A Drum, Other Elements on South Sudanese Cardinal-Designate’s Coat of Arms Explained

“Miter in the coat of arms serves to bring the Word to be made flesh,” Fr. Kiri said.

“The drums on it symbolize our local elements that reflect the joy,” he said.

“The spears stand for our traditional way of living,” the Catholic Priest said, and explained, “In the past people carried them as a sign of protection and for hunting. Other than our traditional way of living, the spears also refer to Christ who has been pierced and through his sacrifice we are made clean, we are sanctified and saved.”

Credit: Juba Archdiocese

The Vicar General explained that the ropes on the Cardinal-designate’s coat of arms are the episcopal cinctures he uses symbolizing “a sense of discipline to make the Word become flesh through the way of life that he lives.”

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The South Sudanese Catholic Priest said that the cross on the coat of arms symbolizes traditional elements in the coat of arms that “make the Word become flesh.”

Fr. Kiri continued, “The Chalice is a sign of the Eucharist and the suffering of Christ.”

Fr. Kiri explained that the Cardinal-desingate’s coat of arms has taken a lot from the former symbols used by the former Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro.

“Half of the wording explaining the coat of arms is actually of the former Archbishop who said that in his pontificate it is the Word that becomes flesh. He said that the Word that was eternal that was with God and is God has become flesh,” the Priest said.

Asked why the Cardinal-designate maintains some wordings of the former Archbishop instead of coming up with his own, he said, “The Cardinal-designate is building up on something. He is building up on what was there before. This is his emphasis.”