Archbishop Weisenburger’s Coat of Arms
BLAZON
THE IMPALED HERALDIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE MOST REVEREND EDWARD JOSEPH WEISENBURGER
SIXTH METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOP & TENTH ORDINARY OF DETROIT
Per Pale
Dexter: Or, on a cross Sable
Charged with three stars of five points Or, between
in the first quarter a pair of antlers Sable and in the second,
third and fourth quarters a martlet also Sable.
Sinister: Or a native American flint arrowhead Gules
Charged with a star of six points Or
On a chief Azure a Pascal Lamb Couchant Argent
Nimbed and supporting a shepherd’s crook Or
and for a motto
ECCE AGNUS DEI
SYMBOLISM
The primary emblem (known as a charge in heraldry) is the devotional image of the Agnus Dei, the Lamb of God. This emblem sits in a space of primary importance on the shield. This particular homage to Our Blessed Lord is so central to the archbishop’s spirituality that he chose it for the main theme and emblem in his coat of arms and also as the words for his personal motto: “Behold the Lamb of God” which is rendered in Latin as “Ecce Agnus Dei.”
The lamb is depicted at rest, known as couchant in heraldry, representing the peace that only Christ can bring to the world. In the hooves of the lamb and across his breast is tucked the crozier or crook of the Good Shepherd, a most appropriate emblem for a bishop of the Church. The lamb rests upon a field of deep blue (azure), the color in Catholic heraldry reserved to honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Blue is also the color for hope in Catholic heraldry, hope that comes to all who believe in Christ.
The base of the archbishop’s coat of arms is worked entirely in gold, a metal in heraldry reserved as symbolic of the purity of the Triune God, divinity and truth. Upon this gold field appears a stone arrowhead, like so many found across America in archaeological sites. It is symbolic of the archbishop’s profound respect for the native peoples of the Americas. In heraldry, a downward facing arrowhead denotes peace and turning away from war and strife. Moreover, the arrowhead is worked in red, one of the colors used in devotional art for the vesture of Saint Anne, grandmother of Jesus Christ and patroness of the Archdiocese of Detroit. As such, the use of this color subtly pays homage to the archdiocese and its patron saint.
THE MOTTO
In Church heraldry, particularly in the Latin Rite, a cleric’s personal motto has always been intended to represent his personal spirituality and theologically-based philosophy of life and is most frequently grounded in Sacred Scripture. For Archbishop Weisenburger his motto symbolism is deeply rooted in those sacred words: Behold the Lamb of God:
ECCE AGNUS DEI
References to the lamb, the Lamb of God, and the Lion of God are found throughout the Old Testament, in the Gospels and in the Book of Revelation. However, it was Saint John the Baptist, the maternal cousin of Jesus, who first applied this title, Lamb of God, to the living Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, when he saw the Lord approaching him. At that historic moment, St. John proclaimed: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29).
THE EXTERNALS
Every coat of arms design has external elements that completes the heraldic achievement. For clerics of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church these externals are strictly governed with each rank and office in the Church enjoying something unique to each. For archbishops the externals are described as follows:
The galero (pilgrim’s hat) shall appear above the shield and the archiepiscopal cross. It shall be rendered in dark green, the true heraldic color for bishops and archbishops (and for patriarchs, but theirs are also threaded with gold). The galero’s brim shall be adorned with cording of the same color and shall display two tassels, one on either side of the brim. The interior of the hat shall be rendered in deep red, recalling the same symbolism applied to the cardinals who may be called to martyrdom for their vocation and station within the Church.
Suspended from the roping of the hat, falling in a pyramidal style on either side of the shield, are ten tassels known as fiocchi. Both the tassels and the roping are also rendered in the same green hue. The ropes/cords are properly known as cordiere.
Rising on a golden staff from behind the shield is the archiepiscopal cross, the symbol of the office of an archbishop of the Latin Rite. The cross may be of any particular style – modern, traditional, or artistic and may or may not bear a precious stone but it must always be rendered with a smaller, second cross-arm at top. The archiepiscopal cross should always include symbolism as a part of the overall design of the archbishop’s coat-of-arms. For Archbishop Weisenburger there are now two stones, one in each cross arm. As a bishop, his single stone was a deep blue sapphire…one of two stones denoted to honor the Blessed Virgin. The second of these stones is the pearl which now also appears in the archiepiscopal cross-arm.
THE PALLIUM
A pallium appears below the base of the archbishop’s shield. This archiepiscopal vestment is made of natural white lamb’s wool. These lambs have been carefully raised and shorn by Roman Trappists for centuries. The pallium is marked with six black crosses (five of which appear artistically). This insignia is the reserved emblem of a Metropolitan archbishop, titular archbishops are never entitled to it, and it is presented to the newly elevated archbishop by either the pope himself or by his legate (typically the Apostolic Nuncio) shortly after elevation or translation to a Metropolitan See. So important is this insignia that when the incumbent dies, his pallium is buried with him.
IMPALEMENT OF ARMS
The impalement of the arms of residential bishops and archbishops of the Latin Rite is an ancient custom but one only common in the Church in America today. In all other areas of the Latin Rite, it has become the custom for bishops and archbishops to only display their personal coat of arms while the separate archdiocesan or diocesan arms are displayed where the business of the See does not require the seal of the Ordinary. Archbishop Weisenburger has chosen to impale his personal arms with the time-honored coat-of-arms of the See of Detroit as is his privilege as Ordinary of the Metropolitan See.
