Another symbol associated with the Papal and Episcopal liturgy is the crozier. This symbol too signifies the responsibility of the shepherd. The origin of the use of the crozier in the Church is not entirely clear, although the use of some form of staff or rod was quite common both in religious and in civil and political contexts. For example, priests in various Roman pagan rites used the lituus, a ritual wand in a curved shape.

However, in the case of the crozier, the meaning goes beyond a simple sign of power—it is a symbol of authority and responsibility rooted in that of the Good Shepherd, and of God as the Shepherd of Israel. In fact, in Psalm 23 we find how God shepherds and comforts through the shepherd’s staff, even when life leads us through the valley of the shadow of death:
“thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

The staff is also a symbol of God’s authority entrusted to humans, such as the staff of Moses with which he led the people out of the land of slavery into the Promised Land. It is not by chance that in some Eastern churches, a ferula or a crozier with serpents on the top is used, referencing the bronze serpent that Moses lifted high so the children of Israel could look at it and be saved (Numbers 21:4–9).

It seems that some form of crozier or pastoral staff was already in use by bishops as early as the fifth century. The Western-style crozier has the shape of a staff with a curled top so that the shepherd can draw in the sheep and keep them on the path. According to Saint Isidore of Seville, writing two centuries later, the crozier is given to the bishop during his consecration as a sign of the responsibility to lead and correct, while also supporting the weakness of the sick (De Ecclesiasticis Officiis 2.5.12, PL 83.783C–784A).

However, the curl at the top may also be a sign of the bishop’s limited authority over his own territory. This is why the pope does not—and still does not—use a regular crozier. Instead, at the top, there is a crucifix, because his responsibility is for the entire flock of Christ spread throughout the world. In earlier times, a ferula and even a crozier were used, although for the reason just mentioned, they eventually fell out of use. When the use of a form of staff was reintroduced for the pope, it still differed from that of bishops, as it featured the papal cross with three crossbars—the same symbol used on churches that have a special connection with Rome, such as basilicas.

This universal responsibility and leadership is powerfully expressed if we imagine the Pope as a shepherd walking ahead of the flock, following the cross he carries in his left hand, which touches the ground in front of him. In this way, the cross is always one step ahead—because even the Pope is a disciple. It is no coincidence that in his homily on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, while celebrating Mass in the crypt of St Peter’s Basilica, he says:

While we celebrate the beginning of this new mission of the ministry that the Church has called me to, there is no better example than Jesus Christ himself, to whom we give our lives and whom we depend on. Jesus Christ whom we follow, he is the Good Shepherd, and he is the one who gives us life: the way and the truth and the life.

Leo XIV, Homily, 11 May 2025

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is characterised by the image of the shepherd. Although they formed part of the lowest ranks of society, even in the Old Testament we already find the association between the shepherd and his care for the flock with God and His love for the chosen people. In these days, which are so important for the Church due to the selection of Peter’s successor, there are two symbols that specifically highlight the Pope’s role as the shepherd chosen by Christ to guide His flock. These are the pallium and the pastoral staff.

In this article, we begin with the pallium. The pallium is a type of stole or scarf made from lamb’s wool, bearing six small black crosses. It is worn over the shoulders and on top of the chasuble. The exact origin of this pontifical vestment is unclear, but it appears to have been in use by the fourth century and seems to share the same roots as the omophorion used in the Eastern Churches. However, due to its particular shape, the pallium took on a pastoral significance as it visibly resembles the traditional iconography of the Good Shepherd carrying the lost sheep on his shoulders, around his neck.

In the East, the omophorion is worn by all bishops and has a slightly different form. In the West, the pallium was originally a papal privilege, but its use was later extended to all archbishops to signify their authority of metropolitan bishops as a participating in the authority and mandate of the successor of Peter, whom Christ commanded to “feed my sheep” (see John 21:15–19). Regarding the omophorion, Saint Isidore of Pelusium in one of his letters (Epistolarum Liber 1.136, PG 78.272C) draws the analogy between the wool material and the lost sheep that the shepherd in the parable from Luke lifts onto his shoulders when he finds it (Luke 15:5).

Each year, on the feast of Saint Agnes, 21 January, at the Basilica of Saint Agnes Outside the Walls, the Trappist monks of the Monastery of the Three Fountains present two lambs that are blessed and entrusted to the Benedictine Sisters of Saint Cecilia in Trastevere. Before Easter, the lambs are shorn so that their wool can be woven into the palliums, which are then placed on the tomb of the Apostle Saint Peter on June 28. The next day, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, they are blessed by the pope and handed to the present archbishops. The imposition of the pallium takes place in the archdiocese by the Apostolic Nuncio.

As we contemplate this image of the Good Shepherd—or, rather, the Beautiful Shepherd—let us pray together with the Church that the shepherd given to her by the Lord may truly please Him in holiness and never cease to care and watch over her good and unity.

Have you ever noticed that during Lent we don’t sing the Alleluia at Mass, but instead we say, “Glory and Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ” or some other similar formula? Lent is a very important season in the Liturgical calendar because it serves as a preparation for the celebration of the Paschal Mysteries, and it is also a penitential season that helps us acknowledge our sins and give God the first place in our lives. The three words that characterise this period are: prayer, fasting and almsgiving. But what does the word Alleluia have to do with this?

During this time, Christians fast, so to speak, from saying Alleluia, which comes from the Hebrew words hallalu, that means ‘praise’, and yah, which is a short form of the name ‘Yahweh’, God’s Name. In short, the word Alleluia means ‘praise God’. This is a joyous acclamation through which we are reminded that during Mass we are united with the choirs of angels to celebrate the Kingdom of God even while we are still in this world.

But during Lent we focus on the need to prepare ourselves to receive salvation and the Kingdom of God. The forty days of Lent remind us of the forty years that the Israelites spent in the desert. It is a time of reflection and purification, that urges us to long for the salvation that God offers us through the Paschal Mystery, meaning the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ.

The ‘fast’ from singing the Alleluia is one of a number of small changes in the Liturgy that emphasis the penitential character of this season, amongst which is the Gloria, in which there is found the joyous news of the angels who proclaimed the birth of Jesus; the Responsorial Psalm is taken from the penitential psalms or from other psalms that ask God to intervene in moments of trial; flowers are not placed on the altar; and the liturgical colour is purple, which, as explained earlier, symbolises penance and repentance. These changes help us focus our attention on repentance and uniting ourselves to God’s will through penance and prayer.

Thus, this ‘fast’ from singing the Alleluia serves to prepare us, and creates an internal longing to celebrate Easter with the hope of one day adoring and praising God face to face in Heaven where we will join in the never ending Alleluia.

Stop and Think:

Praising God is an almost forgotten form of prayer. Maybe it is because we are used to praying to God in times of need. How long has it been since you have praised God for all the graces he has given you in life?

In what ways can you better prepare yourself to sing the Alleluia on Easter Sunday with a pure heart?

Have you ever noticed that during Mass, before communion, the priest breaks of the Host and places it in the Chalice? It is important to keep in mind that in Eucharistic celebrations words and actions are not there by chance; but all have a specific purpose that have continued to develop with the passage of time in the traditions of the Church. So, what does this action mean?

In St Paul’s letters, as well as in the Acts of the Apostles, we find that the Apostles celebrated the Paschal Mystery as commanded by Jesus by the breaking of bread (Acts 2:46; 1 Cor 10:16). Furthermore, in Luke’s Gospel, we find the disciples of Emmaus recognising Jesus in the breaking of bread (Lk 24: 35). This action during the celebration of the Mass reminds us of the last supper when Jesus, with boundless love, just before dying for us on the Cross, gave himself to us in the Eucharist. The breaking of the bread symbolises the unity of those partaking from the same bread as well as Jesus’ sacrificial act when he gave himself for us completely on the Cross.

The priest not only breaks the Host, but after the sign of peace he takes the host in his hands, breaks it on the paten, and places a small piece of the Host in the Chalice, while silently praying:

May this mingling of the Body and Blood
of our Lord Jesus Christ
bring eternal life to us who receive it.

The small piece from the Host placed in the Chalice is called fermentum, a Latin word that means ‘yeast’.

Originally, the fermentum was a sign of Christian unity because in the early Church the Bishop of Rome concelebrated mass with the priests. Then on Sunday they would celebrate mass in their titular churches. Therefore, the Pope used to send to the surrounding churches pieces of the consecrated host, consecrated during the Mass concelebrated with the priests. We find that in the fourth century, the Council of Laodicea restricted this practice, although in the writings of Pope Innocent I (402-417) we find that the tradition of the fermentum was still present. There are some liturgical historians who also claim that, for a brief period, the priest would place two pieces of the Host in the Chalice, one piece from the Mass concelebrated with the Pope or from the local Bishop, and another piece from a Mass the same priest had previously celebrated. This last piece was placed in the Chalice to symbolise the unity between every Mass.

When this tradition was no longer observed, the priests still continued to place a piece of the Host in the Chalice. Therefore, this action, when seen in its context, demonstrates the unity between the Christian faithful and the visible shepherds of the Church: the Pope together with the bishops.

Stop and Reflect

• Are my prayers mostly focused on my needs? Do I see myself as a member of the Body of Christ?
• How often do I pray for the bishops and the Pope?

An important action during the Mass occurs when, before Communion, the priest breaks the consecrated host he is to consume in two pieces. This action is an essential part of the celebration of the Mass. From the very beginning, for the early Church, this action meant the celebration of the Eucharist itself, so much so that in the Acts of the Apostles we find a number of references to Christians that gather on the first day of the week—Sunday—to celebrate the day of the Lord’s Resurrection—to break the bread (Acts 2:42. 46; 20:7. 11; see also 1 Cor 10:16). The meaning of this action is easy to understand because it is the same action that Jesus enacted at the Last Supper which is also repeated at every Mass in accordance with his command: “do this in remembrance of me” (Lk 22:19; 1 Cor 11:23-25).

In a previous article we had already explained why the priest places a piece of the host in the chalice (see Why does the priest break a piece of the Host and place it in the Chalice?). At that moment we are also struck by the fact that, while we pray the Lamb of God, the priest does not pray with the congregation … what is taking place at that time?

At that time the priest is praying one of the few prayers which he silently prays on his own. It is also one of the few prayers during the Mass which is addressed to Jesus—most of the prayers are addressed to the Father through Jesus. The reason the priest prays this prayer alone is an expression of the intimacy between the Eucharist and the priesthood: The celibate priest in the Roman Rite, before receiving the Eucharist, prays to the love of his life. He prays that he may be purified from his sins as well as strengthened in his fidelity to Christ.

The Roman Missal offers two prayers for the priest to choose from:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
who by the will of the Father
and the work of the Holy Spirit,
through your Death gave life to the world;
free me by this, your most holy Body and Blood,
from all my sins and from every evil;
keep me always faithful to your commandments,
and never let me be parted from you.

Or:

May the receiving of your Body and Blood,
Lord Jesus Christ,
not bring me to judgment and condemnation,
but through your loving mercy
be for me protection in mind and body,
and a healing remedy.

Now that you know what the priest prays at that time during the Mass, it would be a good idea to pray with the same intention and remember also to pray for the priest who is celebrating Mass. He also needs prayer!