Jerusalem Cross

The Jerusalem Cross (also: Crusaders' Cross) consists of a central cross surrounded by four smaller crosses, one in each quadrant. The symbolism is variously interpreted: the five crosses represent the five wounds of Christ; or the central cross represents Christ and the four smaller ones the four evangelists or the four corners of the earth to which the Gospel is proclaimed. Used as the emblem of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. In Orthodox iconography it appears as a symbol of the Church's universal mission.