Why the pope’s fisherman’s ring will be destroyed after his death
Pope Francis receives his fishing ring during the papal inauguration Mass in the Vatican on March 19, 2013. – © Reuters
In recent years it has probably been the most crazy ring on earth, but now that Pope Francis has blown up his last breath, the days of his fisherman’s ring have also been counted. Tradition wants the ring to be destroyed, or at least be made illegible.
The papal fisherman’s ring nowadays only has a ceremonial function, but its use dates from the 13th century. At the time, the ring was used to seal the Pope’s letters and official documents. To prevent someone from abusing the ring after the death of a pope – and thus for example, the Ring would traditionally crush under a hammer after the death of a Pope.
This happened for the first time in 1521. Only in 2013 was this tradition. When Paus Benedict XVI resigned, the ring was only made illegible by scratching the seal on the ring. Benedict XVI was the first pope to resign before his death, for which it was unnecessary to destroy the ring. This may have created a new tradition.
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The decision whether the fisherman’s ring of Pope Franciscus will be destroyed or scratched is in the hands of the Camerlengo, Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell. Since the death of the pope, he has been responsible for arranging his funeral, convening the conclave to choose a new pope and the daily management of the Vatican until white smoke comes from the cleanstone of the Vatican.
The fishing ring of Pope Francis
Against the tradition in Koos Pope Francis when his appointment not for a solid gold ring, but for a gilded silver ring. He also only wore that ring on official ceremonies. In daily life he preferred his simple silver bishops ring.
He did that out of austerity, a trend throughout his entire administrative period. His funeral will also look more sober than that of his predecessors, and he chose to be buried in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore instead of in St. Peter’s Basilica, where Pausen have been finding their eternal resting place for several centuries.
The gilt silver fisherman ring from Pope Francis. – © AFP
