How is the Cross incorporated into church architecture?

A cross is placed over the altar’s throne, on the iconostasis, and on top of the church belfry or tower. The priest also uses a handheld cross during liturgical services, and during preaching. A cross mounted on a pole is carried by deacons at the forefront of every church procession.

1239 St. Augustine of Hippo, Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 120 (PL 35:1935).

1240 Tertullian, De Corona (The Chaplet) 3 (ANF 3:94; PL 2:80).

1241 Eduard Syndicus, Early Christian Art (UK: Hawthorn Books, 1962): p. 103.

The cross and the altar: The Coptic Church does not decorate the altar by standing an ornamental cross upon it, because the altar itself is the cross of the Lord; but the cross can decorate the altar’s throne. In the liturgy, the priest uses a hand cross as one of the holy vessels. He uses it in all his priestly ministry: in blessing the offerings, incense, baptism water, a bridal couple, to give peace to the people of God, as well as in the absolution of sins. The entire priestly ministry is based on the fact that the priest must hide in the Lord’s cross. It also emphasizes that all our worship and offerings are accomplished through Christ’s sacrifice and His name. Through the cross, we see the Holy Trinity, and to Him all the names of Christ in scripture are attributed.

The cross and the iconostasis: There is a strong relationship between the cross and the iconostasis:

• a. The iconostasis is a book of the Church written in the language of colors about the work of the Word of God in the life of the people of the Old and New Testaments. The cross is the “Word of God” expressed in the language of true perfect love.

• b. The cross declares that the unity between saints and the heavenly creatures was accomplished through Christ’s cross.

• c. The cross sits above icons of events of the Old Testament, as those events prophesied about God’s salvation through the cross of Jesus.

• d. The cross over the icons of the New Testament events, declares that the cross is the central focus of biblical events.

• e. On the two sides of the cross, we see the portraits of St. Mary and St. John the Disciple, as if the Lord declares that as we share in the sufferings of the crucified Christ, we also receive His mother as our mother, just like St. John (John 19:26–27).

• f. As we look up at the crucified Christ, we see Him spreading His arms like the wings of an eagle, protecting all His saints.

The cross and the church tower : The cross represents God’s will for the Church to submit to the crucified Lord, walking according to His law, guided by His Spirit, and preaching His gospel. The elevated cross also represents the second coming of the Lord, who Himself mentioned this eschatological meaning when He said, “Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven” (Matt. 24:30). For centuries, the world has been preoccupied with its longing for unity and peace which can never be achieved without the cross. The Apostle says, “For He is the peace between us, and has made the two into one and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, actually destroying in His own person the hostility” (Eph. 2:14–16). By His cross, Christ took away the vertical partition or the veil that separated the Jews from the Gentiles as well as the horizontal partition or the veil which

separated humanity from God and earth from heaven. St. Irenaeus says that “He who was hung on the tree attracts and unites everyone together in Him.”¹²⁴²