Franciscan tau

Origins: The last letter of the Hebrew alphabet is known as Tau and it was already spoken of in the Old Testament.

Initial meaning: The early Christians, martyrs took her to remind them of the professions of the end times, and the return of the Lord in the Parousia, but it also meant the cross of Christ, where the history of salvation truly began.

St Francis and his Tau: Saint Francis of Assisi was very fond of the sign of the Tau, taking it as a symbolism of penance, and salvation, it ended up being an important element of the Franciscans way of life.

"Francis wrote the symbol of the Tau, every time that, either out of necessity, or by spirit of charity, he signed a letter" (FF 980).

The Tau was taken by Francis and no longer separated from him, up until the moment of his death.