Crucifix

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For other uses, see Crucifix (disambiguation).

A crucifix is a cross with a representation of Jesus' body, or corpus. It is a principal symbol of the Christian religion. It is primarily used in the Roman Catholic Church, certain Lutheran churches, Orthodox churches, and the Anglican church, and emphasizes Christ's sacrifice—his death by crucifixion. On some crucifixes a skull and crossbones are shown below the corpus, reminding us that Golgotha (Calvary) meant "skull". It was probably called "Golgotha" because it was a burial-place, or possibly because of a legend that the place of Jesus' crucifixion was also the burial place of Adam.

The standard, four-pointed Latin crucifix consists of an upright stand and a crosspiece to which the sufferer's arms were nailed. The Eastern Orthodox crucifix includes two additional crossbars: the shorter nameplate, to which INRI was affixed; and the shorter stipes, to which the feet were nailed, which is angled upward toward penitent thief St. Dismas (to the viewer's left) and downward toward impenitent thief Gestas (to the viewer's right). It is thus eight-pointed. 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 extreme 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" than the cross of Jesus Christ.

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" or "resifix" 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 jewelery, or is attached to a rosary. It can be made out of various metals, wood, or even plastic.

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

[edit] 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 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 in contemplation, or merely in front of it with head bowed or eyes closed. In the Catholic Mass, a procession begins Mass in which a crucifix is carried forward into the church followed by the priest, deacon, lector and servers, along with some of the other items used in the service such as the Gospels and the altar candles.

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, according to Christians, has power over them.