Fisherman's Ring
The Fisherman's Ring or piscatory ring (Latin, Anulum Piscatoris) is a ring worn by the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) who, as the successor of the Apostle Saint Peter, considers himself the visible head of the Catholic Church. Its name is due to the old profession of fisherman of the apostle Saint Peter, whose successor is the Pope. Each supreme pontiff wears a ring made from the remains of the one worn by the previous one. A new seal will be engraved on it.
The Fisherman's ring has the image of St. Peter fishing in a boat, bordered by the name of the pope currently occupying the see in Latin.
Rites
During the rite of inauguration of the pontificate or papal enthronement, the ring is placed on the finger of the new pope. This rite is in charge of the dean of the College of Cardinals, while the cardinal protodeacon places the pallium on the new pope. The pontiff must wear the ring throughout his pontificate, both in public and in private, except on Good Friday and when it is his turn to officiate a funeral Mass for a cardinal.
Before the 16th century, the ring passed from one pope to another, but since the pontificate of Leo X the custom was introduced that upon the death of the pope, once the pontiff's death has been verified, the camerlengo must deliver it to the master of ceremonies, who must destroy it together with the papal seal to avoid falsifying documents. This is done by hitting it with a silver and ivory hammer so that the image is deformed. This material will be used to make the ring of the new pontiff, so that throughout history the gold of the pope's ring has always been the same.
Origin
In a letter written by Clement IV to his nephew Pedro Grossi in 1265, the oldest known mention of the Fisherman's ring is included, used to seal all private correspondence by pressing the ring on sealing wax. The Fisherman's ring is used among other things to seal papal bulls. Stemming from traditions of medieval monarchs, some followers show respect to the pope by kneeling and kissing his Fisherman's ring.
Traditionally it has been used to endorse the apostolic briefs.
Changes in tradition
On the occasion of the resignation of Benedict XVI, an unusual event occurred in tradition: the ring that corresponded to this supreme pontiff was not destroyed but marked with a cross, annulling it to prevent it from being used again. His successor, Pope Francis, requested that the new ring not be cast in solid gold as tradition dictates, but rather, in a gesture of austerity, be in gilded silver. This metal in Latin is called argentum, which curiously is the root of the name Argentina, country of origin of the new pope. Thus, with this innovation, Pope Francis begins his pontificate with a ring that will not use the material of the outgoing pope's ring.
Even though Pope Francis has the Fisherman's ring, he commonly wears a simpler ring that he had worn since he was bishop in Argentina. He rarely wears another, made in Barcelona, which was given to him by a cardinal and which is also very simple.