The appointment of Pope Leo XIV offers a rare opportunity to examine an unusual but highly codified graphic object: the papal coat of arms. Presented in an article in Vatican News the emblem adopted by the new pontiff articulates diagonal composition, chromatic sobriety and religious symbolism inherited from the Augustinian tradition. We take a closer look at the graphic deciphering of a visual construction designed to embody a function.
A diagonal composition
The coat-of-arms is divided into two zones by an ascending diagonal. At the top, a blue background features a white lily. Below, on a light background, is an image of a closed book, on which rests a heart pierced by an arrow.
A white lily on a blue background and a book associated with a pierced heart
The lily used at the top of the coat of arms is a widely recognized graphic symbol, associated in religious heraldry with purity, and more specifically with the Marian figure. Its isolated position and strong contrast with the background ensure maximum legibility.
At the bottom, a closed book with a heart pierced by an arrow. According to Vatican News this is a direct reference to the conversion experience of St. Augustine, who wrote: " Vulnerasti cor meum verbo tuo " - "You have pierced my heart with your word."
The motto, a visual extension of symbolism
Beneath the coat of arms is the motto: In Illo uno unum âeuros "In the One, we are one". Once again, it comes from a commentary by Saint Augustine on Psalm 127. It completes the image by providing a direct key to reading the text: visual unity reflects unity of meaning. Robert Francis Prevost, who became Leo XIV, had already adopted this phrase as his episcopal motto. In an interview with Vatican News in 2023, he stressed the importance of communion as a central value of the Augustinian charism.
Legibility designed for ritual use
No information is given on the author of the design or on the variations envisaged. But the two-field composition, simple motifs and reduced palette (blue, white, red, ivory) make the coat-of-arms compatible with classic reproduction constraints: printing, liturgical embroidery, signage, stamping or hot stamping.
Formal clarity seems to have guided the choices. No overloading, no complex backgrounds, no peripheral motifs. The whole is a sober, structured visual system, legible on both a small and large scale.
