The Eucharist is the source and summit of the life and mission of the Church. XP represents the word “Christ” in Greek.Background: Green indicating the Archdiocese of Melbourne is fertile ground for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
3. St Patrick’s Cathedral logo on red background
St Patrick’s Cathedral is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.
It is also symbolic of Melbourne as St Patrick’s Cathedral is a major landmark on the north east boundary of Melbourne’s central business district.
Background: Red. Red is one of the three colours (red, white and blue) on the Australian national flag. Red is a colour on Archbishop Denis Hart’s Coat of Arms. Red is the colour of martyrs.
4. Southern Cross on blue background
Lying within the middle of the Milky Way, the Southern Cross, or Crux, is the most famous constellation in the skies of the southern hemisphere. It can be seen all year round from almost anywhere in Australia. To the four brightest stars of the Southern Cross, Dante (1265-1321) in Purgatorio, attributed the Cardinal Virtues of Justice, Prudence, Temperance and Fortitude, before the discovery and naming of this constellation in 1679.
The Archdiocese of Melbourne is located in the State of Victoria. The Southern Cross is a feature of the Coat of Arms of the State of Victoria. The Southern Cross is also a feature on the Australian Coat of Arms and also the Australian national flag.
The rendition of the Southern Cross used here imitates the same number of points on each of the stars as that of the Southern Cross in the Victorian Coat of Arms.
Background: The Southern Cross is presented white on blue on the Victorian coats of arms, the Australian national flag and the Australian Coat of Arms.
5. Pallium
The pallium is a distinctive vestment of metropolitan Archbishops, and may be found in their bearings as well as the corporate arms of Archdioceses, displayed either above or below the shield or within the shield itself. The pallium (derived from the Roman pallium or palla, a woollen cloak) is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries bestowed by him on archbishops as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Holy See. Use of the pallium in the Coat of Arms indicates the See of Melbourne is an Archdiocese presided over by an Archbishop. The pallium also is used here to signify the union between the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Apostolic See of Rome and the Pope, the successor of Peter.
6. Quatrefoils on pallium
The shape of the quatrefoil is used extensively in St Patrick’s Cathedral. Elements are in windows, stonework, pews, decorative wooden structures, decorative metal structure around sanctuary, carpet and gates at front doorway.
7. Colours on Coat of Arms
The Coat of Arms includes the colours of the Australian flag (red, white and blue). The Coat of Arms also includes Australia’s national colours (green and gold).