Keys of Heaven

In ecclesiastical heraldry, the Papal coat of arms contain the keys of the office of St. Peter. The Keys of Heaven were, according to Christian tradition, received by Saint Peter from Jesus, marking Peter's ability to take binding actions. Thus, the Keys are seen as a symbol of Christian authority still to this day. "Behold he [Peter] received the keys of the kingdom of heaven, the power of binding and loosing is committed to him, the care of the whole Church and its government is given to him [cura ei totius Ecclesiae et principatus committitur (Epist., lib. V, ep. xx, in P.L., LXXVII, 745)].CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Power of the Keys
St Peter is often depicted in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox pictures and artwork holding a key or set of keys. It is also notable that the general layout of St. Peter's Basilica is roughly key-shaped; evocative of the "keys" entrusted to St. Peter. 
==See also==
*Origin and mission of Catholic Church
==References==
==External links==
*Vatican.va  – official website of the Holy See
*Vatican YouTube  – official YouTube channel
*Zenit News Agency  – Rome-based Catholic news agency
*Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)  – Catholic-themed programming
*Catholic News Service - US-based Catholic news agency
*MassTimes.org – Database for Mass schedules in Catholic churches worldwide
Category:Ecclesiastical heraldry
Category:Holy See
Category:Christian terms
fi:Taivasten valtakunnan avaimet
pt:Chaves do Céu