Take a look at these images: in them appears a new symbol that everyone will recognize… It is the papal staff or ferula, but this one looks different… in fact, it's completely new.
Pope Leo XIV debuted it on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, the date on which the last Holy Door, the Holy Door of Saint Peter's Basilica, was closed.
And if you look at the crosses carried by pilgrims throughout the entire Jubilee, they are very similar.
They depict Christ no longer bound to the nails of the Passion, but free from death in his glorified body, with hands raised ascending to the Father in heaven. And there's another small detail if you look closely: the Pope’s motto engraved.
Popes use the ferula to represent their leadership as Bishop of Rome and supreme shepherd of the Church.
However, it should not be confused with the episcopal crozier, which is a staff used by archbishops and bishops. The ferula is exclusively used by the pontiff.
Until the end of the Second Vatican Council, the ferula was not used so regularly, except in very specific rites, such as the opening of the Holy Door or the dedication of a church. It was Saint Paul VI who popularized its use.
AT
Trans. CRT
