Papal cross

A papal cross

Rendition of the coat of arms of Pope Pius IX with supporters: two angels, each holding a papal cross.

Statue of Pope Sylvester I depicted holding a ferula with a papal cross.

The papal cross is a Christian cross, which serves as an emblem for the office of the Pope in ecclesiastical heraldry. It is depicted as a staff with three horizontal bars near the top, in diminishing order of length as the top is approached.