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Welcome to the Saint Peter Codex
In 2007 renowned heraldic artist, Andrew Jamieson had an idea to produce a book. A magnificent, monumental vellum codex, showing the coats of arms of all the Popes from Innocent III to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Gloriosamente Regnante. The book (The Saint Peter Codex) will be in three sections. The first will contain title, and dedication pages, prayers and a chapter on the traditions of heraldry in the Catholic Church. The second will contain paintings of the arms of the Popes one per page each one set within a unique and beautifully decorated border and finally a Roll of Honour listing the names of all the Principal Donors who made the work possible. It will be one of the largest heraldic books produced since the Middle Ages. It will use approximately 60 calf skins, and nearly one hundred grams of 23c gold paint.
Andrew who is herald painter to the British Association of the Sovereign, Military and Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta approached Officers of the Order to ask if they might become Principal Patrons of the work. In April 2008, HMEH The Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Fra Matthew Festing agreed to be a Principal Patron along with His Grace the Archbishop of Glasgow, the Most Reverend, Mario Conti.
The work will be paid for by Principal Donors. Each Donor will have their names inscribed in a Roll of Honour in the final section of the book, that their names may bear witness, through centuries to come, of their generosity and patronage of this important and historic work of art and as a testament to their enduring support and the importance of the continual Grace and Majesty of the Office of the Holy Father in Rome. A Sample Page Each Papal Coat of Arms will be set within individually designed decorative border which will reflect aspects of a particular Pope’s history.
Marginal details. Roundels are 3cm in diameter
CODEX NEWS
Heraldry and The Saint Peter Codex
Prior to the mid XX Century the armorial bearings of the various men who have occupied the chair of St. Peter may have been seen only by those who visited Rome and saw these armorial bearings displayed on banners or Church furnishings. In recent years, however, the general appearance of the coat of arms of the pope is usually rather well known thanks to television and the internet. In addition, the publication within the last three decades of several books on ecclesiastical heraldry in general and papal heraldry in particular have further focused attention on the process behind designing the papal coat of arms as well as highlighting the many and varied ways these coats of arms are emblazoned on everything from the facades of buildings down to the tickets issued by the Holy See for the Pope’s weekly general audience.
But what is it about a coat of arms that fascinates people? Why should a heraldic emblem used by the chief shepherd of a religious body cause so much interest? It is the particular and unique quality of a coat of arms that engenders interest throughout the world. A pope’s coat of arms becomes symbolic of all he teaches, writes, preaches, stands for and embodies whether that is for good or for ill. That it is the symbol of the head of the Church on Earth causes Catholics to be especially interested because the pope’s coat of arms becomes a kind of symbol for the whole Church. Those who are interested in the craft and art of heraldry as well and have no religious association to the papacy still look with interest at these armorial emblems used by the successors of Peter. “Heraldry is a science, insofar as it does lay down correct principles and draws conclusions which properly flow from them. It is also an art: a medium for creative expression and ingenuity, which is constantly evolving and changing. It is alive.“Whether [heraldry] is a noble science or merely the ‘science of the fools with long memories’ remains in question. However, it is guided by positive rules which cannot be violated with impunity.” (F.E. Hulme: The History, Principles and Practice of Heraldry)
Heraldry as we understand it now first appeared in Europe in the XII Century. Arms were borne originally by monarchs, great nobles and knights; essentially the noble and warrior classes. It was, at its heart, used as a means of identification. Heraldry could be easily employed in battle to more easily identify friend and foe on the battlefield. Likewise, it was also common in an era when many people did not read and write. The symbols of heraldry substituted for signatures as a means of identifying and authenticating documents. The practice of using arms was widely imitated, and not only by individuals. The great heraldist of the XX Century Archbishop Bruno B. Heim states that the Church began to use arms in the mid-XIII Century for the purpose of identification. Members of the clergy used personal arms even though, in theory, they would never be combatants and thus, again in theory, would not need to be easily recognizable on a battlefield. As non-combatants the clergy replaced some of the more martial elements in heraldry with objects they used in the exercising of their office.
The principal vehicle for heraldry coming into the Church was the seal. Dioceses, cathedrals, churches, abbeys and other religious organizations displayed arms, particularly in seals. In the Middle Ages, as they became more involved in civil administration, a greater use of seals by bishops occurs. Heraldry became increasingly important to the Church as it was a means to distinctly mark more than documents. Anything could be marked as belonging to the pope, a bishop, abbey or prelate via heraldic symbols. Buildings and property were marked as were servants and officials with heraldic badges. The heraldic emblem often evolved into symbols of office and authority.
So, too, in the papacy the armorial bearings of the popes evolved to make use of external elements like the two keys of Peter and the triple tiara unique to the popes as symbols of authority. However, the coat of arms itself, that is to say the elements on the shield are as individual as the popes themselves. It is of great value to preserve and to study these coats of arms as a valuable part of the Church’s history.
The task of recording the coats of arms of the popes has certainly been undertaken before. However, never before has anyone attempted to provide the Church with an accurate record of all the arms of the armigerous popes which is not only historically accurate and heraldically correct but is also a work of art in itself. This project, The Saint Peter Codex, will, for the first time, put into one extraordinary volume a record of papal coats of arms that respects both the science and the art of heraldry. Just as each coat of arms is unique the depictions of each coat of arms will be executed by the very talented heraldic artist, Andrew Jamieson, in a style and with accompanying symbols that are equally unique. In addition, it will illustrate the broad parameters that exist for artistic expression within the category of papal heraldry. A book such as this will be of inestimable value as a reference work and as a thing of beauty in itself. Gathering into one handsome volume the aspects of history, theology, ecclesiology and artistry that make up papal heraldry is an undertaking for which the Church and lovers of heraldry will long be grateful. Father Guy Selvester, MDiv, MA
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