There is a large mural of the Crucifixion in our church. Above Jesus' head on the cross are the four letters "INRI," and next to the cross is a Roman soldier holding a banner that says "SPQR." What do these abbreviations stand for?
Answer
"INRI" is an abbreviation for the Latin "Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum" ("Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews"), posted on the cross by order of the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate. "SPQR" stands for "Senatus Populus Que Romanus" ("The Roman Senate and People"), designating the civil authority that presided over the scene.
