Bishop Cheri

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Today Bishop Fernand Cheri, OFM was ordained as the auxiliary bishop of New Orleans, Louisiana. His coat of arms has so many things about it that go against accepted heraldic practices, to say nothing of good taste, that I won’t even begin to comment on it.

Except to say no…just…no.

5 thoughts on “Bishop Cheri”

RevAmg March 24, 2015 at 5:12 PM

My goodness. I guess that brown color could be tenné? Or brunâtre? Trying to give His Excellency the benefit of the doubt…

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1. guyselvester Post authorMarch 24, 2015 at 5:29 PM
  
  Why? Because he’s a bishop? That’s no excuse. THERE IS NO BROWN IN HERALDRY. Sometimes a charge that is naturally brown may be blazoned “proper” but even that is not considered good heraldic practice. But purposely using a brown field and brown charges is just bad heraldry. Period.
  
  And, by the way, tenné, a stain, not a tincture, is orange, not brown.
  
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Hermann Hayn March 25, 2015 at 7:31 AM

Possibly the bishop wanted to allude to the habit colour of the Franciscans, but I concur that is not a good idea. Even if or/yellow and brown are used in the traditional coat of arms of the Greyfriars, the overall impression I get from this achievement is that of an advertisement for cocoa, probably a brand favoured by the scouts (the Scout Movement uses a badge showing the fleur-de-lys, but in different colours).

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Robert H. Rempe April 27, 2015 at 5:10 PM

Is there a rule regarding mottoes? Can more than one bishop have the same motto?

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1. guyselvester Post authorApril 27, 2015 at 5:26 PM
  
  No, and yes.
  
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