Pope Francis: What does the « Ring of the Fisherman » symbolize
With a history dating back to at least the 13th century, the « fisherman’s ring » is one of the most recognizable objects in the papal costume. It was named after Saint Peter, who was a fisherman and, according to Catholic tradition, the first Pope, and was worn by Pope Francis at ritual events throughout his 12 -year reign.
Pope Francis: What does the « Ring of the Fisherman » symbolize
Countless dedicated followers rushed to kiss him, even causing a dispute over hygiene.
Agostino Masucci – Pope Clement XIII, Sitting / Wikimedia Commons
Now, as tradition dictates, the ring with the bad Pontiff’s signal will be destroyed – or at least altered – within the Vatican walls after his death, at the age of 88, on Easter Monday.
It is a ritual with practical roots. The « Ring of the Fisherman » and a pendant called Bulla (Voula) traditionally served as official stamps for official letters and documents known as papal notes.
New official papal notes were published in every new entrant and to avoid posthumous falsification of letters or decrees -both, ring and pendant, crushed with a hammer after his death.
From 1521 to 2013, that’s exactly what happened.
Pope Francis’s « Ring of the Fisherman’s Ring »
« The ring is the equivalent of removing connection data from a social networking account, » said Christopher Lamb, CNN correspondent in the Vatican. « This was the point – to stop the savvy to use false stamps in documents. »
According to the Convention, Camerlengo (Camerarios) of the Holy Roman Church, a senior cardinal appointed to oversee the transition, would destroy the ring and bulla in the presence of the College of the Cardinals after the announcement of the Pope’s death.
This practice continued for a long time after the objects ceased to be used as seals (replaced by a stamp in the mid -19th century).
View of the hand and the ring with the Maltese cross of Archbishop Charles Siklouna as he speaks to reporters in Santiago, Chile, June 19, 2018. Pope Francis, Charles Scicluna and Jordi Bertomeu, Chilean bishopric committees involved in cases of sexual abuse. EPA/Alberto Valde
When the predecessor of Franciscan Pope Benedict East became the first Pope to ever resign after six centuries of succession, a new tradition was established: a deep cross was carved on the surface of the ring with a rings.
« I think there was the feeling that it was unnecessary to destroy the ring, » said Lamb, who argued that the threat of papal imitation had become less and less likely over the years.
Today’s Camerlengo, Kevin Joseph Farrell, the Irish Cardinal, who was appointed to this role by Francis in 2023, is expected to follow the example and destroy the ring before the papal confession – the process by which the next pope will be selected.
The new Iraqi Bishop Andraos Abouna receives the ring from Pope Ioannis Pavlos II in the Basilica of St. Peter, January 06, 2003, during the ceremony of appointment of new Catholic bishops held by Pontiff. EPA Photo Ansa / Maurizio Brambatti
Although saturated with rituals and symbolic of papal power, the role of the ring with the signal varies largely from modifish to modifice. In this respect, Franciscus was derived from some of his recent predecessors.
Some Pontiffs, such as Pope Benedict Es, chose daily use, while Pope John Paul II often wore an alternative ring (or a ring in the shape of a ring) as a kind of likeness.
Franciscus moved somewhere in the interim: he was wearing the « fisherman’s ring » in official ceremonies, though for everyday use he changed it with a simple silver ring dating from the time of a cardinal.
At the beginning of 2019, Pope Freskiskos was repeatedly filmed to remove his hand when his followers were trying to do so
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4qKK4atyy
There were also some speculations that Franciscus felt uncomfortable with the act of kissing in the ring. In early 2019, he was repeatedly filmed to remove his hand when his fans were trying to do so, although the Vatican later stated that it was intended to reduce the spread of germs.
According to Lamb, Franciscan has always liked to meet the people where they were – tightening the hand or hugging those who were sad – and not someone waiting for people to kneel and kiss his ring when they met him.
The « fishermen’s rings » are different over the centuries. While most of them had the image of St. Peter and the keys to the Holy See – reminiscent of the moment he was given the keys of heaven – few other elements are governing their design. Therefore, they often reflected the fashion of the time or the ethics of each pope.
They are usually made by hand for the new Pope by a goldsmith, though Pope Francis denied the trend with a « recycled » ring, according to Lamb.
According to the deceased Pope’s modest approach, Francis chose not to outsource the creation of a new jewelry, but instead « used a ring from Paul VI’s secretariat, » Lamb said.
The « Occupation Ring », as reported by the Vatican, once belonged to Paul VI’s secretary, Archbishop Pasquale Maki, who died in 2006.
It was made of gold -plated silver, instead of pure gold. The fate of the ring after the Conclave, like many questions about the secret process of choice, remains to be seen.
*With elements by cnn.com Home Photo: The « Ring of the Fisherman » is placed on the finger of Pope Francis during his inaugural operation in the Vatican on March 19, 2013 | Stefano Rlandini/Reuters
