José Avelino Bettencourt
JOSÉ AVELINO BETTENCOURT
Born: May 23, 1962
Deceased:
Titular Archbishop of Aemona, 2018-present
Apostolic Nuncio to Armenia, 2018-2023
Apostolic Nuncio to Georgia, 2018-2023
Apostolic Nuncio to Cameroon, 2023-present
Apostolic Nuncio to Equatorial Guinea, 2023-present
| English | blazon wanted |
Origin/meaning
The threefold star evokes the Church’s faith in the Triune God, as expressed in the ancient Nicene Creed. Its cross-like shape alludes to the mystery of our salvation in Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, while the third inlay represents the Holy Spirit, Patron of the Azoreans. The eight points of the star refer to Mary, the Mother of God, and to the mystery of the Incarnation. Mary is present as Mother of the Church and Patroness of Lusitania (Terra Mariae), also invoked since the seventeenth century as “Our Lady of the Bettencourts”.
The chevron is the heraldic symbol of Saint Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church, Patron of Canada and the Archdiocese of Ottawa, as well as the Archbishop’s namesake.
A black lion, used here as a symbol of courage, is taken from the arms of an historical Bettencourt family and symbolises here the name of the bishop. The two lions on the chevron allude to the Archbishop’s parents (Silveira Befttencourt and Soares Bettencourt).
The Latin motto — FIDES SPES CHARITAS — is drawn from the conclusion of Saint Paul’s hymn to love in the First Letter to the Corinthians: “Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love” (13:13). The deep red colour of the shield symbolizes love, strength and faithful service, while the scroll contains the armorial bearings of four of the various distinctions conferred on Archbishop Bettencourt: Commander of the Military Order of Christ (Portugal); Conventual Chaplain Grand Cross ad honorem of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta; Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem; and Insignia Autonémica de Reconhecimento of the Azores.
Literature: https://archbishopterry.blogspot.nl (21-03-2018)
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