Keys of Saint Peter
These are the keys to the kingdom of heaven, which Christ gave Peter as a symbol of his spiritual power:
St Peter's Basilica Baldachin or ciborium
Cherubs with the papal tiara and the keys to Heaven and Earth
In addition to the deep-rooted tradition in the Western world of the Latin and Christian cross, with its vertical and horizontal axes, there is also a lesser-known tradition of a cross with diagonal axes. To do this, we must take a trip into pre-Christian mythology and the undercurrent of Christianity.
Roman Catholic Church Papal coat of arms
The two keys are the symbolic power over the two realms, the silver key to bind and unbind on Earth, the golden key to bind and unbind in Heaven. The red cord that connects the two is the spiritual and blood bond between the two realms and, by extension, the authority of the Pope himself.
From a Catholic perspective, these earthly regions could of course not be viewed separately from the realm of the Devil, and all those who lay within this Devil's sphere of influence, including women, 'pagan idolatries' and the many 'heretical' movements within Christianity.
Therefore, the inclusion of the two keys in the papal coat of arms could be interpreted as an attempt to bring both keys within the Catholic sphere of influence, but to hide that from the outside world.
The word arms in a shield refers to battle. The warrior’s shield became the primary vehicle for heraldic designs, as the latter emerged from magical totemic themes. Each warrior felt that the need for protective magic was concentrated primarily in the shield, on which his life could literally depend.
Coincidentally, the X-cross – the shape on which the crossed keys could be projected – has been one of the signs that the warrior had to provide for that protective magic since the Stone Age.
An X-cross is sometimes referred to in the Christian context as the St. Andrew's Cross, named after apostle St. Andrew - Peter's brother - who was supposedly executed on such a cross. But the X-cross appears to be much older and already appears in prehistoric times.
In Greek and Roman mythology, the X referred to the Greek god Hermes and his Roman counterpart, the god Mercury, respectively, in their capacity as messenger of the gods, protector of people at crossroads, and bringer of enlightenment. A role that can be compared well with the role that was assigned to Peter in Roman Catholicism.
The X is the Greek symbol for Christ, and in early Christianity this X was actually used as a symbol for Christ. Well known is the Christogram symbol Chi-Rho, which – composed of the first two Greek letters for Christ, the X and the P – was also used to indicate Christ:
The X symbol also appears to have played a significant role in the undercurrent of Christianity, the alchemy, where the X symbol was connected to the process of birth and rebirth, or the reunion of the male and female principles.
The color red has always been the color of passion and white the color of purity, and to alchemists the combination of these two symbolized the union of opposites.
The ambivalence of its usage in war and in peace resonates in our time in the English word X-mas, which refers to Christmas. A duality and a transcendence of that duality.
1403: St. Pieter's Church, Leiden
The key was the mystical symbol of knowledge of the afterlife, way before Catholic Popes laid claim to the keys of the kingdom. Goddesses from older cultures, including Hecate, Persephone, and Cybele, played roles as key bearers.
The key that Persephone possessed – like the key that Goddesses in other cultures have possessed – gave access only to the regions of Hell.
The Roman god Janus is considered the key bearer par excellence and even the inventor of the lock, a quality that appears to be closely linked to his role as god of initiation. Janus, with his two faces, could look forward and back at the boundary of two years.
Could the church have deliberately adopted the symbol from the non-Catholic enemy, with the conscious intention of neutralizing the enemy's power by trying to take the central symbol away from them and also adopt it?
This was a tactic that the Christians had also systematically used with the 'heathens' in the distant past.
Since all the above shown keys are different in shape, which one of them or none of them would fit into the lock of the gate to Heaven?
If none of them would fit, how to enter heaven?
From Peter's "aha experience" on the cross, the actual meaning of the 2 keys are:
- the key of unconditional forgiveness of sin,
- the key of appreciation of everything and everybody.
Instead of turning most souls back to earth to clear all of their karma first before allowing them into the heavenly realm, the creation by proclamation of Pope Francis of specific Holy Doors, also called "Portals" in Catholic churches everywhere, to celebrate the 2025 Jubilee year, and for pilgrims to make a passage from sin to grace, by receiving a plenary indulgence, under certain conditions, and then step through the holy door, however they have to step "unto the wheel of karma".
Pope Francis opening the holy door/portal in a prison in Rome
Plenary Indulgence is a total forgiveness of the temporal penalties imposed by the Catholic Church on its sinful faithful, which they have to endure due to the sins committed.
This papal act discharges Peter from the role & obligation of being for nearly 2000 years the "gatekeeper to the heavens", which is actually the exit gate from the underworld, which was created by Christ when he went into the underworld after the crucifixion of the body of Jesus.
