What is a fisherman's ring? This is a signet ring worn by the Pope, depicting a bas-relief of St. Peter sitting in a boat and casting nets into the bosom of the waters.
Along with the tiara, the fisherman's ring is an attribute of the Pope's attire. It can be called, which will be equivalent, the papal ring or the ring of St. Petra.
History of occurrence
A letter written by Pope Clement IV to his nephew Pietro Grossi in the middle of the 13th century contains the earliest mention of this regalia.
The fisherman's ring was used to seal the private correspondence of the pontiffs. It was put on wax. Later, starting from the 15th century, it was intended for official documents (papal reports), and its seal was placed on sealing wax. The fisherman's ring is a signet used by popes until the middle of the 19th century. Starting in 1842, sealing wax was replaced with a stamp, which was affixed in red ink. For centuries, the fisherman's ring has symbolized the power of the reigning Pope, who was regarded in Catholicism as the "emperor of the world."
Etiquette and respect required kneeling and kissing the papal shoe and his ring.
Symbolics
Jesus himself found similarities between catching fish and trapping the souls of men and thus converting them to the true faith. The texts of the Gospel tell about the miraculous feeding of 5 thousand people with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Hence the answer why the pope's ring is called the fisherman's ring. Moreover, the baptism itself, which takes place in the water, in Latin means "fish tank", and the newly baptized themselves are called fish. Yes, and the apostle Peter, depicted on the ring, was a simple fisherman.
Creating a ring
A new gold ring is cast for each dad. Each pontiff wears a unique piece of jewelry.
Above the deep relief surface around the head of the apostle there is a Latin inscription with the name of the Pope, to whom this attribute is intended. During the enthronement, the Cardinal puts the ring on the ring finger of the new Pope's right hand.
Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI broke this tradition. He was elected in 2005 and the chosen design for his ring was inspired by a painting by Michelangelo. It took about two hundred sketches and color drawings to create it. They depicted St. Peter in the form of a fisherman throwing nets into the Sea of Galilee, and an inscription certifying who owns the ring. It took eight craftsmen who worked fifteen hours a day for two weeks todo. This is a massive piece of 35 grams of pure gold. But there are items whose value cannot be measured with money. The Pope's fisherman's ring is a symbol of the strong power that belongs to the wearer, and, most importantly, it tells about the foundations of the Christian faith. The Roman goldsmith Claudio Franchi, who directed this work, considers it the pinnacle of his activity. Benedict XVI wore this ring every day, but after his abdication in 2013, he took off his fisherman's ring and put on the usual episcopal one. It symbolizes his engagement to the Church.
Handing the Bishop's Ring
In 1966, Archbishop Michael Ramsey of Canterbury, head of the Anglican Church, received a gift from Pope Paul VI in the Vatican - his bishop's ring. The Pope wore it when he was Archbishop of Milan. In their declaration, they stated that their meeting “marks a new stage in the development of fraternal relations; it is based on brotherly love and full of sincere efforts to eliminate long-standing conflict and restore unity.” In parentheses, we recall that the split occurred in the 16th century under Henry VIII, who proclaimed himself the head of the Anglican Church and the defender of the faith. This gift was a complete surprise to Michael Ramsey, who immediately put it on his finger, removing his own. Since then, this ring has been passed from one archbishop to another and is worn whenever the pontiff visits. This was an important step by Paul VI to show the close connection of the Catholic Church with the Church of England.
Destruction of the ring
According to the tradition of the Catholic Church, after the Pontiff leaves our earthly world andwill go to the kingdom of God, his signet was broken with a silver hammer so that it would be impossible to forge documents on behalf of the deceased. This was done by the cardinal, who was in charge of the property and income of the Holy See. But now this is not necessary, many rings are kept in the Vatican Museum. The fisherman's ring is a symbol of papal authority and responsibility. Currently, the ring is not broken, but two deep incisions are made in the shape of a cross with a chisel, which is a symbol of the end of the reign of the Pope who wore it.
How the ring is worn
You can wear a gold ring at any time, but tradition suggests wearing it at solemn ceremonies.
In the old days, seals were made large, as they were worn over gloves. This custom ended in the time of Paul VI. Often, popes wore bishops' rings adorned with stones or cameos set in tiny diamonds.
But at the request of Francis, they made him a ring not of gold, but of silver.
What was used for official documents
A bull was used to seal government documents. This word has several meanings. In the Middle Ages, both the metal seal, and the capsule in which it was enclosed, and the document with important decrees of the popes, were called a bull.
Lead seal
In the Middle Ages, lead was a common material for the seals of rulers, both spiritual and secular. Papal letters were sealed with lead. Initially papyrus was used, later parchment.
Bulla had a roundform. Its diameter was about four cm, and its thickness was half a cm. It was attached to the document with silk or hemp thread. Prints were made on both sides. On one side was the name of the sender of the document, and on the other - the heads of the apostles of St. Peter and St. Paul. After the Pope died, the seal with his name was destroyed, and the apostolic one was transferred to his successor. Prior to his coronation, the Pope issued documents that were sealed only with an incomplete seal - the apostolic seal.
Thus, it was customary to use a ring for private documents, and a bull for public documents.
