For at least 800 years, each Pope has had his own personal coat of arms that serves as a symbol of his papacy.[1] The first Pope whose arms are known with certainty is Pope Innocent IV (1243-1254). Earlier popes were only attributed arms in the 17th century.[2]
All recent popes' coats of arms contained the image of the papal tiara. Benedict XVI has altered heraldic custom and used instead the mitre and pallium (see article: Coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI). The papal coat of arms traditionally features a gold and silver key, representing the power to bind and to loose on earth (silver) and in heaven (gold). These are a reference to St Matthew's Gospel, chapter 16, verses 18-19:
- "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Thus in ecclesiastical heraldry, the keys symbolise the spiritual authority of the Papacy as the Vicar of Christ on Earth.
Coats of arms of Popes
 Benedict XVI |
 John Paul II |
 John Paul I |
 Paul VI |
 Bl. John XXIII |
 Pius XI |
 Benedict XV |
|
 St. Pius X |
 Leo XIII |
 Bl. Pius IX |
 Gregory XVI |
 Pius VIII |
 Leo XII |
 Pius VII |
 Pius VI |
 Clement XIV |
 Clement XIII |
 Benedict XIV |
 Clement XII |
 Benedict XIII |
 Innocent XIII |
 Clement XI |
 Innocent XII |
 Alexander VIII |
 Bl. Innocent XI |
 Clement X |
 Clement IX |
 Alexander VII |
 Innocent X |
 Urban VIII |
 Gregory XV |
 Paul V |
 Leo XI |
 Clement VIII |
 Innocent IX |
 Gregory XIV |
 Urban VII |
 Sixtus V |
 Gregory XIII |
 St. Pius V |
Pius IV |
 Paul IV |
 Marcellus II |
 Julius III |
 Paul III |
Clement VII |
 Adrian VI |
|
Leo X |
 Julius II |
 Pius III |
 Alexander VI |
 Innocent VIII |
Sixtus IV |
 Paul II |
Pius II |
 Callixtus III |
 Nicholas V |
.svg) Felix V |
 Eugene IV |
 Martin V |
.svg) John XXIII |
.svg) Alexander V |
 Gregory XII |
 Innocent VII |
.svg) Benedict XIII |
 Boniface IX |
.svg) Clement VII |
 Urban VI |
 Gregory XI |
 Urban V |
 Innocent VI |
|
Clement VI |
 Benedict XII |
 John XXII |
 Clement V |
 Benedict XI |
 Boniface VIII |
 Celestine V |
 Nicholas IV |
 Honorius IV |
 Martin IV |
 Nicholas III |
 John XXI |
 Adrian V |
 Innocent V |
 Gregory X |
 Clement IV |
 Urban IV |
 Alexander IV |
Innocent IV |
 Celestine IV |
|
Gregory IX |
Honorius III |
Innocent III |
Related coats of arms
 Coat of Arms of the Holy See. |
 Coat of Arms of Vatican City. |
 Emblem of Vatican City (from the Flag). |
 Sede vacante emblem of Holy See, used when there is no reigning pope. Keys disposed as customary for Papal arms, not Vatican City, at least since 1929[3] |
Notes
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: SVG Papal coats of arms |
- ^ Coat of Arms of His Holiness Benedict XVI Vatican. Accessed 2008-03-15.
- ^ Michel Pastoreau (1997). Traité d'Héraldique (3e édition ed.). Picard. pp. 283–284. ISBN 2-7084-0520-9.
- ^ "Vatican City (Holy See)". fotw.net. 2006-03-25. http://www.fotw.net/flags/va2.html. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
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