A Maltese conservator carved the wooden papal staff that was used by Pope Francis to knock three times on the Holy Door of a 13th-century basilica in the Italian city of L’Aquila on Sunday, the first pontiff to do so after 728 years.

“The experience of having participated in the creation of this artefact, and seeing His Holiness using it, renders a sense of immense satisfaction, both as an artist and as a Maltese citizen,” says James Saliba, a conservator of works of art specialised on wood.

Some months ago, Saliba was approached by two Italian artisan goldsmiths – Gabriele di Mizio and Laura Caliendo – whom he had collaborated with in the past. The goldsmiths, from L’Aquila, were tasked with creating a new papal staff for an upcoming celebration. They needed a carpenter to carve the staff.

“When asked whether I was interested to participate, I was excited and immediately put myself to work with the focus, love and conviction that is required to reach high standards,” says Saliba.

Di Mizio adds: “The ambitious project required excellency in every aspect. The project required a collaboration of high-level artisans who possessed both the technical ability as well as the sensitivity required to create such an artefact. For this reason, we felt that James was the ideal person to take charge of the wood aspect.”

A pastoral staff, known as a ferula, was once used to symbolise papal temporal power. Originally, it was only used on special occasions, such as the opening of the Holy Door and the consecrations of churches.

The carved papal staff was then encrusted with silver vine leaves and branches.

The ferula became a common sight since Pope Paul VI, used in the papal liturgy. It is no longer a symbol of temporal power but of guidance for the faithful.

The new papal staff, carved by Saliba, is composed of four elements, the top part of which is in the shape of a cross on an orb.

“The carving had to be in a way that delicately renders the impression that the cross was manufactured out of vine branches,” says Saliba, adding that the elements were then encrusted with silver vine leaves and branches, and enriched with the addition of three cameos with carved images of St Peter, the Salus Populi Romani (a religious icon of Our Lady) and the coat of arms of Pope Francis.

Throughout the process, the staff was shipped between the artists’ workshops in L’Aquila and Qrendi several times. Finally, on August 24, it was presented to Pope Francis at the Vatican.

The pope used it for the first time last Sunday during the celebration of the Celestinian Pardon in L’Aquila. During his stay there, he also met with survivors of the 2009 earthquake that killed 305 people and destroyed much of the town.

At the conclusion of Sunday’s celebrations, Pope Francis presided over the rite of opening of the Holy Door of the basilica of Santa Maria in Collemaggio, marking the 728th Celestinian Pardon, a historical-religious event held annually between August 28 and 29.

The celebration was established by Pope Celestine V in 1294 with the issue of the Bolla del Perdono (Bull of Forgiveness), in which he granted a plenary indulgence to anyone who, confessed and communicated, visited the basilica for the Vespers of August 28 and 29.

As part of the rite, Pope Francis knocked on the Holy Door three times with the staff that Saliba made and the doors were opened for all to proceed inside.