The Archdiocese of Manila has released the official coat of arms of Cardinal Jose F. Advincula, the new archbishop of the Philippine capital.
Marking documents is the most common use of a Church leader’s coat of arms.
In olden times, a Catholic bishop’s coat of arms was usually painted on miniature wine barrels and presented during the ordination ceremony.
Cardinals would place their coat of arms outside the church of their title in Rome.
The coat of arms carries symbols that pertain to the life and ministry of a bishop or a cardinal as a shepherd in the local Church.
Here are the meaning of the symbols on Cardinal Advincula’s coat of arms:
The left side of the shield depicts the ecclesiastical arms of the Metropolitan See of Manila.
The carpenter’s square symbolizes St. Joseph, the namesake of the cardinal and his personal patron saint.
The lily over the blue background represents the filial devotion of the cardinal to the Virgin Mary, especially in her title as Queen of the Most Holy Rosary.
The chain of nine links represents the cardinal’s surname, Advincula, which is derived from the Latin phrase “ad vincula” or “fettered with chains.” The gold background renews the meaning of chains: from servitude to servanthood.
The horse refers to St. Martin of Tours, Patron Saint of Soldiers, the patron saint of the parish and town of Dumalag.
The mountain with strips of limestone formation depicts Mount Panginraon in the town of Dumalag, Capiz, the cardinal’s birthplace.
The five-pointed star is a pre-eminent symbol for the virtue of faith and of De La Salle University-Manila where the cardinal finished his Master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling.
The gold crescent moon symbolizes the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Immaculate Conception, the titular patroness of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Capiz.
The archbishop’s cross is styled as a Dominican cross. Cardinal Advincula was educated early on by the Dominican Sisters at St. Martin Academy. He also finished his theological studies at the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary. He earned his Licentiate in Canon Law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy.
The motto of the cardinal, AUDIAM (I will listen), is derived from the response of the young Samuel to the call of God, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”
