The mystery of the ring on the hand of the Pope: Why it was doomed to destruction

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Among the rituals accompanying the election of a new pope and his acceptance of the throne, there is one associated with a special ring. This ring is put on the finger of the pontiff Cardinal Camelengo, and after the death of the pope, it must be destroyed. The ring, which traces its history from time immemorial and symbolizes the continuity of church power, is also worn by the current ruler of the Vatican - who, however, made some changes to the centuries-old tradition.

Fisherman's ring - an ancient attribute of the papal authority

The ring was first mentioned in the correspondence between Pope Clement IV and his nephew Pietro Grossi. It happened back in 1265. Until the 13th century, there is no information about this attribute of papal power. And according to medieval traditions, everyone who appeared before the pontiff, as a sign of obedience to him and the Catholic Church, had to kiss the ring with his lips. The image of this piece of jewelry can be seen in the portraits of the popes.

A new ring was made for each newly elected pope - and this is the case now. The gold piece bears the name of the new head of the Vatican in Latin, as well as a relief image of the Apostle Peter, a fisherman by profession and "fisher of human souls." In this way, it is emphasized that the one who wears the ring is the successor of Peter, who, according to tradition, was the first bishop of Rome. For a long time, the ring was not only an attribute of the pope's vestments, it was used to seal letters.

The fisherman's ring is far from the only adornment worn by Christian clergymen of the highest degrees. Already from the 7th century, it has been known that similar jewelry was made for bishops when they were elevated to dignity. The ring symbolized the engagement with the church, and the seal showed the authority corresponding to this dignity. Putting the episcopal ring on the ring finger of the right hand was part of the dedication ceremony. Sometimes the rings were worn over gloves.

The ring was most often made of gold and decorated with amethyst. Sometimes bishops wore particles of the relics of saints inside the ring. In recent decades, with the focus of the Catholic Church on modesty in spending and more asceticism, silver and less valuable stones have been used to make the bishop's ring. With the death of the bishop, the “life” of the ring also ends - it either remains with the owner during burial, or is melted down.

Signet-related ceremonies

The ceremony of putting on the fisherman's ring is held during the coronation or enthronement of the Pope. The ring is worn, like the bishop's, on the ring finger of the right hand. After the death of the pope or his abdication, the ring was subject to destruction - to avoid the possibility of falsification of documents. This ceremony was held in the presence of cardinals - the Camelengo smashed the ring with a special hammer without leaving the deceased pontiff.

Still, in the Vatican Museum you can see one of these rings - it belonged to Pope Benedict XVI, who abdicated the throne on February 28, 2013. Since that time, he has been wearing a specially created title for him - the Pope at rest. The fisherman's ring, as an attribute of papal power, passed from Benedict XVI to the Vatican's disposal, but it was not destroyed.

Cross-shaped scratch lines were applied to the ring, so the possibility of forging papal correspondence was symbolically excluded. True, the ring does not fulfill its former functions of protecting the authenticity of the pope's signature for almost two centuries. “Retired” Pope Benedict XVI retained his episcopal ring.

Rings of the last chapters of the Vatican

Each new ring is made according to a unique sketch, it is created with the participation of the one who will wear this jewelry and attribute of power throughout the entire period of his tenure on the papal throne. Benedict XVI at one time started from the work of Michelangelo, deciding on an oval-shaped ring - corresponding to the shape of the square in front of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. For two weeks, eight craftsmen, under the guidance of the jeweler Claudio Franchi, then made this ring. When creating, 35 grams of pure gold were used.

But Pope Francis, who assumed the throne of the head of the Vatican in 2013, preferred a different material - he wished that his own fisherman's ring was made of silver. The reason is the desire for asceticism, which the current pontiff is trying to adhere to. In addition, he does not wear a ring every day, as his predecessor did, but appears with this attribute of the pope's power only at certain ceremonies. But the ring that Pope Francis received when he became archbishop of Buenos Aires, he wears all the time. The current image on the ring of the fisherman was created by the master Enrico Manfrini: the Apostle Peter with the symbol of the Vatican - the crossed keys from paradise and from Rome.

According to the ceremonial in force for centuries, clergymen, heads of state, representatives of all estates and countries were supposed to kiss the fisherman's ring with their lips when they appeared in front of the pontiff. The same tradition is associated with the episcopal rings. However, in recent decades, the pontiffs began to discourage such a custom - for hygienic reasons, although the tradition is still preserved to this day. Apparently, in the new world, where new rules have been set for some time now, this custom will be revised and will become a thing of the past.

About how the Pope was a poet and playwright: Karol Wojtyla.