Pope Francis Uses the Pius IX Ferula Again After the Scorzelli-Staff

(Vatican) Francis Pope used the Pope Pius IX Ferula reintroduced by Pope Benedict XVI during the first weeks of his pontificate.

From the 7th April, the day of his inauguration as Bishop of Rome and taking possession of the Lateran basilica, he used on the other hand, the modern sheperhd’s crook which was commissioned in 1965 by Pope Paul VI. from the artist Lello Scorzelli. The Scorzelli staff in silver has a highly stylized cross, including corpus, and was used by John Paul II during his pontificate as a bishop's crosier.

Every bishop and abbot carries a crosier, which expresses his authority and responsibility to the flock entrusted to him, underlining that he is subordinate to the Pope. The Pope is the only Bishop who uses a cross staff, which brings his supreme authority as leader of the Church of Christ, underlining that the Pope is not under anyone.

The cross of the rod is also a symbol of the vocation to follow Christ to self-sacrifice. Until 1965, or rather until the end of the Council, the Popes bore the traditional gold, corpus loose ferula with the lamb as a sign of the highest power of governance and thus their rule, which is subject to no secular ruler. Paul VI. resulted in the completion of the Council, a modern cross bar which aligns with the ferula, but because of the artistic design chosen by Scorzelli approaches the crook of other bishops.

On Tuesday the Pope again made use of the Ferula Pope Pius IX., he confirmed - as announced - he wants to use alternately the traditional and the modern cross-staff.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi Image: Screenshot CTV / Messa in Latino Trans: Tancred