Coat of Arms of Pope Leo
CV NEWS FEED // Pope Leo XIV’s coat of arms draws on his Augustinian background and reflects his desire to embrace unity and communion during his pontificate, according to Vatican News.
The pope’s motto, “In the One, we are one,” [“In Illo uno unum”] is a reference to St. Augustine’s Exposition on Psalm 127, Vatican News states. In the passage, the saint explains that “although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.”
The motto was also the now-pope’s episcopal motto when he was appointed as the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in 2023.
“As can be seen from my episcopal motto, unity and communion are truly part of the charism of the Order of Saint Augustine, and also of my way of acting and thinking,” he explained in a 2023 interview with Vatican News’ Tiziana Campisi.
Pope Leo’s coat of arms also incorporates a devotion to St. Augustine through its symbolism. The upper half of the shield features the Marian symbol of a blue background with a white lily, and the bottom half features a closed book with a heart pierced by an arrow. Vatican News states that this latter symbol is a reference to St. Augustine’s description of his conversion: “You have pierced my heart with your Word.”
