VATICAN CITY — A new pope means a new papal coat of arms topped by the papal miter and a set of crossed keys.
Most churches in Italy will soon be replacing the metal shield of the coat of arms of Pope Francis that adorned their facade with Pope Leo XIV’s shield; however, Vatican gardeners have already made the switch. Workers spent about two weeks planting and rearranging evergreens, flowers and plants to complete a gigantic botanical reproduction of Pope Leo’s shield on the sloped lawn in front of the Vatican’s governing office.
Visitors to the Vatican Gardens and those climbing to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica will be able to see the emblem created from hundreds of colored plants arranged like “tiles of a mosaic,” according to a May 28 press release by the governing office. Pope Leo’s unique coat of arms pays homage to St. Augustine, the founder of the religious order he joined in his 20s.
