Category Archives: Work of Other Artists

Attributed Arms of Jesus Christ

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Attributed arms are Western European coats of arms given retrospectively to persons real or fictitious who died before the start of the age of heraldry in the latter half of the 12th C. Arms were assigned to the knights of the round table, to Biblical figures, to Roman and Greek heroes, and to kings and popes who had not historically borne arms.

The same is true even for divine beings. Arms have been attributed to Jesus Christ by a number of different people. One such example is below:

This image, which I found on the internet, contains many of the traditional elements of arms attributed to Christ. These consist mainly of the instruments of His passion and death. It is, necessarily, rather over-crowded and busy but still rendered well and arranged in a manner that can be called traditionally heraldic. Many would, perhaps, prefer a version like the one depicted below:

May these holy days prove spiritually fruitful to all those who observe them. May you have a Happy Easter!

Archbishop Fabre of Louisville

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On March 30 the Most Rev. Shelton Fabre (58), a priest of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and formerly Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana was installed as the 12th Archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky.

His armorial bearings (below) depict the arms of the See impaled with his personal coat of arms assumed at the time that he became Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans in 2006. I don’t much care for the arms of the See of Louisville but that’s just tough luck for me. There is nothing wrong with them. Rather it’s a matter of personal taste. The same is true for the Archbishop’s personal arms: I don’t happen to care for them but that’s just my tough luck. Again, no egregious heraldic errors. I do think it is a shame that both fields are azure as there is little contrast between the two impalements but that’s life.

Two For The Big Apple

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On March 1 two new auxiliary bishops were ordained for the Archdiocese of New York. They are the Most Rev. John Samuel Bonnici (57), Titular Bishop of Arindela and the Most Rev. Joseph Armando Espaillat (45), Titular Bishop of Tagarbala. Their armorial bearings, rendered by Sig. Renato Poletti, are as follows:

Benvenuto, Archbishop Renna!

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The Most Rev. Luigi Renna (56) originally a priest of Andria, Italy and from 2016 until now Bishop of Cerignola-Ascoli Satriano, Italy will be translated and promoted to Metropolitan Archbishop of Catania and installed in that see on February 19, 2022.

The archbishop’s coat of arms is:

The field of silver stands for transparency of action. The crown of thorns recalls the relic of the holy Thorn kept in the cathedral at Andria. Rising from the crown is a branch terminating in a pomegranate symbolizing charity and, because of the tightly packed seeds inside the fruit, symbolizes the ecclesial communion of the Church. The blue fess is charged with three silver seven-pointed stars alludes to Our Lady and her virginity, before, during and after the Birth of Christ.

The motto, “Building In Charity”, is from Ephesians 4:16. It was a passage of Scripture used in the Office of Readings on the day he received word he was to be named a bishop in 2015.

The arms were designed by Sig. Renato Poletti.

Farewell, Good and Faithful Servant

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Today, February 15, 2022 the Archdiocese of Catania in Sicily bade farewell to the Archbishop since 2002, the Most Rev. Salvatore Gristina (75). He will be succeeded on February 19 by Archbishop-Designate Luigi Renna. Gristina was born June 23, 1946 in Sciara and ordained a priest by St. paul VI in 1970. Named an auxiliary bishop of Palermo in 1992 by St. John Paul II he was consecrated by Salvatore Cardinal Pappalardo. In 1999 he became Bishop of Acireale until 2002 when he was elevated to Metropolitan Archbishop of Catania.

His armorial bearings were designed by the late Andrea Cardinal Lanza di Montezemolo.

Toledo Auxiliary

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Francisco César García Magán (59) a priest of Toledo, Spain was ordained as the Titular Bishop of Scebatiana and Auxiliary of Toledo on January 15.

The design of his arms is a bit amateurish and cliched; four quarters each with a symbol. The problem with that is that while it might seem an attractive idea from the point of view of design, affording four chances to include different symbols, the idea of quartered arms implies four separate coats of arms that have been marshaled together on the same shield by the method of quartering.

It is, as I said, an amateur’s mistake to think that a newly assumed coat of arms may start out being a shield divided into four quarters each bearing something different. Having said that the new bishop’s arms are aesthetically pleasant and the symbols used are, at least, appropriate.

In the first quarter the Jerusalem cross is used not to symbolize the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher. That cross, used by that order, is not exclusive to it. Here it represents the Passion of the Lord. The second quarter alludes to the Spanish territory of Castile. The third quarter is symbolic of Our Lady (star of the sea) and the fourth quarter alludes to justice and to Canon Law, the academic color for which is green.

Epiphany: The Attributed Arms of the Magi

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We see here the attributed coats of arms of the Three Magi, or Wise Men who are traditionally named Kaspar, Melchior and Balthazar. Of course, we don’t really know their names and they also existed before heraldry did. In fact, some Biblical scholars question whether or not they even existed at all or are merely symbolic. We also don’t know from the Scriptures that there were three of them, only that they brought three gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. It is assumed, safely I think, that they each bore one gift so that there must have been three of them.

This version of their arms is nicely rendered by Marco Foppoli.

Bishop dos Santos

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The Most Rev. Joel Maria dos Santos (55) a priest of the archdiocese of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, was ordained Titular Bishop of Thenae and Auxiliary Bishop of Belo Horizonte on December 18, 2021.

His coat of arms is rather nice. It’s clear with a simple, if not a bit haphazard arrangement of the charges. The principal symbol represents the Holy Trinity while the star is for Our Lady and the sword and book a reference to St. Paul. The color scheme is good and the tinctures and metals are a good combination while not going nuts with multiple tinctures.

A very nice coat of arms. Bravo!

Archbishop Boland’s Excellent Example

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One of the better coats of arms borne by an American prelate in the 20th Century belonged to the Most Rev. Thomas Aloysius Boland, the 6th Bishop and 2nd Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey from 1952-1974. Boland had been a priest of Newark and served as Auxiliary Bishop there from 1940-1947 and then was translated to the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey as its 2nd Bishop from 1947-1952. Archbishop Boland retired from office in 1974 and died in 1979.

His very nice, simple and stylish coat of arms impaled very well with the equally simple and well-designed armorial bearings of the See of Newark. The contrast in tinctures and the composition of the charges made for an excellent overall appearance. Of course, in the time when he became a bishop and assumed these arms it was still the custom to include the mitre and crozier in the achievement of a bishop.

Advent in Heraldry

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It’s not all that easy to find heraldic references to Advent. Nevertheless, one which I came across many years ago and of which I always think at this time of the year is the very fine coat of arms of the Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama. This is the cathedral church for the Episcopalian Diocese. They had a devisal of arms produced for them by HM College of Arms in London. It is, overall, a most pleasing design and I particularly like how an Advent wreath was incorporated.

The Church enters into the final week Advent this week and I wanted to be sure to point out this excellently done coat of arms before the season had left us again.

Happy Advent (and a Merry Christmas) to you all.

Colin Powell 1937-2021

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US Army General Colin Luther Powell, who served as U.S. Secretary of State from 2001-2005, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989-1993 and as National Security Advisor from 1987-1989 died on October 18, 2021 at age 84 from blood cancer and Parkinson’s Disease both of which had been complicated by Covid-19.

Some people knew, but many didn’t, that Powell had British ancestry and that his father, Luther Powell, had been granted a coat of arms by Her Majesty through Lord Lyon King of Arms in Scotland. In addition, Lord Lyon granted a unique crest to General Powell. The achievement is:

When Lord Lyon Robin Blair travelled to Washington, DC to deliver the Letters Patent of the grant to General Powell in 2004 he attended a cocktail party the night before in suburban Virginia given by American members of the Heraldry Society of Scotland. I was at that party. Lord Lyon was kind enough to bring the Letters Patent with him to the party for all of us heraldic enthusiasts to see. So, we were all privileged to see the grant even before Colin Powell did!

May he rest in peace.

The version above was rendered by Andrew Stewart Jamieson.

Bishop Guido Marini

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On October 17 Pope Francis ordained his long-serving Master of Pontifical Ceremonies, Guido Marini (56) as Bishop of Tortona at a liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica. Bishop Marini, a priest of Genoa who served as Papal MC since 2007, will be installed in his cathedral church on November 7.

The armorial bearings he has assumed were prepared by Marco Foppoli.

Bishop Robert Brennan to Brooklyn

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Today, September 29, Pope Francis appointed the Most Rev. Robert Brennan, 59, Bishop of Columbus, OH since 2019 to become the 8th Bishop of Brooklyn in its 168 year history. He succeeds Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, 77, who served there since 2003.

Bishop Brennan is a NY native and was a priest, official and Auxiliary Bishop in the neighboring diocese to Brooklyn, Rockville Centre until he went to Ohio three years ago. He also studied in the Brooklyn Diocese when he attended St. John’s University in Jamaica, Queens.

The arms he assumed in 2012 when he became a bishop impale nicely with those of the See of Brooklyn:

Ad Multos Annos!

Grosseto

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On August 9 the Most Rev. Giovanni Roncari, OFM. Cap. (71) Bishop of Pitigliano-Sovano-Obrbetello Italy was additionally installed as the Bishop of Grosetto, Italy. Henceforth, Grosseto is united to Pitigliano-Sovana-Orbetello in persona episcopi. His coat of arms, designed by Giuseppe Quattrociocchi is below:

The chief (upper third of the shield) contains the traditional symbol of all the various types of Franciscans, namely the crossed arms of Christ and Francis with a cross. The bridge recalls the place where the bishop hails from (San Piero a Ponti) and the star is for Our Lady. The inclusion of the Florentine fleur-de-lis is to recall the city of Florence where the bishop exercised a great deal of his priestly ministry.

The coat of arms is well done, despite the asymmetry of the star and fleur-de-lis. That bothers some people but can also work very well depending on the overall design and I think it does so here.

My only criticism is the inclusion of the small Tau Cross at the center of the episcopal cross standing behind the shield. As I have frequently written about on this blog I am of the opinion that the external ornaments in a heraldic achievement, which indicate rank, not identity, should not be seen as open to personalization. But, in the grand scheme of things that is a minor criticism at best. I particularly like the shape of the shield chosen as I think it works very well with what is depicted upon it.