By A. DiNardo
ROME-RUTHENIA 12 May 2025 (NRom)
Within the intricate heraldry of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church lies a tapestry woven with threads of ancient and spiritual meaning. The Lesser Arms of the Roman-Ruthenian Pope present the essential symbols of his spiritual and temporal office in a compact yet dignified form, suitable for both ceremonial and daily ecclesiastical use. (Learn more about the canonical development and spiritual foundation of the Roman-Ruthenian papacy — a title formally conferred in 2014 on the patriarchal office of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church — in this document published by the Pontifical Court.)
At the center, the armorial shield bears the black imperial double-headed eagle, each head crowned and turned outward, signifying the unity of East and West under a single apostolic witness — a reference to both Rome and Holy Rus’, and the continuity preserved in Orthodox and Old Catholic tradition. The eagle grasps in its talons the triple cross, emblematic of the Petrine ministry within the Roman-Ruthenian Church, and the orb, symbolizing the spiritual stewardship of Christendom. In the center of the eagle rests a smaller shield bearing the white eagle on a blue field, the personal arms of the Prince-Bishop.
Above the shield rises the Papal tiara in the Roman-Ruthenian form, symbolizing not only Petrine succession but also the spiritual sovereignty of the Holy Apostolic See. Behind the tiara are crossed the key of St. Peter and the sword of St. Mark, indicating the power to bind and loose, and the readiness to defend the faith in word and deed.
To either side, the arms are flanked by figures known in heraldry as supporters:
– On the viewer’s left, robed in red and bearing a flaming sword, stands St. Michael the Archangel, representing the Church Militant — faithful in struggle, vigilant in truth, and steadfast in sacrifice.
– On the right, clad in blue and holding the palm of peace, stands Holy Wisdom, depicted in feminine form, signifying the Church Triumphant — radiant in grace and adorned with the eternal reward of fidelity.
Together, these supporters embody both the Church’s earthly mission and its heavenly fulfillment.
This coat of arms is not merely an emblem of office, but a theological proclamation: that the Roman-Ruthenian Pope, the head of the United Roman-Ruthenian Church, bears both the cross and the crown, not for personal glory, but in the name of Christ and His Church — preserving what others have abandoned, and shepherding the faithful in truth, unity, and holy tradition.
