The Cross of Christ is a great shrine for both Orthodox and Catholics. However, in the form and in the image of Christ on crucifixes, some differences can be traced.
In the Catholic and Orthodox traditions, the cross is a great shrine to the extent that it is on it that the Most Holy Lamb of God, Lord Jesus Christ, suffered torment and death to save the human race. In addition to crosses crowning Orthodox churches and Catholic churches, there are also body crucifixes that believers carry on their chests.
There are several differences between native Orthodox crosses and Catholic crosses that have formed over several centuries.
In the ancient Christian Church of the first centuries, the shape of the cross was predominantly four-pointed (with one central horizontal crossbeam). Such forms of the cross and its images were in the catacombs during the persecution of Christians by the Roman pagan authorities. The four-pointed form of the cross still remains in the Catholic tradition. The Orthodox cross most often represents an eight-pointed crucifix, on which the upper crossbar is a plate on which the inscription “Jesus the Nazarene King of Judea” was nailed, and the lower sloping crossbar indicates the repentance of the robber. Such a symbolic form of the Orthodox cross indicates the high spirituality of repentance, which makes a person of the kingdom of heaven, as well as heartfelt bitterness and pride, entailing eternal death.
In addition, in Orthodoxy one can also find six-pointed forms of the cross. In this type of crucifix, in addition to the main central horizontal, there is also a lower beveled crossbar (sometimes there are six-pointed crosses with an upper straight crossbar).
Other differences include images of the Savior on the cross. On Orthodox crucifixes, Jesus Christ is depicted as God conquering death. Sometimes on the cross or the icons of the cross suffering Christ is depicted alive. Such an image of the Savior testifies to the victory of the Lord and the salvation of mankind, speaks of the miracle of the resurrection that followed after the bodily death of Christ.
Catholic crosses are more realistic. They depict Christ, who died after terrible torment. Often at the Catholic crucifixes, the Savior's hands sag under the weight of the body. Sometimes you can see that the fingers of the Lord are bent as if into a fist, which is a plausible reflection of the effect of nails driven into the brush (on the Orthodox crosses the palms of Christ are open). Often on Catholic crosses you can see blood on the body of the Lord. All this focuses on the terrible agony and death that Christ suffered to save man.
Other differences between Orthodox and Catholic crosses can be noted. So, on Orthodox crucifixes, the legs of Christ are nailed by two nails, by the Catholic - by one (although in some monastic Catholic orders until the XIII century there were crosses with four nails instead of three).
There are differences between Orthodox and Catholic crosses in the inscription on the top plate. "Jesus of Nazarene the King of the Jews" on Catholic crosses is written in Latin abbreviation - INRI. Orthodox crosses have an inscription - IHTSI. On Orthodox crosses on the halo of the Savior, the inscription of Greek letters denoting the word "Jehovah":
Also on Orthodox crosses are often inscriptions "NIKA" (means the victory of Jesus Christ), "King of Glory", "Son of God."
