Diocese unveils new logo

BELIZE

The Diocesan Administrator Fr Jordan Gongora announced the use of a new diocesan logo effective March 1, 2024 to replace Bishop Lawrence Nicasio’s episcopal logo on letterheads for communication from the Chancery.

A post from the Catholic Diocese of Belize City and Belmopan via catholic.bz said that the new logo was “approved” by Bishop Nicasio before the onset of Covid-19 but was not made official due to his illness. Bishop Nicasio died January 1, 2024.

The Crucifix at the top symbolises the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. The map of Belize is cut out or etched in the colours of the Belizean Flag identifying the Roman Catholic Church in Belize. The map and colours are also an acknowledgement and tribute to the bishops who have served the diocese.

The fleur-de-lis has the colour of the papal flag showing communion with the Pope. The fleur-de-lis is a stylised lily composed of three petals bound together at their base.

In one interpretation, the flower is a symbol of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The whiteness and beauty of the lily is symbolic of the purity of Mary Immaculate. Mary is also Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness and Queen of the Americas.

In another interpretation, the lily also depicts the Holy Trinity. The band which holds the three petals together represents Mary, since it was she who bore the child of God.

In Christian art, crossed keys, sometimes known as the Keys of Heaven, are a pair of keys that overlap and interlock, creating an ‘X’ (in the Greek alphabet X or ‘Chi’ equals ‘CH’ the first two letters of Christ).

The keys are used as ecclesiastical heraldry, papal coats of arms, and symbolic images in holy places. The crossed keys represent the metaphorical keys that Jesus promised to St Peter, empowering him to take binding actions in leading the institution of the Catholic Church. In short, they are a symbol of the Pope’s authority.