Originally published at National Catholic Register
The five elements of the Jerusalem Cross have been given different spiritual meanings over the centuries, but each reflects the way that the imagery of the Cross is focused not on crusades or nationalism but on Christ.
The Associated Press recently claimed that President-elect Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, had tattoos supposedly connected with Christian Nationalism and even White Supremacy. It focused especially on the tattoo of a Jerusalem Cross on Hegseth’s upper chest.
The reporting — immediately criticized as anti-Christian by Vice President-elect JD Vance and many others in social media — begs the question of what the symbol actually means?
They’re attacking Pete Hegseth for having a Christian motto tattooed on his arm. This is disgusting anti-Christian bigotry from the AP, and the entire organization should be ashamed of itself. https://t.co/tQxuD3RPlx
— JD Vance (@JDVance) November 15, 2024
The Jerusalem Cross is one of the most immediately distinguishable Christian symbols anywhere. It comprises a large central cross, called a cross potent, usually with crossbars at the four ends, nesting four smaller Greek crosses. It is a deceptively simple design that has now been used for centuries to represent the Church in Jerusalem and
