What's the difference...

[Velo Princesse]

...between RC cross and Eastern Orthodox cross ?

{and that concludes this episode of Stupid Questions by Randi}


Randi

 

[xristos.anesti]

Many years.

There are many crosses and all are good and none is lesser than other for they respresent way of our salvation, they represent the glory of God, the joy of universe, the hope of human kind and the horror of demons.

This forum (CF) has "denominational representative crosses", but the ones used are not the only crosses that we use.

Orthodox Church (in which this sinner is being cured) has quite a number of crosses.

You see, I am baptised into Serbian Orthodox Church, and for me the Orthodox Cross that is used by CF to denote Orthodox was always considered as "Russian Cross".
The "Greek Cross" is simple +. We, Serbs, have a different cross...

The Latins on this Forum use Jerusalem Cross.... But that is not "the official cross", neither is Orthodox one official Orthodox ("for I am not a Russian" LOL)... And so on..



What is the difference? Shape, or so it seems.




Off the subject:
Now the real thing is the way we "mark ourselves with this honored sign of our Lord confessing the Creed and our faith in one swift move, as it is proper and right for a Cross bearing sinner, under mercy of our God the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit to do so".

That is, the way we cross our-sinful-self's.



Orthodox do it this way, for that is the way it was given to us by our Cross bearing fathers:

One shall put his [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] fingers together to cross oneself, for that is proper and right to a man, woman and child.

Three first fingers that are put together express our Faith in God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit - and they are pointing up - for there are Three All Holy in the Heaven, always and forever - and to Them all glory, honour and worship, now and ever and unto the ages of ages - amin.
Two fingers that are bent and pressed toward our palm express two natures of Jesus Christ - being God, He became Man - and they are pointing down for He came down from the heavenly Throne, for our salvation.



One shall then touch his forhead and say In the name of the Father,

then one shall touch his stomach and say And the Son,

then one shall touch his right shoulder and then left shoulder saying And the Holy - Spirit. Amin.

IC XC
NI KA


[/font]

 

[Historicus]

The "RC Cross" is commonly used by many non-RC's such as Anglicans (but not all), some Lutherans, some Methodists, and believe it or not, even some Baptists, as well as various other Christian denominations.

Look at xristos.anesti's post to find more out about the "EO Cross".

Here is an interesting article on the topic, from a Disciple of Christ minister (a very Protestant, denomination). Article

 

[Velo Princesse]

Thanks, guys... that was very helpful. I'm going to go read that article right now.

I don't know why, but I really expected the only answer I got to be "The ugly head wrap."

LOL

Randi

 

[gtsecc]

...between RC cross and Eastern Orthodox cross ?

{and that concludes this episode of Stupid Questions by Randi}


Randi

I think that is a marvolous question!
The 2 fingers in palm represent Christ's 2 natures.
The Three together, obvious represent the Trinity.

 

[LiberatedChick]

Don't the EO do the horizontal bit the other way to the RC as well?...i.e. RC cross goes from left to right and EO goes from right to left. I'm sure I read that somewhere...the little and do that too.

 

[TomUK]

Certainly all the orthodox churches i've been to did it that way, but my experience of eastern orthodoxy is in no way representative.

 

[Mary of Bethany]

Yes, Orthodox cross from right to left - the same as the Priest who is standing in front of the congregation. From what I've heard, the RCs used to do it that way also, but at some point, the people began mirroring the Priest's actions, and so began crossing from left to right. Just developed differently.