There seems to be an interaction between the human and the spiritual in all human activity and this is true of the religious dimension (including the institution of the Church). This painting tries to express this. Fr Mark Patrick Hederman OSB, of Glenstal Abbey in Ireland, (abbot 2008 – 2016) very kindly shared some of his thoughts on this theme which links in with his book “Dancing with Dinosaurs”. He states              

.... "the Church is one, but, as such, the Church is both divine and human, as is her founder. So, any one particular ecclesiastical object can become the symbol of either aspect and can transform itself from one into the other. What occurred historically as a very worldly and ambiguous accretion can turn itself, by the inner power of the Holy Spirit, into a sign of God’s presence.                                            

The Papal Tiara.......has been a prominent symbol of the papacy for over 750 years and is connected to the history .... of temporal possessions. When the popes assumed temporal power in the Papal States, the first crown appeared at the base of the traditional white papal headgear in 1130. It was decorated with jewels as a symbol of sovereignty, resembling the crowns of secular princes. ....Boniface VIII in 1301, added a second crown, at the time of the confrontation with Philip the Fair, King of France, to show that his authority was superior to any civil authority. ......Then Benedict XII, in 1342, added a third crown to reaffirm the papal possession of Avignon and to symbolize the Pope's moral authority over all secular monarchs. So, this tiara has been worn by Popes for 750 years from Clement V [who died in 1314] to Paul VI [who was crowned in 1963].                                                         

At the end of the second session of the Second Vatican Council, in 1963, Paul VI descended the steps of the papal throne in St. Peter's Basilica and laid the tiara on the altar in a dramatic gesture of humility and as a sign of the renunciation of human glory and power in keeping with the renewed spirit of the Council. Since then, none of his successors has worn a tiara.                                                          

....... Although it is not currently worn as part of Papal regalia, its continuing symbolism is reflected in its use on the flag and Coats of arms                                                                           

If.......we interpret the symbolism of the triple tiara in its spiritual rather than its temporal dimension, which was suggested by a recent Pope, it signifies the authority of the one who is able to bestow the blessing of God.