What is the significance of the Crucifix and does it have anything to do with Catholicism?

Question

I want to know what the crucifix represents - and if it has anything to do with Catholicism.

Answer 1

Jesus Christ was crucified on one so that's where the symbol comes from for Catholicism. It also scares off vampires :)

Answer 2

The cross was not widely depicted before the 4th century AD, when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Earlier, when Christians were often persecuted, the cross was frequently disguised as an anchor, or some other mundane object. Second century Christians, however, had already begun to make the sign of the cross as a gesture of identification, blessing, and warding off of evil. In the Roman church the sign of the cross was made from left to right and in Eastern Orthodox churches from right to left.

A crucifix is a cross bearing a painted or sculptured image of Christ. Crucifixes first appeared in the 5th century, and from the 9th century on medieval artists increasingly aimed at a realistic portrayal of Christ's suffering. The Renaissance created a fashion for a more ideally conceived imagery that dramatically returned to pathos under the emotional taste of the baroque period. During the Reformation, Protestants generally repudiated the use of representational religious imagery; the crucifix therefore became associated with Roman Catholicism.

Idaho Mike is just speaking on hear say i am a catholic and we are not a cult the sign of the cross represents the holy trinity of the father son and holy spirit sorry had to vent

Answer 3

The crucifix is highly significant in catholicism as well as Christianity as a whole. It is a symbol of the death that Jesus Christ suffered for all of the children of God. As Jesus Christ was crucified on the Cross, the Crucifix is a permanent symbolic reminder in Catholicism

Answer 4

Christianity - Catholicism - IS the Crucifix. The Crucifix IS Christianity - Catholicism. They are one and the same. Christ died for us and founded the early Christian church. It wasn't given an official name until about the 4th century (400 a.d.), which was the Roman Universal Church, which is the straight english version of the name. It was called Universal because the Church is for all people everywhere. The name it has today, which most people know it by, is the Latin version: the Roman Catholic Church.

Answer 5

The crucifix or the sign of the cross is used by others as well as catholics. It represent the horrible way in which Jesus died for the redemption of sins. In the Salvation Army, the cross is empty to signify the fact that Jesus died on the cross but rose again.

Answer 6

The crucifix represent how Jesus died on the cross to save our sins. Jesus was sentenced to death by Pontious Pilot and God said he gave up the life of his Son to repent the sins of the world!

It is not only Catholics who use it as an Icon. It is widely recognised in Christianity!

Answer 7

The Idol commonly called a Crucifix is from roman catholic cult practice... the crucifix has Jesus still on the cross... Those of the Christian Faith do not follow that practice... The Cross is empty because jesus was taken down from it.

here is a link to the Cross page of my website(it is short):

http://pages.zdnet.com/mikevanauken/mikesinternetoutreach/id81.html

All honest seekers welcome

Answer 8

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other uses, see Crucifix (disambiguation).

A crucifix amidst the cornfields near Mureck in rural Styria, Austria
A handheld crucifix
A crucifix in front of the Holy Spirit Church in KoÅ¡ice, SlovakiaA crucifix is a cross with a representation of Jesus's body, or corpus. It is a principal symbol of the Christian religion. It is primarily used among Roman Catholic, certain Lutheran, and Anglican Christians, and emphasizes Christ's sacrifice—his death by crucifixion. Some styles of crucifix feature a skull and crossbones below the corpus, reflecting a legend that the place of Jesus' crucifixion was also the burial place of Adam.

The corpora of Eastern Orthodox crucifixes tend to be two-dimensional icons that show Jesus as already dead, as opposed to the depictions of the still-suffering Jesus that can be found in some other Churches.

Among Protestant denominations, some prefer to depict the cross without the corpus in order to emphasize the resurrection or because the image of Christ's death is too intense while others claim that including the corpus is idolatry. Some Protestants with more extremistic views even assert that portraying the body of Jesus on the cross is to profess that Jesus is not yet risen, though this is of course not what the various churches which use the symbol teach.

However, there are both Catholics and Protestants who also believe that a crucifix bears more meaning than a plain cross, not forgetting that the cross was primarily a torture instrument in the past whereas a crucifix shows that it is not "any other cross".

Nevertheless, many Protestants unexposed to other denominations of Christianity generally receive a shock when they see a crucifix for the first time upon entering a Catholic church or home, especially since most Catholic homes place a crucifix on/above the door or somewhere in the front of the house. (Such crucifixes are also generally larger and with more detail.)

Among Catholics and Protestants a third type of depiction of the body on the cross is what might be called a "resurrection cross" depicting a triumphant risen Christ (clothed in robes, rather than stripped as for his execution) with arms raised, appearing to rise up from the cross, sometimes accompanied by "rays of light".

A crucifix is often worn on a necklace as an item of jewelry, or is attached to a rosary. Some celebrities such as Madonna have in the past been criticized for wearing a crucifix as a fashion statement rather than as a sign of personal devotion to Christianity. (Madonna also infamously said "I find crucifixes sexy as there is a naked man on them.") It can be made out of various metals, wood, or even plastic. Some people will hang a crucifix (often a rosary) from their car's rear view mirror.

Catholics will normally ask their priest to bless a crucifix and place it in their home to as a reminder that Jesus Christ died for our sins.

Usage
Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, Anglican, and confessional Lutheran Christians generally use the crucifix in public religious services. They believe the crucifix is in keeping with Scripture, which states that "we preach Christ crucified." Also, in the Old Testament, Moses lifted up a snake crucified on a pole-- a kind of symbolic crucifix. For a long time it was revered, but not worshipped. Later on it was destroyed by King Hezekiah because the people were worshipping it along with pagan idols.

A crucifix that is part of a rosary or a handheld crucifix is often kissed by the Christian at the start of, or at the end of prayer to Jesus. Symbolically, a Christian (especially an Orthodox Christian) may form a "cross" with the intertwined thumb, first and middle fingers of the right hand while making the sign of the cross and kiss the "cross" formed by their fingers at the end of the motion.

Prayer in front of ("before") a crucifix or cross is often part of devotion for Christians, especially those worshipping in a church, and private devotion in a chapel. The person may sit, stand, or kneel in front of the crucifix, sometimes looking at it as if in contemplation, or merely in front of it with head bowed or eyes closed. In Catholic circles, a "procession" begins a Mass in which a crucifix is carried forward into the church, along with other items used in the service such as the Gospels, candles, etc.

Gravestones often depict some form of cross in Christian cemeteries or for individual believers who desire them. These range from simple cross shapes to the most elaborate and realistic sculptures. These are not typically used in worship service, but rather to symbolize the entrusting of the deceased to the care of Christ, or to express the belief of the departed.

In popular fiction and folklore, a cross or crucifix is often used to ward off vampires and other evil supernatural creatures that are seen to be related to demons (and thus are scared away by the symbol of Christ, who supposedly has power over them). The word rendered as "cross", in the original Greek Septuagint was the word stauros ("upright stake"). This has led some to believe that Jesus was not executed on a cross, but rather a stake of some sort.

Answer 9

the crucifix has to do with all Christ following denominations:inthe case of catholics,we bless ourselves using the sign of the cross(crucifix).Sorry,i cant offer more...

Answer 10

Well, the crucifix is what Jesus died on and Catholics pray to it like he still hangs there. It would be like you going to someones grave and talking to the headstone and thinking that they were right there next to you.