Expert: Maria - 12/21/2008

Question
 I have a St. Benedict medal with a exorcism cross on the back.  Could you help me understand what is said?  It looks like Latin, from the word "pax".
Front perimeter:  IEUS  IN  OBIIU  NPO  PRAE  SENTIA  MUR
Back cross:  Vertical,  CSSML;  Horizontal, NDSMD;  the center "s" shared between vertcal and horizontal
Between 'arms' of cross:  C    S    P    B   (looks suspiciously like the INRI of usual cross, which are Greek initials?)
Around the perimeter of back of medal (the cross side):
S..M..Q..  ..I..U..BI.. ..PAX..IU..R..S..N..S..M..S..V.
 Thanks for anyhelp you can give!
Sue

Answer
Hello,

The correct inscription on the Front perimeter, encircling the figure of St. Benedict, is the following:  

EIUS IN OBITU  NRO PRAESENTIA  MUNIAMUR, that is EIUS IN OBITU  NOSTRO PRAESENTIA  MUNIAMUR as the abbreviation NRO stands for NOSTRO.
This phrase means: “May we be strengthened by his presence in the hour of our death”.
Benedictines in fact regarded St. Benedict as a special patron of a happy death.

Below the figure of St. Benedict we read: "ex SM Casino MDCCCLXXX"  where SM  stands for “Sancto Monte” .
So the inscription "ex SM Casino MDCCCLXXX" means “from holy Monte Cassino, 1880". This is in fact  the medal struck to commemorate the 1400th anniversary of the birth of Saint Benedict.


On the back of the medal, the cross is dominant.
On the arms of the cross are the initial letters of a Latin prayer.
Here they are:CSSML, acronym of “Crux Sacra Sit Mihi Lux! “(May the holy cross be my light!), and NDSMD, acronym of “Numquam Draco Sit Mihi Dux!" (May the dragon never be my guide!).


Between 'arms' of cross  the letters C S P B stand for “Crux Sancti Patris Benedicti” (The cross of our holy father Benedict).


Around the perimeter of the back of medal (the cross side), above the cross,  we read the word PAX (peace), which is a Benedictine motto, while around the margin of the back of the medal, starting from right to left, there are  the letters V R S N S M V - S M Q L I V B which are the initial letters of a Latin prayer of exorcism against Satan: "Vade Retro Satana! Numquam Suade Mihi Vana! - Sunt Mala Quae Libas. Ipse Venena Bibas!"(Begone Satan!Never tempt me with your vanities! - What you offer me is evil. Drink the poison yourself!).


Finally, as for INRI written over the head of Jesus Christ on the usual cross, they  are not Greek initials, but Latin acronym for “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum”, meaning  "Jesus Nazarene, King of the Jews".

Hope all is clear  now.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,
Maria