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Q&A Home > C > Cross > Sign of Cross Do you have any history about the sign of the cross? Was it originally left to right or right to left? 2 fingers, 3 fingers, open palm, thumb only or other? Making the sign of the cross differs amongst some of the Churches. Each Church ascribes significant symbolic meaning to this tradition. The Oriental Orthodox Churches (includes the Copts) place the thumb and first two fingers together, as an affirmation of the Holy Trinity, and cross themselves from left to right, symbolic of the transition from darkness and death to righteousness and life. The Eastern Orthodox Churches use the same three fingers, but cross themselves from right to left, symbolic of the power of the "right" according to many biblical passages. Some say the two closed fingers pressed on the palm are symbolic of the two natures of Christ. The Roman Catholic Church keeps all five fingers togethers with an open palm, symbolic of the five wounds suffered by our Lord Jesus Christ and cross themselves from left to right. All these Churches recognize the power of the cross and that making the sign of the cross is a fundamental rite and an essential blessing and honor with great reverence to initiate every prayer and blessing, individually and ecclesiastically. Many will kiss their thumb after making the sign of the cross. The Protestant Churches do not make the sign of the cross over themselves, but still honor it on the steeples, on and/or in the church building, wear it on a chain, etc., but it is not an absolute necessary feature in their prayers as it is in the Apostolic Churches. It is uncertain exactly when this began to be an official practice in Apostolic Churches, but most likely after the Edict of Milan in AD 313, which abolished the criminalization of Christianity. This edict was co-authored by Emperor Constantine and Licinius. Subsequently, Christianity became the official state religion, and St. Helen, Emperor Constantine's mother, erected many churches in the names of the martyrs.
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