Fisherman’s Ring

Fisherman’s Ring, the signet ring that is presented to the pope—the leader of the Roman Catholic Church—at his papal inauguration. Its standard design shows an image of St. Peter the Apostle with the reigning pope’s name inscribed above it. It was formerly used as a seal for the pope’s private letters and papal briefs and was one of two papal seals, the other being the leaden bull (bulla). Although the Fisherman’s Ring itself is no longer used as a seal, each newly elected pope receives his own ring as a symbol of his episcopal authority. After a pope’s death, his ring is destroyed by the cardinal camerlengo (the personal representative of the Sacred College of Cardinals in the administration of the church), signifying the end of the deceased pope’s authority.

Meaning and use of the ring

The ring’s name refers to St. Peter, a fisherman who was one of Jesus’ disciples and who is considered by the church to have been the first pope. Although the signet rings of some popes have featured Peter casting his nets from a boat, others depict the saint holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven, which signifies the authority traditionally believed to have been given by Christ to Peter as the first bishop of Rome. Therefore, when a new pope is inaugurated, the bestowal of the ring symbolizes the duty being entrusted to him as one of Peter’s successors and the leader of the church. The ring is typically worn on the pope’s right hand on his ring (or fourth) finger.

The custom of presenting a ring to bishops at their episcopal ordination dates to at least the 6th century ce, probably as a ritual to denote a bishop’s betrothal and fidelity to his diocese as his “spouse.” Thus, the Fisherman’s Ring represents the pope’s betrothal to the Roman Catholic Church. The use of the Fisherman’s Ring as a wax seal for the pope’s private letters was in practice by the mid-13th century, according to a reference to the practice in a letter written by Pope Clement IV (reigned 1265–68) to his nephew. The other papal seal, the bulla, was reserved for papal bulls, or official papal documents. By the 15th century the ring was being used as a seal for papal briefs, which are less formal papal documents. In 1842 the use of the ring as a seal was discontinued when it was replaced by a stamp. The Fisherman’s Ring is typically made of gold, but the ring that was bestowed to Pope Francis (reigned 2013– ) was made of gold-plated silver.

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Custom of kissing the pope’s ring

The tradition of kissing the pope’s (or a bishop’s) ring likely began in the Middle Ages as a gesture of respect for an ecclesiastic’s office and authority. During the reign of Pius X (1903–14), the act of kissing the ring of a cardinal or bishop granted the individual an indulgence. The custom began to change during the reign of Paul VI (1963–78), who reformed the system of indulgences and eliminated many formalities associated with his position, including gestures that conveyed subservience to the pope, such as kissing the pope’s ring, hand, shoulder, cheek, or feet. The practice was not entirely abolished, however, and is still widespread, though some popes since Paul VI’s reign have occasionally discouraged pilgrims from the custom, especially while greeting long lines of pilgrims. In March 2019 a video clip that appeared to show Pope Francis pulling his hand away from pilgrims who had been waiting to meet him after celebrating a mass in Loreto, Italy, caused some confusion and controversy. However, the Vatican released a statement that Francis was simply concerned for hygienic reasons and did not want to risk spreading germs between people.

Destruction of the ring

Upon a pope’s death, his ring and bulla are traditionally destroyed with a special hammer by the cardinal camerlengo. This practice not only symbolizes the end of his authority but also safeguards against their misuse, such as the ring or bulla being used to forge documents. The ceremony of destroying the pope’s ring occurs after official confirmation of the pope’s death. The cardinal camerlengo announces the death and then takes possession of the ring and bulla and destroys them in the presence of the College of Cardinals. This event takes place before the cardinals formally begin the papal conclave to elect the next pope. The custom of destroying a pope’s ring was altered when Pope Benedict XVI resigned from the papacy in 2013, having served as pope since 2005. Rather than breaking the ring, the cardinal camerlengo marked a deep cross on the upper part of the ring using a chisel.