Msgr. Massimiliano Palinuro's Episcopal Coat of Arms
The coat of arms of the Episcopate follows, with some modifications, the ecclesiastical heraldic tradition of the Catholic Church: The cross is replaced by the Tau (the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet, chosen for its resemblance to the Cross, used by St. Francis of Assisi to sign his writings), mentioned in Ezekiel 9, 4 as a symbol of salvation, and placed behind the shield. The episcopal hat (called galero) has twelve green tassels hanging from the sides, six on each side, referring to the episcopal order.
The icons inside the shield are bisected by a blue background, with "In Cristo (In Christ)" at the end connecting everything.
The sun on the left symbolizes Jesus Christ, the Sun of justice (Luke, 1, 78, 79), foretold from above by the prophet Malachi (Malachi, 4, 2), and sung as the main refrain in preparation for Christmas. The inverted cross is a symbol of martyrdom and of the Apostle Peter, bishop of the Church of Rome, who ruled with Love.
is the symbol of his throne.
On the right side, the eight-pointed star is the symbol of the iconographic tradition representing Mary, the Mother of God, the star of the sea and the morning star leading the way to her son Jesus Christ.
Cross (x-shaped) Peter's brother and the "first
called" (cf. John 1, 40) and the martyrdom of St. Andrea, patron saint of the Greek Orthodox Church of Constantinople (now Istanbul).
Below, in the middle: the bridge symbolizes a triple meaning:
1 The symbol of the city of Istanbul that connects two continents.
2 Personal commitment to the unity of Christians and all nations and Istanbul Church's commitment.
3 In my homeland, Mexico, in the city of Cortazar, where I come from, the city and the countryside symbolizes the small bridge over the Rio Laja river that separates the region.
All: These symbols are gathered in the form of a cup in which the episcopal office as a whole is offered to God. Symbolism of Nature: The sun, star and water, together with the Tau, recall the praise of God by Creation according to Franciscan tradition.