THE PECTORAL CROSS which was presented by the Archbishop of Canterbury,
Dr Rowan Williams to the new Pope, Benedict XVI, when they met for the first time in the Vatican on Monday
25th April 2005 was designed and made by leading London silversmith Richard Fox. The cross was specially
commissioned to be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury to mark the start of the new pontificate.Richard Fox said: “It was a great privilege to have been asked by Lambeth Palace to design and make such a special gift to be presented to the new Pope and I feel very honoured that the cross, which was made in my Southwark workshop, has joined such an illustrious collection.”
The silver cross, which measures 110mm by 80mm (4½ by 3¼”) and weighs 110gms (4 troy ounces) is powerfully symbolic despite its simple shape. The four points of the cross are set with square amethysts set in gold mounts and at its centre is another smaller gold Canterbury cross. This cross was hand-carved by Serena Fox in wax before being cast. The Celtic style of this central cross is based on that of a cross (dating from the mid 9th century) which was found in the late 19th century at Canterbury, hence its name. The Pectoral Cross was mounted on a 38in Sterling Silver Chain.
Made in the Fox's workshop in Southwark within three days, the cross was then hallmarked by the London Assay Office with the sign of the leopard’s head.
Richard explained: “By including a copy of the Canterbury cross we were confirming the link with Canterbury and the theme of the past, present and future is therefore fused in one simple but powerful symbol.”
The cross was presented to the Pope in a specially made leather case with the inscription
Jonathan Jennings, spokesman for Lambeth Palace, said: “This has been a remarkable commission; when it arrived here the day before the Archbishop left for Rome it was a very impressive moment. The cross unites Christians of all denominations. The Canterbury Cross at the centre of this piece is a reminder of the historic unity Anglicans and Roman Catholics share and the unity to which Christ is continually calling us.”
The pectoral cross is now the third piece that Richard Fox has been commissioned to make for Lambeth Palace, which is now in the Vatican Collection. The first was a chalice presented by Dr George Carey, the previous Archbishop of Canterbury, when he made an unofficial to the Pope John Paul II in 1992, and the second piece was a silver communion wafer box which was presented to the Pope on an official visit in 1995 to the Vatican also by Archbishop Carey.
Silver is traditionally associated with the Church – chalices, ciboriums, communion cups, patens, flagons, crosses and other items of church furnishings - are invariably made of silver. In fact the development of the history of Christianity can often be traced through pieces of religious silver, its shapes, and the inscriptions and imagery that they bear. Such silver pieces have also been given as Episcopal gifts through the ages and as a consequence the Church today continues to be a major patron of contemporary silversmiths.
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