In
ecclesiastical heraldry,
papal coats of arms (those of individual
popes) and those of the
Holy See and
Vatican City State include an image of crossed keys to represent the metaphorical keys of the office of Saint Peter, the keys of
heaven, or the
keys of the kingdom of Heaven, that, according to Roman Catholic teaching,
Jesus promised to
Saint Peter, empowering him to take binding actions. In the
Gospel of Matthew , Jesus says to Peter, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."