Types of Catholic Crosses
The cross is the symbol of Christianity. It's a visible reminder of the death of Jesus Christ, the event Christians believe brought about the salvation of the human race. While the cross in Protestant traditions remains void of further symbolism, the cross in the Catholic tradition has been represented in a number of ways.
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Traditional Crucifix
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The most common type of Catholic cross is the crucifix. A crucifix is different from a regular cross in that a crucifix has the body of Christ on it. The first crucifix known in Christian art dates around 400 A.D. Throughout the centuries, how the body of Christ is displayed has changed. In the early Church, the body of Christ on the cross showed little suffering, but by the Middle Ages, an anguished Christ was displayed on the cross. The most common crucifix today is that with a dead Christ on the cross.
Irish Cross
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The hallmark of an Irish cross, also called a Celtic cross, is the circle behind the beams of the cross. According to legend, this cross was introduced to the Irish by St. Patrick. The cross is a symbol of salvation, and the circle is a symbol of eternity. Thus, the Irish cross is a cross that teaches that eternity is gained through the death of Christ. Because of their rich symbolism, Irish crosses are often used as grave markers.
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Cross with Resurrected Christ
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In the past 40 years, a cross with new symbolism has emerged in Catholic art: the cross with the resurrected Christ. This new symbolism is the result of a new emphasis in Catholic theology---namely, that salvation comes not only through the death of Christ, but through this resurrection as well.
On this cross, the resurrected Christ has replaced the body of the dead Christ. Like the Irish cross, the cross with the resurrected Christ teaches that just as Christ has to die on the cross in order to be raised to a new life, our own resurrection is gained through the death of Christ.
Byzantine Cross
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The Byzantine cross is unique in Catholic art because it seeks to do more than merely give us an image of the crucified Christ. Around the image of Christ there are usually other smaller images, called icons. These icons can vary. Some depict the authors of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Other images depict scenes from the life of Christ.
Byzantine crosses never show Christ in agony. Instead, the body of Christ is positioned to look as if he is holding himself up on the cross. This depiction seeks to reveal the divinity of Christ: since Christ is God, he held himself on the cross by his own will.
Tau Cross
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The Tau cross is unlike other crosses insofar as it looks like a capital letter T and not like a lowercase t. St. Francis of Assisi, who made the Tau cross popular, adopted it after hearing Pope Innocent III's opening sermon of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), in which the Pope said, "We are called to reform our lives, to stand in the presence of God as righteous people. God will know us by the sign of the 'Tau' marked on our foreheads." The Pope drew the imagery of the Tau from the prophet Ezekiel. In the Latin Vulgate version of the Bible, Ezekiel 9:4 reads: "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem: and mark Tau upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and mourn for all the abomination that are committed in the midst thereof." When St. Francis heard the words of the Pope, he saw in the Tau cross a symbol of being marked for God, consecrated to a life worthy of God, and adopted it as his own.
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