Ever since the Middle Ages, there has been a tradition according to which every visitor to the Pope should kiss his hand as a sign of respect and admiration for him. This is the hand where the pontiff wears the Ring of the Fisherman, as a reminder that he is the heir to the Apostle Peter, who was a fisherman. The ring depicts Peter throwing a fishing net from a boat.

The Pope’s ring is the main symbol of church authority. After the Pope’s death or his abdication, the ring is destroyed in the presence of other cardinals which symbolizes the end of his reign. A new ring is produced for a newly chosen pope, which, as a rule, is made of gold.