Ring of the Fisherman
The
Ring of the Fisherman or
Pescatorio is an official part of the regalia worn by the
pope, described by the
Roman Catholic Church (of which he is the head) as the
successor of
Saint Peter, a
fisherman by
trade. It depicts Peter as a fisherman, a symbolism derived from the tradition that the apostles were "fishers of men." The fisherman's ring is a
signet used until
1842 to seal official documents signed by the pope.A new ring is cast in
gold for each pontiff; the ring features a
bas-relief of
Saint Peter fishing from a boat. Raised lettering around the relief image presents the pope's
Latin name. During the rite of
papal inauguration or
papal coronation the
Cardinal Dean ceremonially slips the ring on the fourth finger of the new pope's right hand. Upon a
papal death, the Ring of the Fisherman is ceremonially crushed in the presence of other cardinals by the Camerlengo. The action is needed to prevent the sealing of backdated, forged documents during the
interregnum (
sede vacante)
period.
A letter written by
Pope Clement IV to his nephew Peter Grossi in
1265 includes the earliest known mention of the Ring of the Fisherman, used for sealing all private correspondence by pressing the ring into red
sealing wax melted onto a folded piece of paper or envelope. Public documents, by contrast, were sealed by pressing the papal seal into
lead melted on the document. Such documents were historically called
papal bulls, named after the stamped
bulla of lead. Use of the fisherman's ring changed during the
fifteenth century when it was used to seal official documents called papal briefs. That practice ended in
1842, when the wax with its guard of silk and the impression of the fisherman's ring was replaced by a stamp which affixed the same device in red ink (
Catholic Encyclopedia "Bulls").
Through the centuries, the fisherman's ring did not become known for its practical use but by its
feudal symbolism. Borrowing from the traditions developed by
medieval monarchs, followers showed respect to the reigning pope by kneeling at his feet and kissing the fisherman's ring. The tradition continues to this day.
Another fisherman's ring is commonly worn by Irish tradition and is known as the
Claddagh ring.
*
Catholic Encyclopedia: The Ring of the Fisherman
*
Catholic Encyclopedia: Bulls and briefs
