Crucifix

A crucifix (from Latin cruci fixus meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a three-dimensional cross with a representation of Jesus' body, the "corpus". It is a principal symbol of the Christian religion, and one of the commonest forms of the Crucifixion in the arts. It is especially important in the Catholic Church, but is also used in Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, and less often in other Protestant churches, and it emphasizes Jesus' sacrifice — his death by crucifixion, which Christians believe brought about the redemption of mankind. Large crucifixes high across the central axis of a church, by the late Middle Ages a near-universal feature of Western churches, but now very rare, are known by the Old English term rood. Modern Catholic churches mostly have a crucifix above the altar on the wall, as most do not have rood screens.