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Vatican City (Holy See) - Personal Flag and Arms of Benedict XVI

Overview
Coat of Arms of Benedict XVI
Coat of Arms as Cardinal Ratzinger

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Overview

Today in the first public appearance of H.H. the Pope Benedict XVI in a balcony it was still used the Coat of Arms of H.H the Pope John Paul II. This will probably change in the next few days, when the new Pope would have its own Coat of Arms.
Francisco Gregoric, 19 April 2005

Coat of Arms of Benedict XVI

by António Martins-Tuválkin, 21 May 2005
(click here for image in PNG format by Colin Alberts, 28 April 2005)

Benedict XVI is the first pope of modern times who will not use the tiara, the papal crown, in his Coat of Arms.
Jan-Patrick Fischer, 26 April 2005

Since his last three predecessors decided not to wear the tiara, and he has decided not to wear it either, perhaps he felt it was time to retire it from the arms also.
Ned Smith, 26 April 2005

The drawing of the arms that was included on the material distributed at the inauguration shows a piece of headgear atop the shield that is less ornate than the normal representation of either the tiara or a bishop's mitre. Depending on the artist's tastes, a mitre can be shaped just like the tiara seen in profile (with curved sides), or it can have an angle part way up. The headgear on the drawing is curved. Also, three simple black bands are shown encircling the whatever-it-is. I believe this is simply a modernized, stylized representation of the tiara. Others believe it is a mitre, signifying heraldically the already established decision (since Paul VI) renouncing the actual wearing of a tiara. Neither Benedict XVI nor the Holy See have issued any official statement on this matter. In fact, as of this morning, there was still nothing official, other than the line drawing on the inauguration programs, on the new Pope's arms.
Joe McMillan, 26 April 2005

Benedict XVI will, in fact, take new arms as pope and not use the same shield device as he did when Cardinal. The new arms are being devised even as I write, a sketch and explanation can be found at <www.vaticanhistory.de/obennews_2005> (in German), a clearer image of the arms can be seen at <www.vaticanhistory.de/index.html>. In addition to a new bearings on the shield, the ornaments will also change. The mitre will replace the tiara and the pallium, now the distinctive mark of the papacy, will be added.
James A. Francis, 27 April 2005

Here the personal Coat of Arms of Pope Benedict XVI from <www.araldica