Keys of Heaven
The Keys of Heaven refers to the image of crossed keys used in ecclesiastical heraldry, to represent the metaphorical keys of the office of Saint Peter, the keys of heaven, or the keys of the kingdom of Heaven.According to Catholic teaching, Jesus promised the keys to heaven to Saint Peter, empowering him to take binding actions. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says to Peter, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on Earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on Earth shall be loosed in heaven." Saint Peter is often depicted in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox paintings and other artwork as holding a key or a set of keys.
The keys of heaven or keys of Saint Peter are seen as a symbol of papal authority and are seen on papal coats of arms and those of the Holy See and Vatican City State: "Behold he received the keys of the kingdom of heaven, the power of binding and loosing is committed to him, the care of the whole Church and its government is given to him ".In Roman Catholicism
Elsewhere
