Pope's Cross & St. Nino's Cross
also known as the Bent (or Bendy) Cross
Why was this cross design one of pope Benedict's favourites?
Pope Benedict with his Bent Cross
Pope Benedict XVI used an odd looking crucifix with a bent cross-beam, which seemed to be one of his favourites.
This was a relatively recent design, created by the Italian artist Lello Scorzelli for Pope Paul VI in the mid-1960s. The curves have no heraldic or theological meaning, although the agrestic image reminds us of the virtue of humility and that Jesus was crucified on a rough wooden structure (see The Old Rugged Cross). This rustic cross is in stark contrast to the pope's conventional splendor.
St. Nino's Cross
(Click photo to enlarge)
Dr Roman points out that some Georgian priests wear this as a pectoral cross. The style is based on the 4th century St. Nino's Cross, much older than the 1966 papal version described above. The original is enshrined in Sioni Cathedral, Tbilisi, Georgia, and is a prized national and miracle-working relic.
Georgian Orthodox Church logo features two St. Nino's crosses
(Click image to enlarge)
St. Nino is credited with bringing Christianity to Georgia, performed many miracles, and consequently is one of the most venerated saints of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The arms of her cross, bent with moisture over time, is made from the wood of grape-vine, tied together with strands of her own hair (some say the hair of the Mother of Jesus).
Sean M. Wright points out that the pope carries a cross rather than a crozier since the curve of the Shepherd's Crook of the crozier indicates limited authority. An archbishop would use a crozier, which may also be compared to the Orthodox bishop's paterissa which terminates in a pair of snakes.
The name 'Pope's Cross' could also be used to describe other designs, such as the Crossed Keys or the Papal Cross used for extraordinary ceremonial occasions. It is also referred to as a Pastoral Cross, although the correct term is ferula; Latin for 'staff' or 'rod', and also the term used for the sovereign's sceptre in the Byzantine or Eastern Empire.
The term 'Bent Cross' is sometimes applied to the Swastika Cross. Other crosses with bends include the Twisted Cross and the Curved Cross