What is behind Pope Francis' refusal to kiss the ring?

New communication technologies are making situations that once went unnoticed by the general public become widely publicized and provoked debates, approvals, repudios, clarifications and refusals. Videos taken with cell phones that are then vilarized in social networks is one of the most powerful resources, perhaps because of the strength of the image, excluded – clearly – decontextualization manipulations, mounting rigidity or simple forgery.

Precisely, a viralized video of the moment when the pope received the greetings of the parishioners during a recent visit to the Italian shrine of Our Lady of Loreto revealed that the pontiff had resisted being kissed by the papal ring – an old custom. Among those who have seen it, many have gone from initial surprise to irritation, as they think that Francisco's attitude has led – beyond his intention – to a contempt and that people could have been warned of his resistance.

Conscious of the dust that raised the video, Pope Spokesman Alessandro Gisotti said the Pope's resignation was due to a hygiene issue. "People could be infected with germs deposited in the ring"he remarked. Then, on his flight to Morocco, Francisco himself gave the same explanations to a journalist who had joked by withdrawing his hand at the moment of greetings. By the way, this situation was also recorded on a mobile phone and duly uploaded to social networks.

In truth, kissing the ring of a pope is an issue more and more disused. To the point that the Vatican protocol does not consider it necessary to specify anything. But the fate of limbo in which this custom was in retreat led to a situation similar to that of Loreto. Situation not only criticized by some, but also celebrated by others, which proves how much Francisco, according to a historical trend, leaves behind a medieval custom that imitates the respect of kings and emperors.

Precisely, this tradition is inspired by the definition of the pope: the servant of the servants of God. Thus, in Francisco's reasoning, to accept such a reverence would be a contradiction. Even more: being a bishop then a cardinal, Jorge Bergoglio has never accepted the kiss of the ring, as it is also the case. Not only him, but other important personalities of the Argentine Church, such as Cardinal Raul Primatesta, whose memory is known, and – in general – many other Catholic dignitaries from other countries.

The ring of a pope is made with the gold material of the previous pontiff's ring, which after his death is immediately used as a stamp of documents – a pontifical bubble – and as correspondence with a cross. In the case of Francisco's ring, as was the case for a pontiff who resigned and is alive, it was necessary to send a new one which, because of his request, did not look like all the gold but to money. In any case, that of Benedict XVI was unusable as a seal.

Thus, Francisco became the first pontiff, over the centuries, to have a ring that was not made with the material of the rings of the ancient popes. And oddly enough, gold money is called argentum, the name of which is the name of his homeland: Argentina. Perhaps the interruption of a material is more than that: the definitive shift from an imperial church to a servant church. And the video patents the change of time, perhaps messy, but irreversible.

After all, Francisco is true to himself. Stripped and close. Even if he does not let the ring kiss him, he will take her in his arms and let them continue.