox pectoral cross can be made from different materials– gold, silver, copper, bronze, wood, bone, amber, decorated with ornaments or precious stones. The main thing is that it must be sanctified.

If you bought it in a church shop, you don’t have to worry about this: they sell already consecrated crosses. This does not apply to items purchased in jewelry stores, and such crosses will need to be consecrated in the temple. During this ritual, the priest will read prayers calling to protect not only the soul, but also the body of the believer from evil forces.

On the Cross we see God Crucified. But Life Itself mysteriously resides in the Crucifixion, just as many future ears of wheat are hidden in a grain of wheat. Therefore, the Cross of the Lord is revered by Christians as a “life-giving tree,” that is, a tree that gives life. Without the Crucifixion there would have been no Resurrection of Christ, and therefore the Cross from an instrument of execution turned into a shrine in which the Grace of God acts.

Orthodox icon painters depict near the Cross those who relentlessly accompanied the Lord during His Crucifixion: and the Apostle John the Theologian, the Savior’s beloved disciple.

And the skull at the foot of the Cross is a symbol of death, which entered the world through the crime of the ancestors Adam and Eve. According to legend, Adam was buried on Golgotha ​​- on a hill in the vicinity of Jerusalem, where Christ was crucified many centuries later. By God's providence, the Cross of Christ was installed just above Adam's grave. The honest Blood of the Lord, shed on the earth, reached the remains of the ancestor. She destroyed original sin Adam and freed his descendants from slavery to sin.

The Church Cross (in the form of an image, object or sign of the cross) is a symbol (image) of human salvation, consecrated by Divine grace, leading us to its Prototype - to the crucified God-Man who accepted death on the cross for the redemption of the human race from the power of sin and death.

Veneration of the Cross of the Lord is inextricably linked with the Redemptive Sacrifice of the God-Man Jesus Christ. By honoring the cross, an Orthodox Christian pays veneration to God the Word Himself, who deigned to become incarnate and choose the cross as a sign of victory over sin and death, reconciliation and union of man with God, and the granting of a new life, transformed by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, the image of the Cross is filled with special grace-filled power, for through the crucifixion of the Savior the fullness of the grace of the Holy Spirit is revealed, which is communicated to all people who truly believe in the Redemptive Sacrifice of Christ.

“The Crucifixion of Christ is an action of free Divine love, it is an action of the free will of the Savior Christ, giving Himself to death so that others could live - live eternal life, live with God.
And the sign of all this is the Cross, because, ultimately, love, loyalty, devotion are tested not by words, not even by life, but by the giving of one’s life; not only by death, but by a renunciation of oneself so complete, so perfect that all that remains from a person is love: the cross, sacrificial, self-giving love, dying and death to oneself so that another can live.”

“The image of the Cross shows the reconciliation and community into which man has entered with God. Therefore, demons are afraid of the image of the Cross, and do not tolerate seeing the sign of the Cross depicted even in the air, but they flee from this immediately, knowing that the Cross is a sign of the fellowship of man with God and that they, as apostates and enemies of God, are removed from His Divine face , no longer have freedom to approach those who have reconciled with God and united with Him, and can no longer tempt them. If it seems that they are tempting some Christians, let everyone know that they are fighting against those who have not properly learned the high sacrament of the Cross.”

“...We must turn special attention that each person has his own life path must lift up his own cross. There are countless crosses, but only mine heals my ulcers, only mine will be my salvation, and only mine will I bear with the help of God, for it was given to me by the Lord Himself. How not to make a mistake, how not to take the cross according to one’s own will, that arbitrariness that in the first place should be crucified on the cross of self-denial?! An unauthorized feat is a homemade cross, and bearing such a cross always ends in a great fall.
What does your cross mean? This means going through life along your own path, outlined for everyone by the Providence of God, and on this path to experience exactly those sorrows that the Lord allows (You took vows of monasticism - do not seek marriage, are bound by a family - do not strive for freedom from your children and spouse.) Do not look for greater sorrows and achievements than those on your life's path - pride will lead you astray. Do not seek liberation from those sorrows and labors that are sent to you - this self-pity takes you off the cross.
Your own cross means being content with what is within your bodily strength. The spirit of conceit and self-delusion will call you to the unbearable. Don't trust the flatterer.
How diverse are the sorrows and temptations in life that the Lord sends to us for our healing, what is the difference among people in their physical strength and health, how varied are our sinful infirmities.
Yes, every person has his own cross. And every Christian is commanded to accept this cross with selflessness and follow Christ. And to follow Christ is to study Holy Gospel so that only it becomes an active leader in carrying our life’s cross. The mind, heart and body with all their movements and actions, obvious and secret, must serve and express the saving truths of Christ’s teaching. And all this means that I deeply and sincerely recognize the healing power of the cross and justify God’s judgment over me. And then my cross becomes the Cross of the Lord.”

“One should worship and honor not only that one Life-giving Cross on which Christ was crucified, but also every Cross created in the image and likeness of that Life-giving Cross of Christ. It should be worshiped as the very one on which Christ was nailed. After all, where the Cross is depicted, from any substance, there comes Grace and Sanctification from Christ our God Nailed on the Cross.”

“The Cross without love cannot be thought of or imagined: where the Cross is, there is love; in church you see crosses everywhere and on everything, so that everything reminds you that you are in the temple of the God of love, in the temple of Love crucified for us.”

There were three crosses on Golgotha. All people in their lives carry some kind of cross, the symbol of which is one of the Calvary crosses. Few saints, chosen friends of God, bear the Cross of Christ. Some were honored with the cross of the repentant thief, the cross of repentance that led to salvation. And many, unfortunately, bear the cross of that thief who was and remained the prodigal son, because he did not want to repent. Whether we like it or not, we are all “robbers.” Let us at least try to become “prudent robbers.”

Archimandrite Nektarios (Anthanopoulos)

Church services to the Holy Cross

Delve into the meaning of this “must”, and you will see that it contains precisely something that does not allow any other kind of death other than the Cross. What is the reason for this? Paul alone, caught up in the portals of paradise and hearing inexpressible verbs there, can explain it... can interpret this mystery of the Cross, as he did in part in the letter to the Ephesians: “so that you... may comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length, and depth and height, and to understand the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (). It is not arbitrary, of course, that the divine gaze of the apostle contemplates and draws here the image of the Cross, but this already shows that his gaze, miraculously cleared of the darkness of ignorance, clearly saw into the very essence. For in the outline, consisting of four opposite crossbars emerging from a common center, he sees the all-encompassing power and wondrous providence of the One who deigned to appear in him to the world. That is why the apostle assigns a special name to each of the parts of this outline, namely: the one that descends from the middle he calls depth, the one going upward - height, and both transverse ones - latitude and longitude. By this, it seems to me, he clearly wants to express that everything that is in the universe, whether above the heavens, in the underworld, or on earth from one end to the other, all of this lives and abides according to the Divine Will - under the shadow godparents.

You can also contemplate the divine in the imagination of your soul: look at the sky and embrace the underworld with your mind, stretch your mental gaze from one end of the earth to the other, and at the same time think about that powerful focus that connects and contains all this, and then in your soul the outline of the Cross will naturally be imagined, stretching its ends from top to bottom and from one end of the earth to the other. The great David also imagined this outline when he spoke about himself: “Where will I go from Your Spirit, and where will I flee from Your presence? Will I ascend to heaven (this is the height) - You are there; If I go down to the underworld (this is the depth) - and there You are. If I take the wings of the dawn (that is, from the east of the sun - this is latitude) and move to the edge of the sea (and the Jews called the sea the west - this is longitude), - and there Your hand will lead me" (). Do you see how David depicts the mark of the Cross here? “You,” he says to God, “exist everywhere, you connect everything with Yourself and contain everything within Yourself. You are above and You are below, Your hand is at the right hand and Your hand is on the right.” For the same reason, the divine apostle says that at this time when everything will be filled with faith and knowledge. He who is above every name will be called upon and worshiped in the name of Jesus Christ from those in heaven, on earth and under the earth (; ). In my opinion, the secret of the Cross is also hidden in another “iota” (if we consider it with the upper transverse line), which is stronger than heaven and solider than earth and more durable than all things, and about which the Savior says: “until heaven and earth pass away, not one an iota or a single tittle will not pass from the law" (). It seems to me that these divine words mean to show mysteriously and fortune-tellingly that everything in the world is contained in the image of the Cross and that it is more eternal than all its contents.
For these reasons, the Lord did not simply say: “The Son of Man must die,” but “be crucified,” in order, that is, to show the most contemplative of theologians that in the image of the Cross is hidden the omnipotent power of Him who rested on it and deigned so that the Cross becomes all in all!

If the death of our Lord Jesus Christ is the redemption of all, if by His death the mediastinum of the barrier is destroyed and the calling of the nations is accomplished, then how would He have called us if He had not been crucified? For on the Cross alone one endures death with outstretched arms. And therefore the Lord had to endure this kind of death, to stretch out His hands in order to draw with one hand ancient people, and the other - the pagans, and bring them both together. For He Himself, showing by what death He would redeem everyone, predicted: “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to Me” ()

Jesus Christ did not endure either the death of John - cutting off his head, or the death of Isaiah - sawing off with a saw, so that even in death His Body would remain uncut, in order to thereby take away the reason from those who would dare to divide Him into parts.

Just as the four ends of the Cross are connected and united in the center, so the height, and depth, and longitude, and breadth, that is, all visible and invisible creation, are contained by God’s power.

All parts of the world were brought to salvation by parts of the Cross.

Who wouldn’t be moved by looking at the Wanderer returning so poorly to His home! He was our guest; We gave Him the first overnight stay in a stall among the animals, then we took Him out to Egypt to an idolatrous people. With us He had no place to lay His head, “he came to his own, and his own did not receive Him” (). Now they sent Him on the road with a heavy Cross: they placed the heavy burden of our sins on His shoulders. “And, carrying His Cross, He went out to a place called Skull” (), holding “everything with the word of His power” (). The true Isaac carries the Cross - the tree on which he must be sacrificed. Heavy Cross! Under the weight of the Cross, the strong one in battle, “who created the power with His arm,” falls on the road (). Many cried, but Christ says: “don’t cry for Me” (): this Cross on your shoulders is power, is the key with which I will unlock and lead Adam out of the imprisoned doors of hell, “don’t cry.” “Issachar is a strong donkey, lying between the channels of water; and he saw that the rest was good, and that the earth was pleasant: and he bowed his shoulders to bear the burden” (). “A man goes out to do his work” (). The Bishop carries His throne in order to bless from it with outstretched hands all parts of the world. Esau goes out into the field, taking a bow and arrows, to get and bring game, to “catch the catch” for his father (). Christ the Savior comes out, taking the Cross instead of a bow, in order to “catch the catch,” in order to draw us all to Himself. “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to Me” (). Mental Moses comes out and takes the rod. His Cross stretches out His arms, divides the Red Sea of ​​passions, transfers us from death to life, and the devil. like Pharaoh, he drowns in the abyss of hell.

The cross is a sign of truth

The cross is a sign of spiritual, Christian, cross-wisdom and strong, like a strong weapon, for spiritual, cross-wisdom is a weapon against those who oppose the church, as the apostle says: “For the word about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is strength.” God's For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will reject the understanding of the prudent,” and further: “Greeks seek wisdom; and we preach Christ crucified... God’s power and God’s wisdom” ().

In the heavenly realms there lives a double wisdom among people: the wisdom of this world, which was, for example, among the Hellenic philosophers, not those who know God, and spiritual wisdom, such as it is among Christians. Worldly wisdom is foolishness before God: “Has God not turned the wisdom of this world into foolishness?” - says the apostle (); spiritual wisdom is considered madness by the world: “for the Jews it is a temptation, and for the Greeks it is madness” (). Worldly wisdom is weak weapons, weak warfare, feeble courage. But what kind of weapon spiritual wisdom is, this is clear from the words of the apostle: the weapons of our warfare... powerful by God for the destruction of strongholds" (); and also “the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword” ().

The image and sign of worldly Hellenic wisdom are the Sodomomorra apples, about which it is said that on the outside they are beautiful, but inside their ashes are stinking. The Cross serves as the image and sign of Christian spiritual wisdom, for by it the treasures of the wisdom and mind of God are revealed and, as if with a key, opened to us. Worldly wisdom is dust, but with the word of the cross we received all the blessings: “behold, through the Cross joy has come to the whole world”...

The cross is a sign of future immortality

The cross is a sign of future immortality.

Everything that happened on the tree of the cross was a healing of our weakness, returning the old Adam to where he fell, and leading us to the tree of life, from which the fruit of the tree of knowledge, untimely and unwisely eaten, removed us. Therefore, tree for tree and hands for hand, hands, courageously outstretched, for the hand that was intemperately extended, hands nailed down for the hand that cast out Adam. Therefore, the ascension to the Cross is for the fall, gall is for eating, the crown of thorns is for evil dominion, death is for death, darkness is for burial and returning to the earth for light.

Just as sin entered the world through the fruit of the tree, so salvation entered the world through the tree of the cross.

Jesus Christ, destroying that disobedience of Adam, which was first accomplished through the tree, was “obedient even to death, and death on the cross” (). Or in other words: the disobedience committed through the tree was healed by the obedience committed on the tree.

You have an honest tree - the Cross of the Lord, with which, if you wish, you can sweeten the bitter water of your disposition.

The cross is the facet of Divine care for our salvation, it is a great victory, it is a trophy erected by suffering, it is the crown of the holidays.

“But I do not want to boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, with which the world has been crucified for me, and I for the world” (). When the Son of God appeared on earth and when the corrupt world could not bear His sinlessness, unparalleled virtue and convicting freedom, and condemned it Holy Face to a shameful death, nailed him to the Cross, then the Cross became a new sign. He became an altar, for the great Sacrifice of our deliverance was offered on him. He became a divine altar, for he was sprinkled with the priceless Blood of the immaculate Lamb. It became a throne, because the great Messenger of God rested on it from all his affairs. He became a bright sign of the Lord of hosts, for “they will look at Him whom they have pierced” (). And these who pierced will recognize Him by no other means, as soon as they see this sign of the Son of Man. In this sense, we must look with reverence not only at that very tree, which was sanctified by the touch of the Most Pure Body, but also at any other that shows us the same image, not tying our reverence to the substance of the tree or gold and silver, but attributing it to Himself The Savior, who accomplished our salvation on him. And this Cross was not so much painful for Him as it was relieving and saving for us. His burden is our comfort; His exploits are our reward; His sweat is our relief; His tears are our cleansing; His wounds are our healing; His suffering is our consolation; His Blood is our redemption; His Cross is our entrance to heaven; His death is our life.

Plato, Metropolitan of Moscow (105, 335-341).

There is no other key that would open the gates to the Kingdom of God except the Cross of Christ

Outside the Cross of Christ there is no Christian prosperity

Alas, my Lord! You are on the Cross - I am drowning in pleasures and bliss. You fight for me on the Cross... I lie in laziness, in relaxation, looking for peace everywhere and in everything

My Lord! My Lord! Grant me to understand the meaning of Your Cross, draw me to Your Cross by Your destinies...

About the Worship of the Cross

Prayer to the Cross is poetic form appeals to the One who was crucified on the Cross.

“The word about the cross is foolishness for those who are perishing, but for us who are being saved it is the power of God” (). For “the spiritual man judges everything, but the natural man does not accept what is from the Spirit of God” (). For this is madness for those who do not accept with faith and do not think about the Goodness and Omnipotence of God, but investigate divine affairs through human and natural reasoning, for everything that belongs to God is above nature and reason and thought. And if someone begins to weigh how God brought everything from non-existence into existence and for what purpose, and if he wanted to comprehend this through natural reasoning, then he will not comprehend. For this knowledge is spiritual and demonic. If someone, guided by faith, takes into account that the Divine is good and omnipotent, and true, and wise, and righteous, then he will find everything smooth and even and the path straight. For without faith it is impossible to be saved, because everything, both human and spiritual, is based on faith. For without faith, neither the farmer cuts the furrows of the earth, nor the merchant on a small tree entrusts his soul to the raging abyss of the sea; neither marriages nor anything else in life happens. By faith we understand that everything is brought from non-existence into existence by the power of God; By faith we do all things correctly - both divine and human. Faith, further, is uncurious approval.

Every act and miracle-working of Christ, of course, is very great and divine and amazing, but most amazing of all is His Honorable Cross. For death has been overthrown, ancestral sin has been destroyed, hell has been robbed, the Resurrection has been given, we have been given the power to despise the present and even death itself, the original bliss has been returned, the gates of heaven have been opened, our nature has sat at the right hand of God, we have become children of God and heirs not through anything else, but through the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. For all this was arranged through the Cross: “all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus,” says the apostle, “were baptized into His death” (). “All of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (). And further: Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom (). It is the death of Christ, or the Cross, that clothed us in the hypostatic Wisdom and Power of God. The power of God is the word of the cross, either because through it the power of God was revealed to us, that is, victory over death, or because, just as the four ends of the Cross, uniting in the center, firmly hold on and are tightly connected, so through the power God contains both height, and depth, and length, and breadth, that is, all visible and invisible creation.

The cross was given to us as a sign on our foreheads, just as circumcision was given to Israel. For through him we, the faithful, are distinguished from the unbelievers and are known. He is a shield and a weapon, and a monument to victory over the devil. He is a seal so that the Destroyer will not touch us, as Scripture says (). He is the rebellion of those who lie down, the support of those who stand, the staff of the weak, the rod of the shepherd, the returning guide, the prosperous path to perfection, the salvation of souls and bodies, the deviation from all evils, the author of all good things, the destruction of sin, the sprout of resurrection, the tree of Eternal Life.

So, the tree itself, precious in truth and venerable, on which Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, as consecrated by the touch of both the Holy Body and the Holy Blood, should naturally be worshiped; in a similar way- and nails, a spear, clothes and His holy dwellings - a manger, a den, Golgotha, the saving life-giving tomb, Zion - the head of the Churches, and the like, as the Godfather David says: “Let us go to His dwelling, let us worship at the footstool of His feet.” And what he means by the Cross is shown by what is said: “Become, O Lord, to the place of Your rest” (). For the Cross is followed by the Resurrection. For if the house, and the bed, and the clothing of those whom we love are desirable, how much more is that which belongs to God and the Savior, through which we are saved!

We also worship the image of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross, even if it were made of a different substance; We worship, honoring not the substance (let it not be!), but the image, as a symbol of Christ. For He, making a testament to His disciples, said: “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven” (), meaning the Cross. Therefore, the Angel of the Resurrection said to the wives: “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, crucified” (). And the apostle: “we preach Christ crucified” (). Although there are many Christs and Jesuses, there is only one – the Crucified One. He did not say, “pierced with a spear,” but, “crucified.” Therefore the sign of Christ must be worshiped. For where the sign is, there He Himself will be. The substance from which the image of the Cross consists, even if it were gold or gems, after the destruction of the image, if this happened, should not be worshiped. So, we worship everything that is dedicated to God, paying respect to Him Himself.

The Tree of Life, planted by God in Paradise, prefigured this Honest Cross. For since death entered through the tree, it was necessary that Life and Resurrection should be given through the tree. The first Jacob, bowing to the end of Joseph's rod, designated by means of an image, and, blessing his sons with alternating hands (), he very clearly inscribed the sign of the Cross. The same thing was meant by the rod of Moses, which struck the sea in a cross shape and saved Israel, and drowned Pharaoh; hands stretched out crosswise and putting Amalek to flight; bitter water that is sweetened by the tree, and a rock that is torn and pours forth springs; the rod that gives Aaron the dignity of a priesthood; the serpent on the tree, lifted up as a trophy, as if it had been put to death, when the tree healed those who looked with faith on the dead enemy, just as Christ, in the flesh that knew no sin, was nailed for sin. The great Moses says: you will see that your life will hang on a tree before you (). Isaiah: “Every day I stretched out My hands to a rebellious people who walked in an evil way, according to their own thoughts” (). Oh, that we who worship him (that is, the Cross) would receive our inheritance in Christ, Who was crucified!”

Venerable John of Damascus. An accurate exposition of the Orthodox faith.

Pectoral cross – small cross, symbolically displaying the place on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified (sometimes with an image of the Crucified One, sometimes without such an image), intended for constant wear Orthodox Christian as a sign of his loyalty to Christ, belonging to the Orthodox Church, serving as a means of protection.

The cross is the greatest Christian shrine, a visible evidence of our redemption. In the service for the Feast of the Exaltation, the tree of the Cross of the Lord is sung with many praises: “the guardian of the entire universe, beauty, the power of kings, true statement, glory and plague."

A pectoral cross is given to a baptized person who becomes a Christian to be constantly worn in the most important place (near the heart) as an image of the Cross of the Lord, external sign Orthodox. This is also done as a reminder that the Cross of Christ is a weapon against fallen spirits, having the power to heal and give life. That is why the Cross of the Lord is called Life-Giving!

He is evidence that a person is a Christian (a follower of Christ and a member of His Church). This is why it is a sin for those who wear a cross for fashion without being a member of the Church. Consciously wearing a cross on the body is a wordless prayer, allowing this cross to demonstrate the true power of the Archetype - the Cross of Christ, which always protects the wearer, even if he does not ask for help or does not have the opportunity to cross himself.

The cross is consecrated only once. It needs to be reconsecrated only in exceptional conditions (if it was severely damaged and restored again, or fell into your hands, but you do not know whether it was consecrated before).

There is a superstition that when consecrated, the pectoral cross acquires magical properties. protective properties. teaches that the sanctification of matter allows us not only spiritually, but also physically - through this sanctified matter - to join the Divine grace that we need for spiritual growth and salvation. But the grace of God does not act unconditionally. A person is required to have a correct spiritual life, and it is this that makes it possible for the grace of God to influence us salutarily, healing us from passions and sins.

Sometimes one hears the opinion that, supposedly, sanctification pectoral crosses- a late tradition and this did not exist before. To this we can answer that the Gospel, as a book, also once did not exist and there was no Liturgy in its current form. But this does not mean at all that the Church cannot develop forms of worship and church piety. Is it contrary to Christian doctrine to invoke God’s grace on the creation of human hands?

Is it possible to wear two crosses?

The main question is why, for what purpose? If you were given another one, then it is quite possible to reverently keep one of them in a holy corner next to the icons, and wear one constantly. If you bought another one, then wear it...
A Christian is buried with a pectoral cross, so it is not passed on by inheritance. As for wearing a second pectoral cross somehow left behind by a deceased relative, wearing it as a sign of memory of the deceased indicates a misunderstanding of the essence of wearing a cross, which testifies to the Sacrifice of God, and not family relationships.

A pectoral cross is not an ornament or an amulet, but one of the visible evidence of belonging to the Church of Christ, a means of grace-filled protection and a reminder of the Savior’s commandment: If anyone wants to follow Me, deny yourself, and take up your cross, and follow Me... ().

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Which cross is considered canonical? Why is it unacceptable to wear a cross with the image of the crucified Savior and other images?

Every Christian from holy baptism to the hour of death must wear on his chest the sign of his faith in the crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord and God Jesus Christ. We wear this sign not over our clothes, but on our body, which is why it is called a body sign, and it is called octagonal (eight-pointed) because it is similar to the Cross on which the Lord was crucified on Golgotha.

Collection body crosses 18-19 centuries from the settlement area of ​​the Krasnoyarsk Territory indicates the presence of stable preferences in form against the background of a rich variety of individual execution of products by craftsmen, and exceptions only confirm the strict rule.

Unwritten legends keep many nuances. So, after the publication of this article, one Old Believer bishop, and then a reader of the site, pointed out that the word cross, just like the word icon, does not have a diminutive form. In this regard, we also appeal to our visitors with a request to respect the symbols of Orthodoxy and monitor the correctness of their speech!

Male pectoral cross

The pectoral cross, which is always and everywhere with us, serves as a constant reminder of the Resurrection of Christ and that at baptism we promised to serve Him and renounced Satan. Thus, the pectoral cross can strengthen our spiritual and physical strength, protect us from the devil's evil.

The oldest surviving crosses often take the form of a simple equilateral four-pointed cross. This was customary at a time when Christians venerated Christ, the apostles, and the holy cross symbolically. In ancient times, as you know, Christ was often depicted as a Lamb surrounded by 12 other lambs - the apostles. Also, the Cross of the Lord was depicted symbolically.

The rich imagination of the masters was strictly limited by unwritten concepts about the canonicity of pectoral crosses

Later, in connection with the discovery of the original Honest and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, St. Queen Helena, the eight-pointed shape of the cross begins to be depicted more and more often. This was also reflected in body crosses. But the four-pointed cross did not disappear: as a rule, an eight-pointed cross was depicted inside a four-pointed cross.

Along with the forms that have become traditional in Rus', in the Old Believer settlements of the Krasnoyarsk Territory one can also find the heritage of the more ancient Byzantine tradition

To remind us of what the Cross of Christ means to us, it is often depicted on the symbolic Calvary with a skull (the head of Adam) at the base. Next to him you can usually see the instruments of the Lord’s passion - a spear and a cane.

Letters INCI(Jesus the Nazarene King of the Jews), which are usually depicted on larger crosses, are given in memory of the inscription mockingly nailed over the head of the Savior during the crucifixion.

The explanatory inscription under the titles reads: King of Glory Jesus Christ Son of God" Often the inscription “ NIKA” (Greek word meaning Christ's victory over death).

Individual letters that may appear on pectoral crosses mean “ TO” – copy, “ T” – cane, “ GG” – Mount Golgotha, “ GA” – head of Adam. “ MLRB” – Place of the Execution Paradise Was (that is: at the site of the execution of Christ, Paradise was once planted).

We are sure that many people do not even realize how perverted this symbolism is in our usual deck of cards . As it turned out in, four card suits are a hidden blasphemy against Christian shrines: cross– this is the Cross of Christ; diamonds- nails; peaks- centurion's copy; worms- This is a sponge with vinegar, which the torturers mockingly gave to Christ instead of water.

The image of the Crucified Savior on body crosses appeared quite recently (at least after the 17th century). Pectoral crosses with the image of the Crucifixion non-canonical , since the image of the Crucifixion turns the pectoral cross into an icon, and the icon is intended for direct perception and prayer.

Wearing an icon hidden from view carries the danger of using it for other purposes, namely as a magical amulet or amulet. The cross is symbol , and the Crucifixion is image . The priest wears a cross with a crucifix, but he wears it visibly: so that everyone sees this image and is inspired to pray, inspired to have a certain attitude towards the priest. The priesthood is an image of Christ. But the pectoral cross that we wear under our clothes is a symbol, and the Crucifixion should not be there.

One of the ancient rules of St. Basil the Great (IV century), which was included in the Nomocanon, reads:

“Anyone who wears any icon as an amulet must be excommunicated from communion for three years.”

As we see, the ancient fathers very strictly monitored the correct attitude towards the icon, towards the image. They stood guard over the purity of Orthodoxy, protecting it in every possible way from paganism. By the 17th century, a custom had developed to place on the back of the pectoral cross a prayer to the Cross (“May God rise again and His enemies be scattered…”), or only the first words.

Women's pectoral cross

In the Old Believers it is still firmly preserved external difference between " female" And " male” crosses. The “female” pectoral cross has a smoother, rounded shape without sharp corners. Around the “female” cross, a “vine” is depicted with a floral ornament, reminiscent of the words of the psalmist: “ Your wife is like a fruitful vine in the countries of your home. ”(Ps. 127: 3).

It is customary to wear a pectoral cross on a long gaitan (braid, woven thread) so that you can, without removing it, take the cross in your hands and make the sign of the cross (this is supposed to be done with the appropriate prayers before going to bed, as well as when performing the cell rule).

Symbolism in everything: even the three crowns above the hole symbolize the Holy Trinity!

If we talk about crosses with the image of the crucifixion more broadly, then distinctive feature canonical crosses is the style of depicting the body of Christ on them. Widespread today on New Believer crosses the image of the suffering Jesus is alien to the Orthodox tradition .

Antique medallions with a symbolic image

According to canonical ideas, reflected in icon painting and copper sculpture, the body of the Savior on the Cross was never depicted suffering, sagging on nails, etc., which testifies to His divine nature.

The manner of “humanizing” the suffering of Christ is characteristic of Catholicism and was borrowed much later than the church schism in Rus'. Old Believers consider such crosses worthless . Examples of canonical and modern New Believer casting are given below: the substitution of concepts is noticeable even with the naked eye.

The stability of traditions should also be noted: the collections in the photographs were replenished without the goal of showing only ancient forms, that is, hundreds of types of modern “ Orthodox jewelry " - invention last decades against the background of almost complete oblivion of the symbolism and meaning of the image of the honorable Cross of the Lord.

Illustrations on the topic

Below are illustrations selected by the editors of the “Old Believer Thought” website and links on the topic.

An example of canonical pectoral crosses from different times:

An example of non-canonical crosses from different times:

Unusual crosses supposedly made by Old Believers in Romania

Photo from the exhibition “Russian Old Believers”, Ryazan

Cross with unusual back side, which you can read about

Modern male cross

Catalog of ancient crosses - online version of the book " Millennium Cross » – http://k1000k.narod.ru

A well-illustrated article on early Christian pectoral crosses with high-quality illustrations in color and additional material on the topic on the website Culturology.Ru – http://www.kulturologia.ru/blogs/150713/18549/

Comprehensive information and photos about cast icon crosses from Novgorod manufacturer of similar products : https://readtiger.com/www.olevs.ru/novgorodskoe_litje/static/kiotnye_mednolitye_kresty_2/

The word about the cross is foolishness for those who are perishing, but for us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18).

The cross is a Christian's weapon! The shining Cross with the inscription “By this victory” appeared to Emperor Constantine, who, by the will of God, built a banner, transferring the seen sign there. And indeed “Sim won”! In honor of Suvorov’s crossing of the Alps, a granite cross twelve meters long was carved into the mountains.
It is impossible to imagine the history of mankind without the cross. Architecture (and not only temple architecture), painting, music (for example, “Carrying the Cross” by J.S. Bach), even medicine (the Red Cross), all aspects of culture and human life are permeated with the cross.

It is wrong to think that the cross appeared with Christianity. In many Old Testament events we see the mark of the cross. St. John of Damascus: “The Tree of Life, planted by God in Paradise, prefigured this Honest Cross. For since death entered through the tree, it was necessary that Life and Resurrection should be given through the tree. The first Jacob, bowing to the end of Joseph's rod, denoted the Cross by means of an image, and, blessing his sons with alternating hands (Gen. 48:14), he very clearly inscribed the sign of the Cross. The same thing was meant by the rod of Moses, which struck the sea in a cross shape and saved Israel, and drowned Pharaoh; hands stretched out crosswise and putting Amalek to flight; bitter water that is sweetened by the tree, and a rock that is torn and pours forth springs; the rod that gives Aaron the dignity of a priesthood; the serpent on the tree, lifted up as a trophy, as if it had been put to death, when the tree healed those who looked with faith on the dead enemy, just as Christ, in the flesh that knew no sin, was nailed for sin. The great Moses says: you will see that your life will hang on a tree before you (Deut. 28:66).”

IN Ancient Rome the cross was an instrument of execution. But in the time of Christ, it turned from an instrument of shame and painful death into a symbol of joy.

Since the first centuries of Christianity, the Egyptian hieroglyph ankh has been used to depict the cross, meaning eternal life. It combines two symbols: a cross - as a symbol of life and a circle - as a symbol of eternity. Together they mean immortality. This cross became widespread in the Coptic Orthodox Church.

An equilateral cross consisting of two identical rectangular crossbars intersecting at right angles are called Greek. IN early Christianity the Greek cross symbolized Christ.
On the national flag of Greece, this cross, white on a blue background, first appeared in 1820, symbolizing the struggle against the rule of the Muslim Turks.

The Gamma Cross, or Gammadion, gets its name from the third letter of the Greek alphabet. It is said to symbolize Christ as " cornerstone Church." Often such a cross can be seen on the clothes of priests of the Orthodox Church.

We call the letter X, in which the name of Christ is hidden, the St. Andrew's Cross, because the Apostle Andrew was crucified on such a cross.

Illiterate opponents of Christianity believe that the inverted cross is an anti-Christian symbol. In fact, this is also a Christian symbol. Saint Peter believed that he was not worthy to die the same death that Jesus Christ died. At his request, he was crucified head down. That's why he wears such a cross his name.

Christ was taken down from such a cross; it is usually called Latin. The most common Christian symbol in the Western world.

The six-pointed cross with a crossbar for the legs is a symbol of the Russian Orthodox Church. The lower crossbar is depicted tilted from right to left.

According to legend, during the crucifixion of Christ, a tablet in three languages ​​(Greek, Latin and Aramaic) with the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” was nailed above the cross. This eight-pointed cross is also commonly called Russian.

The inscriptions and cryptograms on Russian crosses have always been much more diverse than on Greek ones. Since the 11th century, under the lower oblique crossbar of the eight-pointed cross, a symbolic image of the head of Adam appears, buried according to legend on Golgotha ​​(in Hebrew - “place of the skull”), where Christ was crucified. “In the place where I will be buried, the Word of God will be crucified and water my skull with His blood,” Adam prophesied. The following inscriptions are known.
“M.L.R.B.” - the place of execution was quickly crucified.
“G.G.” - Mount Golgotha.
“G.A.” - head of Adam,
The letters “K” and “T” mean a copy of the centurion Longinus and a cane with a sponge, depicted along the cross.
The following inscriptions are placed above the middle crossbar: “IC” “XC” - the name of Jesus Christ; and under it: “NIKA” - Winner; on the title or near it the inscription: “SN” “BZHIY” - Son of God or the abbreviation “I.N.Ts.I.” - Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews; the inscription above the title: “KING” “SLOVES” - King of Glory.

Clover leaves on a trefoil cross symbolize the Trinity and Resurrection. The circles on the edges of the drop-shaped cross are drops of the Blood of Christ, which, having sprinkled the cross, imparted Christ’s power to it. The pointed circle on the crosses is a symbol of the crown of thorns that the Roman soldiers placed on the head of Christ.

St. Ephraim the Syrian spoke about the power of the Cross and the sign of the cross. “If you always use the Holy Cross to help yourself, then “no evil will befall you, and no plague will come close to your dwelling” (Ps. 90:10). Instead of a shield, protect yourself with the Honest Cross, imprint it on your members and heart. And don’t just rely on yourself sign of the cross, but also in your thoughts imprint with it every activity you do, and your entrance, and your departure at all times, and your sitting, and your rising, and your bed, and any service... For this weapon is very strong, and no one can ever do you harm if you are protected by it.”