All you need to know about the Coat of Arms of Bishop John Kobina Louis

The general design of the coat of arms of bishops consists of a cross, a crest, and a hat with a connecting rope which has six tassels on either side of the crest. Then, the specifics of a particular bishop’s coat of arms are his motto as well as the divisions of his crest and the symbols therein.

MOTTO: MANETE IN CHRISTO

The scriptural inspiration for my life and ministry as an auxiliary bishop is John 15:1-7, which is about the “Vine and the Branches”. This, therefore, is the basis for the choice of my motto and the specific symbols in the crest. Our Lord Jesus Christ exhorts us: “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5). Obviously, it is only by abiding in the crucified and risen Christ as He abides in me that I can bear spiritual fruits in my life and ministry. Hence, the motto, “Abide in Christ”, which is rendered in Latin as, “Manete in Christo”. So, this motto is intended to always remind me to abide evermore in Christ, who is the author and perfector of our faith (cf. Heb. 12:2), as well as the unique source and sustainer of our life (cf. John 1:3-4; 10:10b; 14:6) and ministry (cf. Rev. 1:5-6).

LEFT HALF OF THE CREST

The left half of the crest depicts a vine and a fruitful branch. While praying to constantly abide in Christ, the True and Eternal Vine, I invite you all to likewise remain in Him, so that we can always bear spiritual fruits in abundance – to the glory of God!

TOP PART OF THE RIGHT HALF OF THE CREST

The top part of the right half of the crest shows the Word of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit, symbolized by the white dove. Firstly, the opened book refers to the study of the Word and its proclamation. Secondly, the white rays around the dove represent the inspiration of the Holy Spirit which is required for the authentic study and proclamation of the Word. It is by abiding in Christ as He abides in me that I can truly experience the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to faithfully and fruitfully study and proclaim the Good News of salvation.

BOTTOM PART OF THE RIGHT HALF OF THE CREST

In the bottom part of the right half of the crest is the host and chalice, with some golden rays which signify that the species have been consecrated. While this primarily symbolizes the Holy Eucharist, it represents the ministry of sanctification which entails the administration of the seven sacraments. The choice of the Holy Eucharist to represent all the sacraments is based on the fact that it is the Most Blessed Sacrament or the Sacrament of all the sacraments. As I abide in Christ, the Eternal High Priest, may my ministry of sanctification of souls abound in spiritual fruits.