Pope Francis’ Mysterious Fisherman’s Ring Revealed: Vatican Insiders Whisper About Hidden Powers, Ancient Secrets, and a Stolen Relic

Ring Pope Francis’ fishing palace will be destroyed in Vatican tradition, in order to end power and prevent any acts of corruption after his death.

With a history that stretches back to the 13th century, the Fisherman’s Ring is one of the most majestic and recognizable symbols of the Vatican.

The name “fisherman’s ring” comes from St. Peter, an apostle who used to work as a fisherman, and is considered the first pope in the Catholic tradition.

During his 12-year reign, Pope Francis often wore this ring in important ceremonies. Thousands of believers kissed the ring as a way of paying homage – even controversial about hygiene.

However, according to long-standing practice, this ring of power will be destroyed – or at least destroyed – on the Vatican grounds after the pope’s death.

Practical rituals

Although ceremonial, the destruction of the ring originated from a very practical purpose. In the past, fisherman’s rings and a seal called a bulla were used to affix their seals to official Vatican documents.

In order to prevent the risk of falsifying the decree after the pope’s death, both the ring and the bulla were smashed with a hammer. From 1521 to 2013, this ritual was still maintained.

“It can be seen as the revocation of a powerful person’s social media account,” explained journalist Christopher Lamb, CNN’s Vatican correspondent. “This ritual is intended to prevent counterfeiters from using old seals to issue unauthorized documents.”

Pope Francis wears the Fisherman’s Ring during a formal ceremony. Photo: Reuters.

Traditionally, this task is usually carried out by the cardinal regency (Camerlengo), who is appointed to oversee the transitional period between the two papal dynasties. He will carry out the destruction of the ring and bulla in the presence of the College of Cardinals after announcing the pope’s departure.

Although the seal function of the fisherman’s ring has been replaced by a seal since the mid-19th century, the destruction ceremony remained the same – until Pope Benedict XVI unexpectedly resigned in 2013, becoming the first pope to resign in six centuries. Instead of destroying it entirely, his ring was engraved with a deep diagonal with a chisel – as a symbolic nullification.

“Perhaps the Vatican thinks that it is no longer necessary to destroy it completely,” Lamb said, noting that the possibility of counterfeiting in this day and age is very low.

According to Vatican media, the incumbent cardinal prefect – Kevin Joseph Farrell, of Irish descent appointed by Pope Francis in 2023 – is likely to continue this new tradition: dimming the ring before the Conclave of Cardinals meets to elect a successor.

Although it has a noble symbolic meaning, the role of the Fisherman’s Ring is not fixed but changes depending on each Pope’s life.

Pope Francis is somewhat different from his recent predecessors. Pope Benedict XVI often wears rings daily, while Pope John Paul II sometimes chooses to wear a ring-shaped cross as an alternate version.

For Francis, he chooses to reconcile: he only wears the Fisherman’s Ring during official ceremonies, and on weekdays he wears a simple silver ring from his time as a cardinal.

Pope Francis has often worn a simple silver ring since he was a cardinal. Photo: Reuters.

There have also been speculations that Pope Francis is uncomfortable with the faithful kissing the ring. In early 2019, a viral video showed him repeatedly withdrawing his hand when someone bent down to kiss the ring. The Vatican later explained that the Pope wanted to limit the risk of spreading the bacteria.

According to Lamb, Pope Francis has always approached the faithful in a close manner – often shaking hands or hugging those who are suffering – and does not expect them to kneel down to kiss the ring as a mandatory ritual.

Over the centuries, versions of the Fisherman’s Ring have had different designs, but what they all have in common is that they are all engraved with the image of Saint Peter and the beam of keys symbolizing the power of the Holy See – reminiscent of the moment he was handed the keys to Heaven. Apart from that factor, ring design depends quite a lot on personal style and the context of the era.Usually, each new pope has a unique ring made by jewelers. But Pope Francis went in a different direction: he chose a “reusable” ring.

“Instead of ordering a new one, he chose a ring that once belonged to Pope Paul VI’s secretary,” Lamb said, emphasizing the simplicity inherent in the late pope.

The ring — known by the Vatican as the “ring in possession” — once belonged to Archbishop Pasquale Macchi and was made of gold-plated silver, instead of solid gold like traditional rings.

It is unclear what the fate of the ring will be after the conclave concludes to elect a new pope. However, as with many other aspects of the process of selecting a successor at the Vatican, the answer remains behind closed doors.