On Saturday, February 28, at 4:30 p.m., at the Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Villaggio Mosè, a district of Agrigento, a conference entitled “The Holy Cross and the Constantinian Banner: Symbols of Victory and Faith” was held. The event offered an opportunity for cultural and spiritual reflection and was organized by the Delegation of Western Sicily of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George.

The initiative formed part of the socio-cultural and charitable activities promoted by the Order. At the conclusion of the meeting, at 6:00 p.m., Holy Mass was celebrated.

The conference was moderated by Art History lecturer Arch. Vincenzo Graci, Knight of Office, who introduced the proceedings by weaving together theological, historical, and contemporary reflections. In his introductory remarks, he presented the Cross as a universal symbol of the struggle between good and evil, interpreting the figure of Saint George as a spiritual bridge between the Christian world and the Islamic world.

The traditional iconography of the fight with the dragon was also interpreted as a metaphor for the “inner battle” necessary for the encounter with God, linking these reflections to the mission of the Constantinian Order in defending and bearing witness to the faith.

The moderator then introduced the institutional greetings of the parish priest Father Salvatore Casà, emphasizing the significance of the sacred place hosting the initiative, and of Dr. Maria Luisa Tornambè, Dame of Merit with Silver Star, Representative for Agrigento, highlighting the historical and spiritual bond between the Constantinian Order and the Agrigento area.

Greeting of Dr. Maria Luisa Tornambè

Dr. Maria Luisa Tornambè conveyed the greetings of the Delegate for Western Sicily, Nob. Prof. Avv. Salvatore Bordonali, Lord of Pirato, Knight Grand Cross of Justice, reading the handwritten message he had sent:

“Dear Confrères and distinguished guests,

I am grateful to the organizers of the Conference for the theme addressed, and allow me to offer a special thanks to our Knight of Merit Giuseppe Caci, to whom I extend my congratulations for his well-deserved promotion, the result of intense activity in favor of the Order.

Together with him, three other Confrères have been promoted, whom I would like to mention for the constant and important work they have carried out on behalf of the Order: Dame of Merit Giovanna Arnone, Knight of Merit Salvatore Manganello, and Knight of Merit Antonino Sciortino.

I also take this opportunity to welcome the new Knights of Office: Giuseppe Caico, Vincenzo Graci—today the moderator of this conference—Vincenzo Iorio, and Salvatore Lauricella. I ask you to welcome them with a warm round of applause.

But let us return to today’s theme, which concerns two foundational symbols of our tradition: the Holy Cross and the Constantinian Banner.

These emblems are not merely visual representations of our faith, but authentic testimonies of a history that spans the centuries. The Holy Cross, the heart of our Order, symbolizes sacrifice and redemption, reminding us each day of our mission as Knights and Dames.

The Constantinian Banner, on the other hand, reminds us of Emperor Constantine and the heavenly vision accompanied by the words “In hoc signo vinces,” a sign of victory and unity.

Thanks to the speakers’ contributions, this conference will highlight how these symbols do not belong solely to the past, but still represent today a living reference for our commitment to faith and service.

I wish that this reflection may strengthen all of us in our daily journey and inspire those who approach the Order to discover the transformative value of faith under the emblem of the Constantinian Cross.

Thank you all for your attention and for your continued support of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George.

May the Cross and the Banner continue to be a source of inspiration and guidance for us all.”

The Lecture of Dr. Giuseppe Caci

Dr. Giuseppe Caci delivered his lecture dedicated to the theme of the conference, “The Holy Cross and the Constantinian Banner: Symbols of Victory and Faith,” illustrating the historical and symbolic process that led to the transformation of the Cross from an instrument of death into a sign of salvation and victory.

Originally, the cross did not represent a religious symbol but rather a terrible instrument of execution. Derived from the “execution stake” used in the 6th century B.C. by the Persians, the method was later refined by the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians, who introduced the horizontal beam (patibulum) in order to prolong the agony of the condemned. The Romans learned this practice during the Punic Wars and used it until the 4th century A.D. as a punishment reserved for slaves and rebels.

With the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 A.D., the Christian sign underwent a radical symbolic transformation: from an instrument of death to a banner of victory. According to tradition, on the night before the clash the Emperor Constantine had a vision in which he was instructed to place the heavenly sign on the shields of his soldiers, accompanied by the famous phrase “In hoc signo vinces” (“In this sign you will conquer”).

From that moment, the Cross acquired a new meaning also in Christian art and culture. Its evolution is testified in iconography, as demonstrated, among other works, by the famous “Dream of Constantine” painted by Piero della Francesca in the cycle “The Legend of the True Cross” in Arezzo, and by the “Battle of the Milvian Bridge” frescoed in the Vatican Rooms from designs by Raphael.

Constantine also translated this vision into the military sphere through the Labarum, the imperial banner surmounted by the Christogram formed by the Greek letters Chi and Rho.

According to tradition, the custody of the banner was entrusted to a selected guard of fifty Knights, the Praepositi Laberorum, a nucleus from which the origin of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is traditionally traced.

The Order—one of the most ancient chivalric-religious orders of Christendom—continues even today to pursue three fundamental aims:

  • the glorification of the Cross, as a sign of redemption;

  • the propagation of the Faith, through Christian witness;

  • the defense of the Church, through charitable works and ecclesial commitment.