Jesus was crucified by the Romans in the final year of his life, and his death is a highly significant event for members of the Christian faith. The crucifix is thus a principal symbol of the Christian religion. It consists of a Christian cross, against which is nailed a figurine representing Jesus.

It is primarily used in Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some Anglican circles, and emphasizes Christ's sacrifice—his death by crucifixion. The Catholic Church considers it a sacramental. Some Protestant denominations prefer to depict the cross without the corpus, to emphasize the resurrection while others are opposed to their use and consider attempting to depict the Son of God in such a way to be idolatry.

A crucifix is often worn on a necklace as an item of jewellery, or is attached to a rosary. It can be made out of various metals, or wood. Usually a worn crucifix has no attached corpus.

A crucifix amidst the cornfields near Mureck in rural Styria, Austria

See also

• Christian symbolism
• INRI