“The sign of the Cross over the centuries, the Pope said “has become the symbol par excellence of Christi-ans,” and the Crucifix is often where people “see Jesus,” especially those from places where Christianity is not well-known where it is the sign they encounter and come to recognize. They see them in churches, the homes of Christians or worn by believers. The important thing, the Pope says, is that “the sign be consistent with the Gospel: the cross can-not but express love, service, unreserved self-giving” to be truly the “tree of life.””

Pope Francis
at Angelus, March 21, 2021