Quick Facts about the Maltese Cross
The Maltese Cross has four arms and eight points. The cross is white for purity. The points are said to represent the eight beatitudes and the eight langues of the Knights of St. John. The four are said to represent four knightly virtues.
The Beatitudes The beatitudes come from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:3-10.
The Langues There were eight languages that had knights represented in the Order of the Knights of St. John. They are:
Knightly Virtues The knightly virtues represented by the arms are:
(Definitions adapted from Webster’s Handy College Dictionary, 1972.) The Order of St. John The order still exists as the Order of Malta, where the knights made their home for about 250 years. While the knights still claim sovereignty, they are without a country. They do various charitable works carrying on the hospital tradition of the order that began in the Crusades. Get the Cross If you want your own Maltese cross, get one from Amazon. (The photo on the right will take you there.) Or choose to support me from this page and choose the correct reward option and payment. |