Benedict XVI’s ferula

Pope Benedict XVI during the Chrism Mass, Maundy Thursday 2010. The Holy Father is holding in his hand a ferula made especially for him, a gift from the Roman organization St. Peter’s Circle. At the front, the cross is decorated with the Lamb of God placed in the center and the representations of four Evangelists at the ends of the arms which are decorated with a motif similar to fishing nets. At the back, in the center of the cross, there is the monogram Chi – Rho, and the ends are decorated with representations of Western and Eastern Fathers of the Church: St. Ambrose, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine and St. Athanasius [photo: Cristophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images].