Firstly Rome Report's translation of the Holy Father's moto is wrong. It means, according to CNS, "because he saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him" and which comes from St. Bede the Venerable's commentary on Matthew.
The Holy Father's coat of arms: a blue shield with the emblem of the Jesuits (the Holy Name of Jesus within a radiant disk) above a white five-pointed star and a white bunch of grapes. The explanation given by Rome Reports is that apart from the emblem of the Jesuits, the white star on the blue shield refers to the Mother of God and the grapes to Jesus as the grower of the faith. I was wondering about that interpretation. The first three letters of Jesus' name in Greek is familiar to all Catholics and that image surrounded by rays goes back at least to the Franciscan St. Bernardine of Sienna promoter of devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus. But it can also represent the Eucharist as can the bunch of grapes. A Jesuit pope who has devotion to St. Francis who himself promoted devotion to the Eucharist and Our Lady - that made me think some more. This pope has on his shield symbols of Christ and Our Lady, symbols that are also eucharistic. Could this be the pope St. John Bosco saw in his vision? Just thinking....
2 comments:
What was the vision St.John Bosco had? ~Amy
Amy - my interpretation of the Holy Father's coat of arms now appears wrong but the vision of Don Bosco involved a Pope who would bring the Church through storms to period of peace by anchoring her to two columns, one surmounted by a Host and the other by the Blessed Virgin. You can find out more here: http://www.theotokos.org.uk/pages/fatima/donbosco.html
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