The papal fisherman's ring and lead seal are nulled during the 12th general congregation of the College of Cardinals on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, May 6, 2025 / 09:46 am (CNA).The papal fisherman's ring and lead seal were nulled during the 12th general congregation of the College of Cardinals on Tuesday.The ring and seal are destroyed or nulled after a pope's death to prevent their future misuse to seal official documents.Cardinal Kevin Farrell and the College of Cardinals witness the cancellation of papal fisherman's ring and lead seal of Pope Francis on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in the New Synod Hall at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaVatican Media shared photos and videos of the cancellation of the ring and seal on May 6, and the X account of the Vatican secretary of state said the procedure was carried out in the presence of camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell and the College of Cardinals in the New Synod Hall.Come tradizione in tempo di Sede Vac...
The papal fisherman's ring and lead seal are nulled during the 12th general congregation of the College of Cardinals on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican City, May 6, 2025 / 09:46 am (CNA).
The papal fisherman's ring and lead seal were nulled during the 12th general congregation of the College of Cardinals on Tuesday.
The ring and seal are destroyed or nulled after a pope's death to prevent their future misuse to seal official documents.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell and the College of Cardinals witness the cancellation of papal fisherman's ring and lead seal of Pope Francis on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in the New Synod Hall at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican Media
Vatican Media shared photos and videos of the cancellation of the ring and seal on May 6, and the X account of the Vatican secretary of state said the procedure was carried out in the presence of camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell and the College of Cardinals in the New Synod Hall.
Come tradizione in tempo di Sede Vacante, questa mattina nell'Aula del Sinodo sono stati annullati l'Anello del Pescatore e il Sigillo di piombo di Papa Francesco alla presenza del Camerlengo di Santa Romana Chiesa e del Collegio dei Cardinali. pic.twitter.com/LAED4vlrcN
— Segreteria di Stato della Santa Sede (@TerzaLoggia) May 6, 2025
According to Universi Dominici Gregis, the apostolic constitution regulating the "sede vacante," the College of Cardinals must "arrange for the destruction of the fisherman's ring and of the lead seal with which apostolic letters are despatched" after the pope's death.
The fisherman's ring is one of several rings typically worn by the Roman pontiff. The ring takes its name from its image of St. Peter as a fisherman, which became the standard design around the mid-15th century.
The first record of the ring's use was on two letters of Clement IV in 1265 and 1266. It was used as a wax seal in private letters in place of the official lead seal used for solemn papal documents.
In 1842, use of the ring and wax seal were replaced by a stamp, but each pope still receives a unique ring of the fisherman at the start of his papacy. Outside of papal ceremonies, Pope Francis typically wore only his episcopal ring.
The destruction of the ring and seal is part of a number of security measures overseen by the camerlengo after the pope's death, including the sealing of the papal apartments, until the election of a new pontiff.
Americans gather in St. Peter's Square on May 8, 2025, to celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from the United States. / Credit: Courtney Mares/CNAVatican City, May 9, 2025 / 18:28 pm (CNA).Americans gathered in St. Peter's Square on May 8 to celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first pontiff from the United States. Born Robert Francis Prevost on Chicago's South Side, the 69-year-old Augustinian friar was chosen by the College of Cardinals after just two days of conclave. While American flags were scarce among the sea of international banners, those present from the U.S. lingered in the square long after the Holy Father appeared out on the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica for the first time. They shared prayers, chants, and reflections on the unprecedented moment. "Never in a million years did I think that the Holy Spirit would send us a beautiful cardinal from Chicago," said Deacon Steven Marcus, a Maronite Catholic from Florida. "You ...
At a leper colony in the Kon Tum area in Vietnam in April 2025, Pontifical Missions Society USA President Monsignor Roger Landry celebrated Mass, brought Communion to people, and distributed food and sandals. / Credit: The Pontifical Mission Societies/Margaret MurrayWashington, D.C. Newsroom, May 9, 2025 / 11:47 am (CNA).The American arm of the worldwide Pontifical Mission Societies (TPMS) is celebrating yesterday's election of Pope Leo XIV. "The Pontifical Mission Societies in the USA rejoices in the historic election of the first pontiff from the United States of America, Leo XIV, Chicago native Robert Cardinal Prevost, a missionary at heart who served for many years as a priest and bishop bringing Christ and his Gospel to the people in rural Peru," said Monsignor Roger Landry, the organization's national director since January. "Together with all of our fellow American Catholics and citizens, and with all those served in the 1,124 missionary dioceses an...
Singaporean theology student Dominic Nalpon managed to arrive at the center of St. Peter's Square in time to hear the awaited "Habemus papam!" ("We have a pope!") announcement and see the new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, on May 8, 2025. / Credit: Photo courtesy of Dominic NalponRome Newsroom, May 9, 2025 / 12:26 pm (CNA).From Europe to the Asia Pacific, millions of Catholics are celebrating the election of U.S.-born Pope Leo XIV as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church.After news of "white smoke" began to spread across Rome, Singaporean theology student Dominic Nalpon managed to arrive at the center of St. Peter's Square in time to hear the awaited "Habemus papam!" ("We have a pope!") announcement and see the new Holy Father."My first impression of the new Pope Leo XIV was that he had a sense of presence about him," Nalpon told CNA on Thursday. "I was especially joyful at his name 'Leo' as it brings to mind two other popes of the same name who are dear to me.""Leo the Great who...
The papal fisherman's ring and lead seal are nulled during the 12th general congregation of the College of Cardinals on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media
