Apr 10 2007
The twelve stars flag of the EU
Some books and commentators claimed there were 12 stars on the flag because there used to be 12 member states. Several enlargements later that view can no longer prevail.
The current common explanation of the ??12 is they represent the 12 apostles, a reference to the Christian past of western Europe. I presume that means they include a star for Judas, the betrayer. We should be told more about this symbolism.
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John Redwood has been the Member of Parliament for Wokingham since 1987. First attending Kent College, Canterbury, he graduated from Magdalen College...
I had not heard that one before and have to say, it’s a very clever observation.
No, the design of the EU flag was inspired by the halo of 12 stars around pictures of Mary (from Revelation 12:1), and appears prominently on the Council of Europe stained-glass window in Strasbourg Cathedral. The window was unveiled on the feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1955. The flag’s inspiration is explained in the EU’s own publication ‘Europe’s Star Choice’, and is confirmed under the chapter heading
It may be the Twelve post Judas. Matthias was chosen in place of Judas.
It seems unlikely, however, that politicians would deliberately choose a religious theme. It is an area where, along with football, they frequently stumble through lack of any but superficial knowledge.
It was because there were originally 12 member states, at least when the flag came into popular usage, it was decided on enlargement to keep the twelve. This is said to be because 12 is considered the number of complete perfection by some.
The reasoning behind this belief may be that twelve is a ’sublime number’, a number that has a perfect number of divisors, and the sum of its divisors is also a perfect number.
It has nothing to do with the iconography of the Christian religion, these views are often cited by conspiracy theorists, who have their own agenda’s.
Reply: I DON’T THINK IT IS TO REPRESENT THE BRIEF STAGE WHEN IT HAD 12 MEMBER STATES - IF THAT WAS IT THEY WOULD HAVE INCREASED THE NUMBERS WITH NEW JOINERS, AND WOULD HAVE STARTED WITH SIX.
Cranmer, have you noticed that the C of E which never encouraged the Feast of the Assumption to be celebrated, has now put it in the church calendar? In other words their wish to support the EU suddenly over-turned four centuries of theology.