Crucifix and Christianity

Unlike the cross, the crucifix is exclusively associated with Catholic Christianity, and is their ultimate symbol.  The central theme of Christianity is to represent Christ as the saviour and the redeemer. The Catholic crucifix reminds the mankind of how Christ sacrificed himself for our welfare, and how he loved everyone without discrimination.

Unlike a simple cross, the Catholic crucifix has a body of Christ (corpus) upon it. This symbolizes the how Christ sacrificed himself for the deliverance of mankind. The crucifix represents the central faith of the Catholics, and you would not find any Catholic Church in the world, without a Crucifix.

Crucifix history:

The Crucifix was not broadly in use before fifth century A.D. Before fifth century, the most widespread symbol used to represent Christ, was that of the Lamb of God.

In the year 629, the Council of Constantinople regimented to use an image of Lord Jesus Christ in place of the Lamb, to remind mankind of his life, passion, and his sacrifice, and this particular image was that of Catholic Crucifix.

The earlier images depicted more stylized corpus, but from ninth century onwards, the medieval artists started to depict more realistic portrayal of Jesus Christ, and his suffering. With renaissance came more ideally conceived similes, but during baroque period the depictions again returned to more accurate ones.

The Catholic Crucifix gradually became the universal symbol of Christianity. During 16^th century reformation Protestants revolted against the use of the Crucifix, and took away the corpus from the cross, to give more emphasis on Resurrection of Christ.  From that time onwards, Crucifix became associated with Catholic Church, and only cross without corpus, with Reformers.

Over the years, people started to use the Crucifix in jewellery and arts too. Faithful Christians wear them to assert their faith and love for Christ, as their saviour. If you are inspired to wear one, Catholic crucifix is a good page to watch different designs and styles.

The best place to buy a Catholic crucifix:

If you have made up your mind to go for one, it is wise to see different varieties and designs available online, rather than going to local jewellery stores to get one right away; it also gives you an estimate of the price.

Other important thing is that local jewellers have only limited selection of Crucifixs, but in online world, the options are wide in front of you. All you need to do is to Google, and you would have hundreds of reliable websites specializing in Crucifix.

The cost would vary according to different parameters. If you opt for a Crucifix in 14K gold, it should cost you somewhere in the range of $50 to $350, depending on the size.