The Good Staff

- Ignazio Ingrao, Matteo Valsecchi, and Stephanie Jesena-Novero

You may be wondering about the stick that you see the Pope using during Mass. It’s no ordinary cane that helps him support himself. It’s a papal ferula (ferula means “rod” in Latin), which the Holy Pontiffuses during liturgical celebrations. Unlike the bishop’s crosier, which is curved at the end, the papal ferula has a cross or crucifix on its tip. The origin of this liturgical symbol seems to date back to the seventh century, or maybe even earlier; in the Middle Ages, it was used by popes more as a symbol of their government rather than a component of the papal liturgy. The papal ferula fell into disuse for some time, but started showing up again when Pope Paul VI began using it on special occasions.

Pope Francis continued the practice, at times holding intricate ferulae but also carrying simple ones. Here are some of the remarkable pastoral staffs that he uses.