The cross is an important symbol for every Orthodox Christian. This is the power of God, visibly staying with us, on our body, from the very moment of Baptism. Turning to the power of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord is a great defense for every person. It is known that the sign of the cross stops the demonic influence: the devil and his servants cannot endure the correct cross. Often we wear a pectoral cross unconsciously or for the sake of fashion, tradition, without thinking about its strength. On the one hand, this is not true. On the other hand, in any case, we protect ourselves with the cross.
If you have lost or found someone else's cross, do not know how to properly wear a cross with an icon, you will understand this from our article.


Pectoral cross - how to wear?

The cross is the greatest shrine of an Orthodox person, a symbol of his faith in Christ and his protection. Choose a chain or leather cord long enough so that the cross can be hidden under clothing. In the Orthodox tradition, in the Slavic lands, it is not customary to wear a cross on a short chain so that it is noticeable. Only Orthodox priests wear crosses over their clothes - but these are not underwear, but pectoral (that is, “chest”, translated from Church Slavonic) crosses, which are given during ordination to the priesthood.


It is important to remember that if you acquire a cross outside the church, you need to consecrate it by bringing it to the church and asking the priest to consecrate it. It's free, or you can thank any amount for the consecration.



Veneration of the Cross in Orthodoxy

Pectoral crosses of various shapes and materials are worn by all Christians. Particles of the Life-Giving Cross, on which Christ Himself was crucified, are today found in many temples of the world. Perhaps in your city there is a particle of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, and you can venerate this great shrine. The cross is called Life-giving - creating and giving life, that is, having great power.


Turning to the power of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord is a great defense for every person. It is known that the sign of the cross stops the demonic influence: the devil and his servants cannot endure the correct cross, therefore they often try to mock him (this is the origin of the satanic symbols of the inverted cross).


Back in the 4th century, one of the greatest miracles in history happened: the Emperor of Byzantium, Constantine, learned about Christianity and, unlike his royal predecessors, did not start persecuting the disciples of Christ, but turned in his heart to the Lord Jesus. And before one of the terrible battles, after a sacred prayer, the emperor saw a shining Cross in the sky above the battlefield and heard God's voice: "By this, conquer!" - that is, "you will overcome with the help of this sign." So the Cross became the military banner of the whole Empire, and under the sign of the Cross, Byzantium flourished for many centuries. Constantine, however, eventually converted to Christianity and was called the Great, and after death he was canonized as a holy king equal to the apostles - for his deeds and for his faith.


At the same time, in 326, the mother of Constantine the Great, Queen Elena, found the Cross of Christ, who was looking for it together with priests and bishops, among other crosses - instruments of execution - on Mount Calvary, where the Lord was crucified. She was baptized, having heard the sermon of the disciples of Christ , the mother of Emperor Constantine the First, Empress Elena, was baptized. She raised her royal son to be an honest and righteous man. After Baptism, Elena wanted to find the Cross on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified and which was buried on Mount Golgotha. She understood that the Cross would unite Christians and become the first great shrine of Christianity.


As soon as the Cross was raised from under the ground, the deceased was resurrected, who was carried past in a funeral procession: therefore, the Cross of Christ immediately began to be called Life-Giving. Since then, pectoral crosses of various shapes and from various materials have been worn by all Christians.


In the morning and evening prayers, found in every Orthodox prayer book, there are prayers that call on the power of God, which comes from the Cross of the Lord. Orthodox Christians thus protect themselves for every day and every night with the power of the Cross of the Lord. Pray to the Lord, protect yourself with the banner of the cross and sincere faith in God - and you will see how your life will change.



Types of pectoral crosses

It doesn’t matter what the cross is made of, different traditions existed in different centuries, and today the cross can be made


  • From metal or wood;

  • From threads or beads;

  • Be enamel or glass;

  • Most often, they choose the one that is comfortable to wear, durable - usually these are silver or gold crosses;

  • You can choose blackened silver crosses - they do not carry any special signs.


Today, most Orthodox crosses are made, oddly enough, in the Catholic tradition. The cross is depicted with only one large crossbar, succinctly. Perhaps there is an explanation for this, that such crosses are cheaper, their manufacture, especially in metal, is less expensive.


You can also buy Old Believer crosses - this is just an image of crosses as they were worn by most of our ancestors until the 17th century. They retain all the features of the inscriptions and drawings of the Calvary cross (a symbolic image of the cross with a number of additional signs and inscriptions that tell about the meaning of the death and Resurrection of the Lord).


In the "Old Believer" cross, the ancient form is preserved: the cross is traditionally depicted as eight-pointed, with additional lower and upper crossbars, but inscribed in a more convenient form of a four-pointed cross. This is a reproduction of the famous and real historically existing Cross of Jesus Christ. Thus, every Orthodox person can, if desired, wear an Old Believer pectoral cross, a vest.



Is it possible to wear a cross and an icon, an amulet

The cross may also have in the center not the Crucifix, but an icon, for example, the Guardian Angel, the Virgin, a saint, and have a written prayer at the back. The main thing is that it should not be a decorative pendant.
You can wear a cross on the same chain with an icon or a medallion, even a pendant with a photo of your loved one.


Another shrine that can be worn on a chain with a cross is amulets and reliquaries. These are not amulets and not amulets, but something even more powerful - a reminder of God's eternal care and His love for people, objects that do not let us lose heart in a difficult moment, through which the Lord works miracles in our lives.


An amulet is a container for storing holy incense on the body, a reliquary is for storing holy relics. These are the oldest personal shrines of Orthodox people. Particles of relics are very difficult to get. Frankincense, a fragrant resin that is thrown into the censer in an Orthodox church, is available to every believer.


A reliquary is usually a cross with a recess for relics, where they are placed filled with wax.


There are also simply small wearable icons, which must be handled in the same way as amulets and reliquaries. All this is not decoration, you need to treat the shrines with care. You can kiss the icon, the amulet and the holy cross at night with a prayer.



What does it mean to lose or find a cross

Since pectoral crosses have existed for many centuries, wearing them is associated with various signs and issues that priests usually call simply superstitions. It is usually advised to keep the cross with which you were baptized, putting it on in moments of serious illness. It is rather a tradition, a wish, because everyone will take care of something dear and memorable to him.


If you have lost your cross, do not despair, this is also no reason to think that the Lord has left you. Just get a new one as soon as possible, and if there is no money for a precious metal cross yet, buy a temporary one, only then do not throw it away, but keep it or take it to the church. Never worry, remember that the Lord is with you and he will protect you.


If you found someone else's cross, this again does not mean that you have taken on someone else's cross or someone else's life. The Lord leads and guides us as we turn to Him. Through the cross, no one will damage you - demons are afraid of the cross. If the cross is valuable, it is worth taking it to the police, because people can look for the lost thing, and if not, it is better to take it to the temple so that it is kept there with reverence. If the police do not take it, and you really want to wear someone else's cross, ask the priest to bless it. You can also consecrate the cross and give it to a person who believes in God, but does not have a cross.


Cross damage protection

The modern world is full of dangers. Whatever you fear - illness, death, witchcraft, corruption, seek help only from the Lord, because God helps people in all ages, and there are millions of testimonies of God's miracles. No curse will have its power if the person who is wished harm is churched, believes in God, goes to church, attends church services and partakes of the Mysteries of Christ.


Knowing or speculating about the existence of a curse is no cause for despair. Order a prayer service for the removal of the curse and turn to God in a special prayer daily.


If you have sorrows and difficulties, live with fear, you need to


  • Turn with prayer for help to God and his saints.

  • Visit the temple in the near future - talk with the priest and tell him about your experiences.

  • If you have not been baptized yet, accept Holy Baptism. The priest will tell you how to live the church life.

  • In no case do not turn to sorcerers, healers, psychics. People who are engaged in spiritual help without the blessing of the Church do it through dark forces, which will then take a double “payment” from you with troubles and sorrows.

  • You can hurt yourself if you use foul language and swear frequently. Often people do not even know that black words spoil their fate.

  • If you expect a dark impact, damage in your life, first of all, you need to seek help from the Lord with the help of prayer and the sign of the cross. Reading a prayer does not require the performance of any rites or rituals. You just need to ask the Lord for protection with sincere faith, preferably in solitude and silence, in front of the icons of the Almighty Jesus Christ and the Most Holy Theotokos.


Protect me, Lord, with the power of Your Honorable and Life-Giving Cross and save me from evil.
Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy Church, giving victory to Orthodox Christians against enemies and Thy keeping the believers with Thy Cross.


After the prayer, cross yourself and kiss your pectoral cross, then cross yourself again.


Through the prayers of all the saints and the power of His Cross, may the Lord keep you!


Pectoral cross - why is it worn on the body and is it possible to remove the cross from oneself?

PEARL CROSS

Of all world religions, Christianity occupies a special position in Russia. According to statistics, at least two-thirds of Russians received the Sacrament of Baptism. In this Sacrament, among other actions, a pectoral cross is placed on the neck of a person. About where the tradition of wearing pectoral crosses came from, why they wear it on the body and whether it is possible to remove the cross from oneself - this and other things will be discussed in our article.

A bit of history

The custom, along with Baptism, to put on a pectoral cross around the neck of the newly baptized did not appear immediately. However, the cross as an instrument of salvation has been the subject of the greatest honor among Christians since the very foundation of the Church. For example, the church thinker Tertullian (II-III centuries) in his "Apology" testifies that the veneration of the cross existed from the earliest times of Christianity. Even before Queen Helena and Emperor Constantine found the life-giving cross on which Christ was crucified in the 4th century, it was already common among the first followers of Christ to always have an image of the cross with them - both as a reminder of the sufferings of the Lord, and to confess their faith in front of others. . From the acts of the 7th Ecumenical Council (act 4) we know that the holy martyrs Orestes (suffered c.304 g .) and Procopius (martyred in 303 g .) wore a cross on their chest. Pontius, the life writer of the Hieromartyr Cyprian of Carthage (d. 258 g.), and others. Christians wore the image of the cross on the body, most often on the forehead and on the chest. If some Christians wore a cross under their clothes because of fear of persecution or out of a reverent desire to avoid ridicule of the shrine by the pagans, then there were others who wanted to confess Christ, their faith. Such a bold and resolute confession prompted to make the image of the cross on the forehead as in the most conspicuous place on the human body. Today, very few external sources have survived that would report on this pious tradition of wearing the cross, because in the first three centuries it belonged to the area of ​​disciplinae arcanae, that is, to the circle of those Christian beliefs and rituals that were kept secret from the pagans. After the weakening and subsequent cessation of the persecution of Christians, the wearing of the cross became a widespread custom. At the same time, crosses began to be installed on all Christian churches. In Rus', this custom was adopted precisely with the baptism of the Slavs in 988. On Russian soil, crosses were worn not on the body, but over clothing, "as clear indicators of Christian baptism." They were called encolpions - from the Greek word "chest". Encolpions at first had the form of a four-sided box, empty inside; on their outer side, an image of the monogram of the name of Jesus Christ was placed, and later - a cross of various shapes. This box contained relics.

The meaning of the cross

What does the pectoral cross symbolize and why is it necessary to wear it? The cross, as an instrument of a terrible and painful execution, thanks to the sacrificial feat of Christ the Savior, became a symbol of redemption and an instrument for the salvation of all mankind from sin and death. It is on the Cross, through pain and suffering, death and Resurrection, that the Son of God accomplishes the salvation or healing of human nature from the mortality, passion and corruption brought into it by the fall of Adam and Eve. Thus, a person who wears the Crucifixion of Christ testifies to his participation in the suffering and feat of his Savior, followed by the hope of salvation, and hence the resurrection of man for eternal life with God. This complicity consists not so much in theoretically recognizing that Christ once, more than two thousand years ago, in Jerusalem suffered physically and morally, but in accepting: I, just like the Lord, am ready daily to bring sacrifice yourself - through the struggle with your passions, through the forgiveness and non-judgment of your neighbors, through building your life according to the Gospel commandments of the Savior - as a sign of love and gratitude to Him.

A huge honor

For an Orthodox Christian, wearing a cross is a great honor and responsibility. Conscious neglect and blasphemous attitude to the cross in the Russian people has always been understood as an act of apostasy. Russian people swore allegiance on crosses, and exchanging pectoral crosses, they became cross brothers. During the construction of churches, houses, bridges, the cross was laid in the foundation. The Orthodox Church believes that according to the faith of a person, through the cross of Christ, the power of God is manifested (acts) in an invisible way. The cross is a weapon against the devil. The Church can reliably speak about the miraculous, saving and healing power of the cross and the sign of the cross, referring to the experience from the life of her saints, as well as to the numerous testimonies of ordinary believers. The resurrection of the dead, healing from illnesses, protection from evil forces - all these and other good deeds to this day through the cross show the love of God to man.

worthless superstitions

But, despite the life-giving power of the cross, many people trust (follow) various superstitions associated with the cross. Here is an example of one of them: “To see a pectoral cross in a dream is an alarming sign, and if you dreamed that you had lost a cross, be prepared for troubles that will not slow down to fall on you,” dream interpreters say unanimously. But the most common superstition associated with the Crucifixion tells us that if we find somewhere a cross lost by someone, then we cannot take it, because by doing so we take on other people's sins. However, when it comes to finding lost money, no one remembers the sins of others, especially the pain of others. And to the “serious question” that worries many about what it means when a cross is lost, I want to just as seriously answer what it means that the chain or rope on which this cross hung broke. The presence in a person of a superstitious, that is, a vain, empty attitude towards the cross testifies to little faith and even distrust of Christ, and, therefore, of His redemptive sacrificial feat accomplished on the Cross. In this case, hope and love for God and trust in God's Providence are replaced by distrust and fear of the unknown.

Questionable Targets

For what purpose are pectoral crosses worn today and are they worn at all? Here are the answers to this question that were posted on one of the Internet forums:. I wear it as a talisman; . because it's beautiful and probably just helps; . I wear a cross, but not as a symbol of faith, but as a gift from a person close to me; . I wear it because, they say, it brings happiness; . I don’t wear it, because I consider it idolatry, there is no indication of this custom in the Bible; . I don’t wear a cross for two reasons: my neck itches terribly from all these chains, and the second is that, of course, I am a believer, but not to the same extent ... This is precisely the unchurched people with a pagan, and even consumerist attitude to faith and religion . But among this type of people there is a part that does not accept the wearing of a cross at all, motivating it as follows: “God is in my soul anyway”; “In the Bible, God does not command to wear a cross”; “The cross is a symbol of death, a shameful instrument of execution,” etc. What can a person not come up with as an excuse for his elementary ignorance in the field of Christian culture! Thus, most unchurched people do not have a Christian understanding of what a cross is and why it should be worn on the body. The Church says that the cross is a shrine on which the salvation of people was accomplished, testifying to God's love for us. Upon receiving the Sacrament of Baptism, a person begins to be called a Christian, which means that one who is ready to testify to God's fidelity through carrying his life's cross and following His commandments with his whole life. This is what the image of the cross on our chest constantly reminds us of. Orthodox Christians are called, looking at the cross, to treat it with great reverence and responsibility. Such a reverent attitude towards the cross and remembering it as a shrine often keeps a person from committing a bad deed. No wonder in Rus' a person who committed a crime was told: "There is no cross on you." This phrase does not carry the literal, physical meaning of the absence of a cross on the body, but speaks of a lack of remembrance, a serious Christian attitude to the cross and the Christian faith. In itself, the presence of a cross on the chest does not save and has no meaning for a person if he does not consciously confess what the Cross of Christ symbolizes. A reverent attitude towards the pectoral cross encourages the believer not to remove the cross from the body without serious need. The fact that in Rus' special bathing crosses were made of wood, so as not to get burned by a metal cross, suggests that people did not want to remove the crosses even for a short time (during washing). No wonder the Russian people said: "He who has a cross is with Christ." But there are situations when certain circumstances require it - for example, operations on the body. In such cases, one should not neglect the doctor's demand, it is enough to make the sign of the cross over oneself and rely on the will of God. The question of whether or not to wear crosses to infants causes fear in many people, because the child can allegedly choke with a rope or chain on which the Crucifix is ​​located. But there is not yet a single such accident known when a child would strangle himself with his own hands or inflict wounds on himself with a cross. These are just vain fears or superstitious prejudices of adults. The only advice to parents is that children should not be put on too long a rope or chain around their neck. Conclusion The cross is not just a memory of the day of baptism and not a relic that should be kept, not a talisman and not a gift, but a shrine through which God gives a believing person who leads a correct spiritual life His grace, comfort and support. It is no coincidence that the Russian people put together a wise proverb: "We do not wear the cross, but it wears us." Being a visible shrine, the pectoral cross is called upon to testify to our faith in Christ, our readiness to sacrificially love and forgive people and live according to the Gospel commandments. And God grant us, looking at our cross, to remember the words of the Lord more often and act according to His call: “If anyone wants to follow Me, deny yourself and take up your cross, and follow Me” (Mt 16:24).

Deacon Konstantin Kiosev

The cross is put on by the priest when performing the Sacrament of Baptism. It testifies that a person has become a Christian and a member of the Orthodox Church. Jesus Christ said: “Whoever wants to follow me, turn away from yourself, and take up your cross, and follow me” (Gospel according to Mark 8, 34).

When consecrating this creed, the clergyman, through prayer, asks God that the cross would keep both the soul and the body from all evil forces. This applies only to members of the Church. Quite often, young mothers put a cross on a newborn to protect him from everything bad. But for an unbaptized child, this is the same as wearing ordinary jewelry.

There are cases when an adult, not being baptized, walks with a cross around his neck. If this is just a tribute to fashion, then such an act is unacceptable. If a person is a believer and plans to be baptized in the near future, wearing a pectoral cross is not a sin. It should be remembered that the unbaptized are not allowed to participate in the sacraments of the Church.

Question:

Good day! I have a question. My beloved girl gave me her pectoral cross, in which she was baptized as a child. It shocked me - in a good way. That she loves me so much and trusts me so much. But I am unbaptized. But a believer. Not to a particular religion. I just believe that our Father is God. I feel it. And being baptized in our church costs about 400 rubles. I was told that I could not wear a cross until I was baptized. How does the church view this?

You are a believer. You need to go to the temple and be baptized as soon as possible. Lack of money cannot be an obstacle to receiving the saving Sacrament. The money that a person makes during registration is only a type of donation that is necessary for the upkeep of the temple. In Moscow, in some churches, at the entrance to the baptismal room, you can see the inscription: "for the poor, the Sacrament of Baptism is performed free of charge." I hope that your church will meet you halfway.

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Question to the priest

Number of entries: 16441

Can I divorce my husband if we are married and live together? The reason for this is distrust of her husband. I'm afraid to do something stupid, and it's easier to live like that, debunked. please send a reply by e-mail

This is an incredible request! There is no divorce. There can only be an annulment of a civil marriage (divorce), and, consequently, a church one. If you do not trust your husband, and there are reasons for this, then talk to him, set your own conditions to preserve the family and trust. Live, finally, a couple of months apart, think about the future. If it's just jealousy, then go to the temple for confession. Get rid of passion.

Archpriest Maxim Khyzhiy

Dear father! Help! I have an unusual question. I am now 50, unmarried, no children. She was baptized as a child and went to church. TO…

girls, let me put in my word, so to speak, a look "from the inside."

firstly, in general in churches and from childhood, and secondly, I have been working at the church for two years now.

so that's about baptism.

the so-called categorical conversations before baptism will soon become mandatory in all churches for those who are going to be baptized themselves or baptize a child (if you baptize a baby, then godparents must be present at the conversations).

I know that in Yekaterinburg it is not the first year that the cycle of conversation before baptism consists of 12 conversations. in the near future everywhere 2-3 conversations will become mandatory.

As for the presence of my mother at baptism and relatives in general, it is not forbidden in our church. I was baptized in the summer when my classmate's son was baptized. there were also godparents, and she and her husband and their parents.

we are allowed to take pictures, it’s just desirable without a flash (in general, they ask you to turn off the flash so as not to interfere with a bunch of flashes to the priest)

classmate's son...

To the reader's question, Fr. VITALY, cleric of St. George's Church vi Kishi no va:

- In principle, there is no church charter that would oblige all baptized people to wear a cross. But, if a person does not wear it, this shows an irresponsible attitude towards Christ, a non-serious attitude to life. Referring to what to wear cre…

I am not baptized for family reasons, but I believe in God and in the Orthodox Church, I secretly go to church and pray to God. I want to wear a cross. Is it possible for me to wear a cross without being baptized, since I do not have the opportunity to be baptized yet? What should I do? And how are 17-year-olds baptized?

I go to school in 11th grade

Marneuli, Georgia

Dear Marina, it's good that you believe, want to be baptized and pray to God. Since you have such extraordinary circumstances, you can start wearing a cross even before Baptism. But after all, a baptized Christian not only wears a cross, but can also participate in other Sacraments: confess, partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ ... From your brief letter it is not clear what circumstances prevent you from being baptized, but they do not prevent you from wearing a pectoral cross and even secretly, but walking in church. Maybe it makes sense to talk to the priest in the church where you go to pray, or go specifically to ...

1 WHY SHOULD I WEAR A PEARL CROSS?
– The meaning of wearing a cross is revealed in the words of the Apostle Paul: "I crucified with Christ"(Gal. 2:19). The consecrated pectoral cross is a symbol of faith and a sign of belonging to the Church of Christ. The cross protects from evil spirits. He who does not want to bear the cross himself rejects the help of God. The Hieromartyr Peter of Damascus said so on the cross - “Demons and various diseases are driven away by the inscription of the Holy and Life-Giving Cross; and this is done without any cost and without labor. And who can count the praises of the Holy Cross?”

2 WHICH CROSS TO CHOOSE - GOLD OR SILVER?
- It doesn't matter what material the cross is made of - there are no rules about the material for crosses. Obviously, precious metals are also acceptable here, because for a Christian there can be nothing more precious than a cross - hence the desire to decorate it.But the main thing is that the cross is worn without taking it off, and it would be Orthodox and consecrated.

3 IS IT POSSIBLE TO WEAR A CROSS ON A CHAIN?
- There is no fundamental difference between a chain and a braid. It is important that the cross is firmly held.

4 IS IT POSSIBLE TO WEAR A CROSS AND A ZODIAC SIGN ON THE SAME CHAIN?
- The pectoral cross is a sign of belonging to the Church of Christ, and the signs of the zodiac, amulets, amulets are evidence of adherence to various superstitions, so you can’t wear them at all. “What does light have in common with darkness? What agreement is there between Christ and Belial? Or what is the partnership of the faithful with the unbelievers? What is the compatibility of the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).

5 IS IT POSSIBLE TO WEAR THE CROSS WHICH YOUR SISTER WEAR IF SHE BOUGHT A NEW ONE?
- Can. The cross is a sacred thing, a symbol of salvation, no matter who wore it.

6 HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE THE ORTHODOX CROSS FROM THE CATHOLIC CROSS?
– The Orthodox Church confesses that Christ was crucified not with three, but with four nails. Therefore, on the Orthodox cross, the Savior is depicted crucified with four nails, and on the Catholic one - with three (both legs - with one nail). On the back of Orthodox crosses, according to tradition, the inscription "Save and save" is made.

7 IS IT POSSIBLE TO RAISE THE CROSS FOUND ON THE STREET AND WHAT TO DO WITH IT?
- A cross found on the street must definitely be raised, since it is a shrine, and it should not be trampled under foot. The found cross can be taken to the Church or consecrated and worn (if one is not available), or given to the one who will wear it.

8 IS IT POSSIBLE TO WEAR AN UNCONFESSED CROSS?
- Can. St. John Chrysostom writes that demons bypass the place where just two sticks (twigs) fell from a tree and lay down crosswise. But it is better to ask the priest to bless the cross.

9 DO I NEED TO REMOVE THE CROSS WHEN WASHING IN THE BATH?
- It is better to never take off the pectoral cross.

10 IS IT POSSIBLE TO GO TO CHURCH WITHOUT A CROSS?

- Both a temple and a person cannot be without a cross ... When a priest consecrates a cross, he reads two special prayers in which he asks the Lord God to pour heavenly power into the cross, and that this cross would keep not only the soul, but also body from all enemies, sorcerers, sorcerers, from all evil forces. The cross has tremendous power. Not only is it impossible to go to church without a cross; a baptized person in general can never take off the cross. Even when we wash, we go to the bathhouse, to the X-ray room, to the doctor, we cannot remove the cross.

The cross is a weapon. On whom there is a cross, the demons tremble to approach. Therefore, it is said in the Easter stichera that “… the cross is the guardian of the universe, the cross is the beauty of the Church, glory to the angels and the plague to the demons". You never need to take off the cross.