Catholic symbols
The symbols of Catholic worship and devotion: the papal keys and tiara, the Rosary and the Marian signs, the monstrance, chalice and Lamb of God, the crucifix, and the font, holy water and pilgrim’s shell.
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The papacy
- Keys of St PeterTwo keys crossed in saltire, one gold and one silver: the keys of the kingdom of heaven that Christ promised to St Peter, and the emblem of the Holy See and the papacy.
- Papal tiaraA tall crown shaped like a beehive, ringed by three crowns and topped by a small cross: the papal tiara. Popes no longer wear it, but it remains over the crossed keys on the arms of the Holy See.
Mary
- RosaryA string of beads in five groups of ten, with a crucifix, used to pray the Rosary: a Catholic prayer of Hail Marys counted on the beads while meditating on events in the lives of Jesus and Mary.
- Immaculate Heart of MaryA heart pierced by a sword: the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Catholic devotion to the love and sorrows of the Virgin Mary.
- Miraculous MedalAn oval medal showing the Virgin Mary standing on a globe with rays falling from her hands, with an M, a cross and two hearts on its back. It comes from the visions of Catherine Labouré in Paris in 1830.
- Marian crossA cross with a capital M beside it or beneath it, for Mary standing at the foot of the cross. It is best known from the coat of arms of Pope John Paul II.
The Eucharist and the Mass
- MonstranceA vessel of gold or silver with a glass window at its centre, usually ringed with rays like the sun, in which the consecrated host is shown for adoration and carried in procession.
- Chalice and hostA cup with a round wafer above it: the chalice and host of the Mass, the Catholic sign of the Eucharist and of the priesthood.
- Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)A lamb, usually with a halo and carrying a cross-staff with a banner: Christ as the Lamb of God, from John the Baptist’s words “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
- Pelican in her pietyA pelican wounding her own breast to feed her young with her blood: a traditional Christian sign of Christ, who saves people by his blood.
- CrucifixA cross bearing the figure of the crucified Christ. Catholics and Lutherans use it in worship, the Orthodox avoid carved figures, and Reformed churches keep to the bare cross.
Baptism and holy water
- Baptismal fontThe basin that holds the water of baptism, standing in a Catholic church or in a baptistery beside it.
- Holy water and the aspergillumWater blessed by a priest, kept in fonts at the doors of Catholic churches and sprinkled on the people with a sprinkler called the aspergillum.
- Scallop shellThe shell of the scallop: the badge of pilgrims to the shrine of St James at Santiago de Compostela, and in many churches the shell used to pour the water of baptism.
About catholic symbols
Catholic symbols are the signs of Catholic worship and devotion: those of the papacy, of Mary, of the Mass and the Eucharist, and of baptism and blessing. Many are shared with the Orthodox and Anglican churches, and the pages say who uses which. The signs every Christian church uses, such as the Latin cross, the Chi-Rho, IHS and the Sacred Heart, are in Christian symbols.
The papacy has two emblems. The keys of St Peter, one gold and one silver, come from Christ’s promise to Peter of “the keys of the kingdom of heaven”, and the Holy See has used the two crossed keys as its insignia since the fourteenth century. Over them stands the tiara, the triple crown popes no longer wear, which Paul VI left with the keys as the emblem of the Apostolic See.
The Marian signs are devotions. The Rosary is prayed on beads, ten Hail Marys to each of five decades, while meditating on the mysteries of Christ’s life; John Paul II added the mysteries of light in 2002. The Heart of Mary is pierced with a sword, and the Miraculous Medal of 1830 carries it on its back beside an M and a cross, the source of the Marian cross.
The Eucharist has the most signs. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says the Church offers the sacrament adoration outside Mass too, showing the host to the faithful and carrying it in procession, which is what the Monstrance is for. The chalice and host, the Lamb of God and the pelican all point to it, and every Catholic altar has a Crucifix.
Baptism gives the last group: the font, the water blessed in it at the Easter Vigil, the holy water sprinkled at Sunday Mass to recall baptism, and the scallop shell, which pours the water in some churches and is the badge of pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela.
Sources and dates
These are living practices, described here in the present tense from the Church’s own documents: the Catechism, the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and the Holy See’s account of its arms. The history comes largely from the Catholic Encyclopedia, published between 1907 and 1912 and written from a Catholic point of view, so its readings are given in its authors’ names and dated.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 522–556, Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part One, “The Mysteries of Christ’s Life”, Holy See (vatican.va), no. 553
- Flag, Coat of Arms and Seal, Secretariat of State, “Flag, Coat of Arms and Seal” of the Holy See and the State of Vatican City, Holy See (vatican.va), Coat of Arms of the Holy See
- The Coat of Arms of His Holiness Benedict XVI, Holy See, “The Coat of Arms of His Holiness Benedict XVI” (2005), Holy See (vatican.va), Tiara
- How to Pray the Rosary, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “How to Pray the Rosary”, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, How to Pray the Rosary
- Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907–1912), via New Advent, History
- Miraculous Medal, John Glass, “Miraculous Medal”, The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911, The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907–1912), via New Advent, Miraculous Medal
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1373–1381, Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part Two, “The Sacrament of the Eucharist”, Holy See (vatican.va), no. 1378
- General Instruction of the Roman Missal, §308, The Holy See (vatican.va), nos. 51, 308
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 1217–1228, Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part Two, “The Sacrament of Baptism”, Holy See (vatican.va), no. 1217
- Pilgrimages, Bede Jarrett, “Pilgrimages”, The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911, The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907–1912), via New Advent, Compostela
- Shell (Catholic Dictionary), John A. Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary, “Shell”, via Catholic Culture, Catholic Culture (Fr John Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary), Shell
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 9, 2026. How we research