<P> 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 16: 19, 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 ." </P> <P> The keys of heaven or keys of Saint Peter are seen as a symbol of papal authority: "Behold he (Peter) received the keys of the kingdom of heaven, the power of binding and loosing is committed to him, the care of the whole Church and its government is given to him (cura ei totius Ecclesiae et principatus committitur (Epist., lib . V, ep . xx, in P.L., LXXVII, 745))". </P>

In the catholic church what does the crossed keys symbolise