Crucifixus

Crucifixus is a Latin adjective meaning “crucified” or “having been crucified,” derived from the perfect passive participle crucifixus of the verb crucifigo (to crucify). In Christian usage it refers to Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and to liturgical or musical contexts that depict this event.

In liturgy, the phrase crucifixus appears in the Latin text of the Nicene Creed as “Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato,” a line that is part of the Credo. In many traditional and liturgical musical settings, the term is used to designate a particular movement or section within the Credo that meditates on the crucifixion. While the liturgical text remains constant, composers have treated this portion with a range of musical textures—from plainchant to elaborate polyphony or orchestral writing—often imbuing it with a somber, lamenting character.

In music, crucifixus has become a common title for a Credo movement in Mass settings, especially during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. A well-known example is Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B minor, which includes a widely cited “Crucifixus” movement that portrays the crucifixion in a deeply expressive choral setting. Other Baroque composers also used the label to signal a similar meditative section within the Credo.

In art and iconography, crucifixus is less commonly used as a standalone term; representations of the crucified Christ are usually described as crucifixions or crucifixes. When the Latin term appears, it is typically in scholarly descriptions or inventories referring to depictions of the crucifixion.