After posting about the use of the coat of arms of the martyr, Blessed Oscar Romero, on the vestments used at the ceremony of his beatification last Saturday some noted how there really is no good image of his coat of arms available on the internet. So, I have undertaken to prepare something (above) which at least more clearly depicts the coat of arms as it seems to appear.
The coat of arms can be blazoned as follows: Per fess in chief per fess again the chief Azure a palm branch Or and below that chequy Or and Argent a triple-barred cross Sable; in base Argent a triple sprig of rosemary Proper. The shield is ensigned with a patriarchal cross pale wise behind the shield and a galero with cords and twenty tassels arranged on both sides in four rows of one, two, three and four all Vert. On a scroll below the shield the motto reads, “Sentire Cum Ecclesia”.
Thanks! And now hope, that someone discovers the ‘official image’ with eventually an explanation. I doubt about the or/argent in the chequy fess.
When I enlarged the photo of the vestment the fess chequy looks as though it is Or & Argent.
A triple-cross over a fess chequy or-argent 3 x 12……………….. possible symbol for Christ or even the Trinity (3 bars) over heaven (gold) and earth (argent), the human beings in there ….?? It could fit well in the entire shield: the martyrs (palm) in Heaven (blue), the bishop on earth=silver (rosemary, canting)…..
I find that guessing at the symbolism is usually pointless.