Expert: Sal - 4/19/2009

Question
Is the direction Jesus's face is facing important on a  crufix?

Answer
Dear Gearoid:

Jesus is depicted with his head hanging to the right as if he is looking down to those on his right. I believe that this is because of a saying of Jesus. According to Matthew 25 the saved will be on the right hand side of Jesus and the lost on his left.

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world’“ (Matthew 25:31-34).

This may be the reason that Jesus head hangs to the right.

God Be With You,
Sal