Have you ever noticed a symbol that looks like a P with an X overlay, on the clothes of catholic priests?What do you think it stands for?
Image Credit: Vatican.com
The letters X and P are the first two letters of Christ’s name ‘Christos’ in Greek which it means Christ in English. In the Greek alphabet, X equals “CH,” and P equals “R.” Also known as the Chi-RhO cross (☧), the letters are usually inscribed one over the other to forms one monogram and are sometimes enclosed within a circle, becoming both a cosmic and a solar symbol. Early Christians adopted the symbol to represent their belief in eternal life in heaven with God and was often depicted with the Tree of Life.
Image Credit: Pinterest
This symbol became very popular because of the story of Constantine’s conversion to Christianity and his conquering of the Roman Empire in the fourth century AD, which is a pivotal moment in Christian history. One day, as Constantine was marching on Rome in 312, he had a vision of the cross in the sky with the inscription that read, “By this symbol you will conquer”. Later, Constantine was uncertain about the vision and supposedly had a dream in which Christ instructed him to use the symbol he had seen as protection in battle. The vision appeared before his final fight with the rival emperor Maxentius.
The vision left a deep impression on Constantine who then instructed all of his soldiers to paint the Chi-Rho on their standards and banners before marching into battle.The next day he confronted the enemy army and defeated it. Constantine continued to use the Chi-Rho symbol prominently, and this marked the beginning of a new chapter in the Roman Empire and the victory of Christian faith over paganism. A year later, he issued the Edict of Milan (also known as the Edict of Constantine), which ended three centuries of oppression, persecution and martyrdom of Christians.
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The Chi-Rho symbol (☧) has since then been used on banners, clerical stoles, candle stands, rings, watches, hats, shirts, coffee mugs and so on. In Catholic paintings and engravings, the Chi-Rho is often depicted with the Greek letters alpha (Α) and omega (Ω) on either side, representing Jesus Christ as the Alpha and Omega.
This symbol (☧) has become a sign of Victory and achievements for the Christian domination of Rome and the world.
Source: Wikipedia
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