Last Updated on October 3, 2023
The Upside Down Cross Origin
While many people mistakenly believe that the upside-down cross represents satanism or anti-Christian attitudes, this is not the case (or was not the case).
The inverted cross became a symbol of Christianity and St. Peter, one of Jesus Christ’s Twelve Apostles, also known as Peter the Apostle, Simeon, Simon, Simon Peter, and Cephas, who was the first Bishop of Rome, or Pope.
Upside-down is the position of Saint Peter’s hanging as requested; when he had to be crucified on the orders of the Roman Emperor Nero. According to several written records by Christian theologians and scholars such as Origen of Alexandria and Eusebius of Caesarea.
It’s is possible that Saint Peter made this request because he didn’t think he deserved to suffer death in the same manner as Jesus Christ, the Savior. As a result, the symbol became known as the Saint Peter’s Cross.
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The Upside Down Cross Symbolism
Catholics consider the inverted cross a symbol of humility because it depicts St. Peter’s modest love and respect for Jesus Christ.
There is also an upside-down cross on the back of the Pope’s chair. According to Catholic tradition, the Cross of Saint Peter or Petrine cross is one of the symbols of the papacy. And it signifies the fact that the Pope is the successor of Saint Peter.
Until the beginning of the 19th century, the upside-down cross had no other meaning. However, it became a symbol of anti-Christian sentiments and possibly satanism after that.
Apostle Peter
Simon was one of Christ’s twelve apostles. John’s son who worked as a fisherman at Capernaum alongside St. John, James, and Andrew. Jesus Christ often mentions one of the three disciples.
For the Aramaeans, he was named Cephas, while for the Greeks, he was named Petros. These are referred to as “rocks.” After Christ, he served as a spokesperson or leader for the apostles. Finally, he was given the keys to Heaven, making him the first Pope to lead the inverted cross. A symbol of the Saint Peter Cross is used in the Roman Church, and it’s a part of Catholic tradition.
Keys to Salvation
God’s teachings are the keys to Heaven. Christ meant this when he said to Peter, “I will give you the keys of the heavenly kingdom …”. Jesus taught his pupils God’s commands in more detail than those found in the Old Testament.
Christ’s main thoughts are love and compassion. You will be kind and forgiving to your enemies if you love God. Everything you do is an expression of your devotion to God. You will only be worthy to enter the Heavenly gates if you do so. When you examine the inverted cross more attentively, it resembles a key. The plan of Vatican city’s landscape is to feature a keyhole and an inverted cross.
Saint Peter’s Basilica
The Pope’s residence is located in Vatican City. It is the smallest country in the world to be led by the Pope. Saint Peter was also buried here, beneath the old St. Peter’s church that King Constantine built once the Christians were no longer persecuted.
When you look from the top at Vatican City, Saint Peter’s Basilica lies in the heart of an inverted cross-shaped construction that looks like a key, while Saint Peter’s Square looks like a keyhole. Some conspiracy theorists wonder if this was part of the city’s original design or if it has something to do with the significance of the inverted cross, which indicates that Saint Peter holds the key to eternal life in heaven.
Inverted Ankh Symbols
Recognizing Ankh as a forerunner of the Latin cross. It has a Tau cross underneath a round top. The ankh, which is upside down like a key on engravings, supposing it to be the key to eternal life. It also resembles the Cross of Saint Peter or Petrine cross with a key holder that has the same symbolism as the key to the kingdom of heaven if you look closely.
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Inverted Crosses on a Cathedral Door
According to the Bible, the way to heaven is narrow and difficult to navigate. Jesus is the one way to salvation, and we can only get into paradise if we go through him.
So, what is Saint Peter’s function? An inverted cross on a door symbolizes St. Peter protecting the entryway with his keys. He would provide the key to those who asked for it because the door would only open to those who had led a compassionate and humble life and had a genuine faith that could be seen in their deeds. This is similar to how St. Peter lived his life before being martyred for being God’s follower.
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Inverted Crosses as Symbols of the Devil or Anti–Christ
Thanks to various TV shows and movies, the inverted cross became a famous symbol of satanism in today’s popular culture. However, the Cross of Saint Peter or Petrine cross was most likely first used as an occult symbol at the turn of the nineteenth century.
According to some historians, a Christian revivalist, Eugene Vintras, who claimed to be the reincarnation of the Prophet Elijah and led two organizations (the Work of Mercy and the Eliate Church of Carmel), was the first person to utilize the inverted cross.
Some said that Vintras did sexually perverted acts like holding Black Masses nude, and he committed demonic rituals. As a result, the Pope denounced him and tried for that (he was in prison for only five years for a fraud charge).
Eugene Vintras donned garments with Petrine crosses on them. This was symbolic of Vintras’s satanic inclinations, according to Eliphas Levi, a famous French author, occultist, esotericist, and poet.
As time went on, the upside-down cross became a more occult symbol.
Using the sign in horror movies since the 1960s to depict Satan and the anti-Christ. And we can claim that this popular culture trend is still going strong today.
Some examples are Rosemary’s Baby, The Amityville Horror, Paranormal Activity, and The Conjuring franchise.
Satanists now use the upside-down cross to identify themselves and signify their faith. It’s also possible that most people will recognize it as a symbol of Satan and demonic rituals rather than the Catholic church and God.
Some black metal and heavy metal bands used the symbol on their album covers or relevant artwork as their music was based on anti-Christian themes.
An American death metal musician, Glen Benton, is known for branding the Cross of Saint Peter or Petrine cross on his forehead to symbolize his anti-Christian views.
Symbol of Illuminati
The inverted cross on the right-hand side of the box positioned amid the six-pointed star is a symbol of the widely contested black magic organization known as the Illuminati.
The Star of David is not the same as the Catholic Star of David. This is also where the controversy emerges because opposing parties also use some religious symbols. It could be a technique to tarnish the religion’s validity by portraying them as anti-Christs in the appearance of a pastor who guides the road to salvation. On the other hand, according to the Illuminati Secret Society, the inverted cross makes a mockery of Christ while also rejecting him as a savior.
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Petrine Cross Not an Accessory
The Pope said that religious symbols like the Latin cross or the Petrine cross is not be use as ornaments but as sacred artifacts to care for and treasured. Believing a cross represents Christ’s love for us, and that it is calling us to reform and live lives that glorify God. Therefore, it is considered holy by the Christian faith, and using it as a fashion accessory would be disrespectful to Christ, which would also be hurtful to God himself.
What is the meaning of an upside-down cross?
The Cross of Saint Peter or Petrine cross, often known as an upside-down cross, is a symbol with a long history and many different interpretations. An upside-down cross is just a reversed Latin cross, such that the crosspiece is closer to the bottom than the top, as the name implies. When you hang the person, the position of the head is down.
Owing to an ancient legend that the experience of Saint Peter is the upside-down kind of crucifixion, so as a regard for a long time, a Christian symbol.
On a side note, the upside-down cross has recently become popular as a symbol of atheism, the occult, and humanism. In addition, several black metal bands employ an inverted cross to emphasize their alleged Satanism.
In horror films, you can often see upside-down crosses. One can see this occult symbol on tattoos, pendants, and t-shirts as a logo. And sometimes, the phrases like “There Is No God”, “Believe in Yourself”, “Not Transformed”, or “Black Mass”, among others follows it. In these circumstances, the evident meaning of the inverted cross symbol is to declare opposition to Christianity. Turning the cross on its side is denying Christ’s divinity and mocking His sacrifice.
So, what does an upside-down cross signify? It all depends on the situation. In the church, this symbol almost certainly refers to Saint Peter and how he died. On the other hand, the anti-Christian in secular situation, frequently use the inverted cross. The cross, which represents Christ, to represent the devil and satanism, is in upside-down.
Is an Upside-Down Cross Related to Jesus Christ?
The truth is that the upside-down cross is a symbol of St. Peter’s crucifixion. According to legend, In his martyrdom, Peter requested to be crucified differently because he felt unworthy of the same manner of crucifixion that his Lord Jesus Christ experienced.
The Church has used the inverted cross (without a corpus, it’s not an inverted crucifix) to designate Peter, not Christ, due to how he was crucified. As Peter’s successor, the Pope uses the symbol of the inverted cross as a reminder of Saint Peter’s humility and heroic crucifixion. Unlike an upside-down crucifix, an upside-down cross is not sinister, which aims to subvert and invert its meaning.
The difference between a Latin cross and a crucifix is also worth noticing. A crucifix is a Latin cross with a representation of Jesus. Regarding it as always insulting, inverted crucifix, which inverts the meaning of the cross is, a simple inverted cross is not.
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Why Should You Buy an Inverted Cross?
The lovely connotation alone should be enough to persuade you to purchase an inverted cross for yourself. From Christianity to Buddhism, every religion teaches the importance of living a humble life. We are all mortals who have no idea what the future holds. According to the Bible, we all came from dust, and we will all return to dust when the time comes for us to depart this mortal world. Christ possessed all of the godlike abilities; he could have blown air to escape the soldiers pursuing him, but he chose death instead.
He strives to share his knowledge through writing contributing to science news, research articles, and fiction. He has experience organizing exhibitions, publishing articles, and presenting at conferences. He aims to blend his academic and business knowledge to enhance his work and productivity.
His curiosity for cultural diversity and exploring science, art, and spirituality led him here to spread his knowledge with other individuals. Dejan has written about various topics, such as the impact of globalization on culture, the role of storytelling in human evolution, and the connection between art and spirituality.
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