President-elect Donald Trump’s candidate to head the Department of Defense, Pete Hegseth, is facing a storm of charges that he bears tattoo associated with bright supremacy philosophy.
Here are some things to know about the ancient Christian image, Hegseth’s tattoos, and why feudal record is playing like a big part in 21st-century politics.
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The Jerusalem Cross
A Greek bridge and four smaller passes are nested inside the Jerusalem Cross. It is a well-known spiritual symbol from the crusades that the Catholic Church and other Christian faiths have adopted as a historical representation of their devotion and services.
King Godfrey of Bouillon, who carried the Jerusalem Cross as his private coat of arms in 1099, proclaimed it as the crown of the Kingdom of Jerusalem as the foundation of his day. Since then, it has become a commonly celebrated sign of Catholics ‘ appearance in the Holy Land and is depicted on temples, garments, church facades, and more.
The Jerusalem cross is prominently used as the emblem of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, the highest Catholic authority in the Holy Land.
It is worn on necklaces by residents and pilgrims in modern-day Israel and Gaza, as well as at Christian holy sites. Rosaries, Bibles, clothing, and other objects bearing the mark can be purchased from local merchants across the country.
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And Hegseth’s tattoo is not unique because Christians frequently seek ink with religious significance.
World leaders are among the many Christians who pilgrimage to Jerusalem and have the cross tattooed on their bodies. Beginning with the upcoming King Edward VII in 1862, several male members of the British royal family have been tattooed with Jerusalem crosses while visiting the Holy Land.
” Deus Vult”
The Latin phrase” Deus Vult,” which means” God wills it,” is Hegseth’s other tattoo that has sparked accusations of white supremacist associations. The Jerusalem Cross, which was used as the motto of the ferventuring Catholic knights fighting to reclaim the Holy Land in the eleventh century, has similar roots.
According to emails leaked to the Associated Press, Hegseth was removed from National Guard duty ahead of President Joe Biden’s inauguration because the Department of Defense found the phrase’s tattoo to be so controversial in 2021.
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The Jerusalem Cross and ” Deus Vult” motto are frequently used together by religious organizations descended from the crusader orders of knighthood or people seeking to ape the crusaders’ aesthetic.
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, the centuries-old papal order of knighthood that traces its roots back to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, uses the Jerusalem cross as its crest and ” Deus Vult” as its official motto. Modern Catholics knighted into the Order of the Holy Sepulchre include members of the clergy, high-profile laity, and even European monarchs.
In the modern day, the Jerusalem Cross and ” Deus Vult” motto have transcended the Catholic Church in the Middle East and become global signifiers of Christian evangelization, identity, and history.
It has even been used as a secular civic symbol, like the Georgian flag, which has a white background and only a red Jerusalem cross on it.
Hegseth’s accusations of harboring hateful beliefs were made even more vehement on Friday when the Associated Press published an article outlining previous complaints about his religious tattoos and accusing the nominee for defense secretary of failing to take extremism in the military seriously.
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” They’re attacking Pete Hegseth for having a Christian motto tattooed on his arm”, Vice President-elect J. D. Vance wrote on social media following the article’s publication. The AP should be ashamed of itself for this repulsive anti-Christian bigotry, according to the statement.
” Anti-Christian bigotry in the media on full display”, Hegseth responded to Vance. ” They can target me — I do n’t give a damn — but this type of targeting of Christians, conservatives, patriots and everyday Americans will stop on DAY ONE at]Donald Trump’s ] Do D”.
