In the center of the shield there is an opened Bible with a small cross above it, and on each side flanked by three spears, two of them holding Dominican flags. The Constitution does not specify in what page should be opened the Bible; only that is the "Book of Gospels, opened". In fact, only the 1916 Constitution said "opened in John, Chapter XIII" but that constitution was not valid because of the occupation of the country by United States.