Enciclopedia Cattolica Vol. V, 1950 Liturgy Various topics

Ferula

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FERULA. - In the Middle Ages it was the bishop's pastoral staff, of which there is record in the 3rd century (PL 132, 970; 136, 907).

It constituted the symbol of the pope's spiritual and temporal power (signum regiminis et coercitionis, Ordo Romanus, XIV, ch. 44; PL 78, 1143). It was handed to him together with the keys when, after the coronation and the taking possession of the Lateran Basilica, he went to the church of St. Sylvester. It resembled the imperial sceptra, due to the popes after the so-called Donation of Constantine.

At present it is a staff surmounted by a Cross with equal arms, which the pope uses mainly in the ceremony of the opening and closing of the Holy Door.

Filippo Oppenheim

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By Filippo Oppenheim

How we know signed in print

Translated from the Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. V (1950), col. 1209.

More by Filippo Oppenheim: Ferraiolo · Fiorentini, Francesco Maria · Exultet · Fortescue, Adrian · Epistle

Cite this article

Chicago

Oppenheim, Filippo. “Ferula.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. V, col. 1209. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1950. https://azioneromana.com/article/ferula.

MLA

Oppenheim, Filippo. “Ferula.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. V, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1950, col. 1209. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/ferula.

BibTeX

@incollection{ec5_ferula,
  author    = {Oppenheim, Filippo},
  title     = {Ferula},
  booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
  volume    = {V},
  pages     = {1209},
  note      = {Cited by column},
  publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
  address   = {Città del Vaticano},
  year      = {1950},
  url       = {https://azioneromana.com/article/ferula}
}

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