Controversy over tattoos calls attention to an ancient Christian symbol that is especially linked to the Holy Land.

A cross that is tattooed on the chest of a controversial political appointee has been an inspiration for pilgrims over the centuries; they see it as a symbol of Christ’s Passion, not a call to nationalism.

So says the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, whose primary aim is to strengthen among its 30,000 members worldwide the practice of Christian life, and to sustain and aid the charitable, cultural, and social works and institutions of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land.

The order was responding to a controversy over the Jerusalem Cross tattoo worn by Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. secretary of defense.

Since Trump nominated Hegseth, news has emerged of a 2021 report expressing concern about Hegseth’s potential “extremism” because of the cross and another tattoo of the words “Deus Vult.”

The Latin phrase means “God wills it” and served as a battle cry for Christians during the Crusades. Reportedly, it has become associated with white supremacist groups.

That’s not what it means for the vast majority of Christians, though, said the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

The order is a non-partisan Catholic organization under the direct protection of the Holy See and does not express partisan political opinions on the qualifications or associations of the cabinet nominee, the group said.

A November 20 statement from the Eastern Lieutenancy of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre pointed out that Hegseth, a former Fox News commentator, is not a member of the order.

“The Jerusalem Cross has been part of Christian iconography for more than a millennium and has been an inspiration to Christian pilgrims who no longer see it as a banner for crusades and war but of the Passion and death of Jesus and his empty tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem,” the press release said. “For centuries, Christian pilgrims from around the world have had the Jerusalem Cross inked on their skin as an indelible reminder of their pilgrimage to the Holy City and of their faith in Christ.”

Rich in symbolism

As Aleteia’s Philip Kosloski explained in 2017, the Jerusalem Cross is the official emblem of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

“Many scholars believe the symbol dates back to the 11th century, and was originally developed for the coat of arms of the Jerusalem Kingdom,” Kosloski wrote at the time. “The same symbol was later adopted by the Crusaders going to the Holy Land in the Middle Ages, and for this reason it is sometimes called the Crusader’s Cross.”

There are differing explanations for why the symbol consists of one large cross surrounded by four smaller ones. Some interpret the arrangement as representing the five wounds of Christ. The smaller crosses symbolize the wounds on Jesus’ hands and feet, while the large central cross is the wound from the soldier’s spear.

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Another common interpretation is that the four crosses represent the four evangelists – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – with Christ being represented by the center cross.

In addition, the national flag of Georgia bears a striking resemblance to the Jerusalem Cross. The Georgian ambassador to the Vatican in 2016 said that the cross has “enormous significance” for Georgian identity.

“We believe that this flag existed before the Crusades’ epoch,” he said. “It is described in the 10th-century Georgian text as the national flag. Christianity in Georgia … has a long history of relationship with the Holy Land. A few Georgian monastic settlements and manuscripts are found in the Holy Land from the early ages of the Christianity in Georgia.”

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The Order of the Holy Sepulchre noted that the Jerusalem Cross is visible throughout the city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, “as it is shared as the emblem of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem — the Roman Catholic diocese for Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, Cyprus and Jordan — and the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.”

“The Jerusalem Cross is visible wherever the order serves, particularly when its 30,000 members gather in voluntary and generous support of the church’s hundreds of hospitals, clinics, schools and social service works across Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Cyprus, Egypt, Lebanon and Syria — all of which serve the vulnerable and marginalized of all faiths. In fulfilling our mission in obedience to the call of the cross, the order advocates justice for all, peace, dialogue and stability and promotes the Holy Land as a laboratory of peace and conviviality,” said Deacon John Heyer, executive director of the New York-based Eastern Lieutenancy of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

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Turning to the other now controversial symbol, the Latin phrase translated as “God wills it,” Heyer said that in today’s context, “Deus vult” or “Deus lo vult” (God wills) “reminds believers God alone has dominion over all, and commands us to ‘love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’”

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