Heraldic Commentary Update 2

According to the rules of heraldry, such elements of arms that were not described precisely are either unchangeable, iden- tical in each case and for this reason not described, or they may be freely shaped in accordance with the style and imagination of their creator. There is neither an old Marian coat of arms nor a heraldically precise modern description of it. The majority of extant descriptions stop at listing the image of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. as the crest, without giving any details (cf. Directory of the Congregation of Marian Fathers , Warsaw, 1991, § 194). The only exception is a laconic description provided by the Declaration No. 1, entitled The Marian Graphic Symbol, of the Marian Fathers’ General Chapter of 1999. This description states that the figure of Mary Immaculate is placed on a shield, under which there is a scroll with the inscription, Pro Christo et Ecclesia . This information gives carte blanche to a heraldist to some degree. The Congregation’s coat of arms, which has been used until now, is artistically correct and tasteful and it corresponds to its description in principle. However, deviation from the principles of heraldry in its creation, along with certain disregard for the Congregation’s history, sometimes may be- come grounds for justified criticism. It wasn’t possible for me, based on the description alone, to avoid an excess of creative subjectivism, imagination, and errors in the new design. I had to analyze minutely all available iconography on the Marian emblem. The study of the old seals and paintings, as well as references to the history of the Order combined with strict rules of heraldry, contributed to the cre- ation of this new design. 21