Pope Francis already allows the ring to kiss him

This Wednesday, Pope Francis authorized the episcopal ring embrace during the weekly hearing on St. Peter's Square at the Vatican shortly after the publication of a controversial video in which he was seen. remove the hand to prevent the faithful from putting their lips on the ring.

During the hearing, the pontiff delivered the nun and the obstetrician Maria Concetta Esu, 85, the Pro Ecclesia and Pontifice medal, for his more than 60 years of missionary activity in the Central African Republic, where he contributed to the birth of some 3,000 babies.

"Thank you for all the work you have done with our African brothers and sisters in the service of life, children, women and families," said Pope Francis, presenting the prize to Maria Concetta, he leaned over and kissed his hand to the great pontiff.

On Monday, during her visit to the Sanctuary of the Holy House of Loreto (Italy), the highest authority of the Catholic Church was filmed by withdrawing her hand when the faithful approached her for the day. to embrace, an image that is not the first time observed during his papacy.

What is the episcopal ring?

The episcopal ring (or fisherman) is one of the traditional symbols of the papal authority. The attribute, mentioned for the first time in the seventh century, became indispensable around the twelfth century. From this moment, the tradition of creating for each pope a new ring, destroyed after the death of the pontiff.

At the symbolic level, the ring symbolizes the Pope's spiritual marriage with the Church, described by the words uttered at the episcopal consecration: "Receive this ring, loyalty signand remain faithful to the Church, holy spouse of God ".

The kiss ring to the fisherman, also known by his Italian name, "baciamano", is a tradition that symbolizes the tribute to the pope's figure, maximum representative of the Catholic Church.

The Catholic media InfoVaticano badume that the pontiff avoids being kissed by the ring for "a matter of time or fatigue". But a person of Pope Francis of Buenos Aires told Vida Nueva Digital that the pontiff was opposed to hierarchical gestures, including the "baciamano". "He has always hated this kind of attitude. (…) He is tired of not understanding that his Church is a service, nothing more, nothing less, "said the source quoted by the media.