Ecclesiastical ring
Encyclopedia
Historical antecedents
St. Clement of Alexandria says that a man might lawfully wear a ring on his little finger, and that it should bear some religious emblem—a doveDove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
for the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, a fish (ichthys
Ichthys
Ichthys, from Koine Greek: , is the Greek word for "fish"....
) for Christ or an anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
. In any case the Acts
Acta
ACTA may refer to:* Administrative Council for Terminal Attachments, a standards organization for terminal equipment such as registered jacks* Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, in southern California...
of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas (c. xxi), about the beginning of the third century, mention the martyr Saturus took a ring from the finger of Pudens, a soldier who was looking on, and gave it back to him as a keepsake, covered with his own blood.
It is more commonly understood that the episcopal ring is in origin identical to that of the ring given by a monarch to a special envoy; as such it represents for the hierarch the authority vested in him by the pope.
Episcopal rings
Western Christianity
Western Christianity is a term used to include the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church and groups historically derivative thereof, including the churches of the Anglican and Protestant traditions, which share common attributes that can be traced back to their medieval heritage...
, rings are worn by bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and other denominations. Eastern Orthodox bishops do not normally wear rings, but some Eastern Catholic bishops do.
The most famous ecclesiastical ring in Christendom is the episcopal ring of the pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, known as the "Ring of the Fisherman
Ring of the Fisherman
The Ring of the Fisherman, also known as the Piscatory Ring, Annulus Piscatoris and the Anello Piscatorio , is an official part of the regalia worn by the Pope, who is head of the Catholic Church and successor of Saint Peter, who was a fisherman by trade...
", "The Fisherman's Ring", is also known as "The Ring of St. Peter". Originally intended merely to show the pope was the Bishop of Rome, it has become a symbol of global as well as religious power. The origin of the ring design is inspired by Jesus telling fisherman St. Peter, "I will make you a fisher of men."
The Ring of the Fisherman is represented by a large gold ring with an ovaloid bezel. As recently as the 1960's, it was a large, medallion-shaped bezel. On the bezel appears the image of St. Peter in a fishing boat on the water; above him is the name of the current pope. This is the ring that used to be broken upon the death of a pope. A new one was forged for the new pope, but this custom has not been practised since the papacy of Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
.
The pope's ring is not to be confused with the papal seal, which is what the pope uses to seal documents. The Fisherman's Ring is no longer used to seal anything. Though Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
chooses to wear it at all times, it had not been seen being publicly worn by a pope since the papacy of Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. Even he refrained from wearing it, once the election ceremonies had been concluded.
A collection of rings belonging to the popes of the past are exhibited in a glass case in a room within the papal apartments. The collection is loaned out occasionally, either to museums or religious institutions.
In a Decree
Decretal
Decretals is the name that is given in Canon law to those letters of the pope which formulate decisions in ecclesiastical law.They are generally given in answer to consultations, but are sometimes due to the initiative of the popes...
of Pope Boniface IV (A.D. 610) it describes monks raised to the episcopal dignity as anulo pontificali subarrhatis, while at the Fourth Council of Toledo
Fourth Council of Toledo
The Fourth Council of Toledo occurred in 633. It was held at the church of Saint Leocadia in Toledo.Probably under the presidency of the noted Isidore of Seville, the council regulated many matters of discipline, decreed uniformity of liturgy throughout the Visigothic kingdom and took stringent...
, in 633, it was stated that if a bishop has been deposed from his office and afterwards reinstated, he is to receive back stole, ring and crosier
Crosier
A crosier is the stylized staff of office carried by high-ranking Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheran and Pentecostal prelates...
(orarium, anulum et baculum).
St. Isidore of Seville at about the same period couples the ring with the crosier
Crosier
A crosier is the stylized staff of office carried by high-ranking Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheran and Pentecostal prelates...
and declares that the former is conferred as "an emblem of the pontifical dignity or of the sealing of secrets". The ring is strictly speaking an episcopal ornament conferred in the rite of consecration, and that it was commonly regarded as emblematic of the mystical betrothal of the bishop to his church.
In the eighth and ninth centuries in manuscripts of the Gregorian Sacramentary
Sacramentary
The Sacramentary is a book of the Middle Ages containing the words spoken by the priest celebrating a Mass and other liturgies of the Church. The books were usually in fact written for bishops or other higher clegy such as abbots, and many lavishly decorated illuminated manuscript sacramentaries...
and in a few early Pontifical
Pontifical
Pontifical may refer to the Roman Pontifical, a Roman Catholic liturgical book used by a bishop.When used as an adjective, Pontifical may be used to describe things related to the office of a bishop, such as the following:*Solemn Pontifical Mass...
s (e.g., that attributed to Archbishop Egbert of York
Ecgbert, Archbishop of York
Ecgbert was an eighth century Archbishop of York and correspondent of Bede and Boniface.-Life:...
) we meet with various formulae for the delivery of the ring. The Gregorian form, which survives in substance to the present, runs in these terms: "Receive the ring, that is to say, the seal of faith, whereby thou, being thyself adorned with spotless faith, mayst keep unsullied the troth which thou hast pledged to the spouse of God, His Holy Church."
The ideas of the royal as well as religious seal (signet ring), indicative of discretion and of 'conjugal' fidelity, dominate the symbolism of the ring in nearly all its uses. In the case of bishops, ecclesiastical decrees stated that "a bishop deserting the Church to which he was consecrated and transferring himself to another is to be held guilty of adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
, and is to be visited with the same penalties as a man who, forsaking his own wife, goes to live with another woman." Perhaps this idea of espousals helped to establish the rule, of which we hear already in the ninth century, that the episcopal ring was to be placed on the fourth finger (i.e., that next the little finger) of the right hand. Just as likely, the tradition of the ring finger of the right hand came about as a result of the prelates having to remove their rings from their index fingers and transferring them to the third finger as a symbol of submission before Mass.
As the pope's ring had to be worn on ceremonial occasions on the outside of the pontifical glove, it is common to find medieval specimens large in size and disproportionately heavy in execution. The inconvenience of the looseness was corrected by placing another smaller ring just above it as a ring guard. As the pictures of the medieval and Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
periods show, it was formerly quite usual for bishops to wear other rings along with the episcopal ring; indeed the 1882 edition of Caeremoniale episcoporum (Book II, viii, nn. 10-11) still assumed that this was likely to be the case.
Custom prescribed that a layman or a cleric of inferior grade on being presented to a bishop should kiss his hand
Hand-kissing
Hand-kissing is a gesture indicating courtesy, politeness, respect, admiration or even devotion by a man towards a woman, by a vassal towards his master or a child towards his parent or grand-parent....
(called baciamano in Italian), that is to say his episcopal ring, and it was a popular misapprehension to suppose that an indulgence
Indulgence
In Catholic theology, an indulgence is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the Catholic Church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution...
was attached to the act. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, though the hierarch (bishop) does not wear a ring, he holds his fingers in such a way as to form the initials associated with Jesus Christ, it is customary to kiss this symbol of Christ when receiving his blessing (which one should do upon being introduced). Another reason is that the right hand touches the Host during communion so once again, it is Christ being kissed, not the bishop. The right hand of Orthodox priests also is kissed for the same reason.
Episcopal rings, both at an earlier and later period, were sometimes used as receptacles for relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s. St. Hugh of Lincoln
Hugh of Lincoln
Hugh of Lincoln was at the time of the Reformation the best-known English saint after Thomas Becket.-Life:...
had such a ring which must have been of considerable capacity. (On investiture
Investiture
Investiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent...
by ring and staff, see Conflict of Investitures.) Traditionally, three rings were bestowed: the pontifical, the gemmed, and the ordinary. However, in recent decades, most bishops have only received one ring for the sake of modesty in costs. Cardinals have also seen a reduction in the number of rings they may own.
Modern rings for bishops have tended to be far simpler than those of earlier periods: many bishops today choose or are given as gifts wide gold bands with a table showing Christian symbols (a cross, chi-rho, or crucifixion scene, for example), rather than a jeweled ring. The preference and the ring awarded to bishops still tend to be large gold rings adorned by a large central stone. It is understood in modern times that the ring-wearing hierarch is privileged to wear such a ring, since such a ring is forbidden to lesser clergy. In fact it is often the case that a prelate will give an episcopal ring as a private, secret gift to a priest, in hopes that the priest will eventually be elevated in position. This is a completely private gesture of friendship and patronage.
Of course, the pope's ring as well as those of the cardinals are ecclesiastical episcopal rings. The bishop, named by the pope but consecrated by his immediate superior cardinal, is privileged to wear the ring that is awarded to him by the cardinal. He is then free also to obtain and wear his own personal rings. The style of the episcopal ring has almost always been very large, gold stone-set ring.
Aside from the rings a bishop purchases or is given by others, his rings belong to the Church; he will have inherited the previous bishop's ring collection, which is held in trust. While all hierarchs are accorded the honor of being buried wearing a ring, it must be made certain that all rings beloning to the Church will be returned to the Church.
The cardinal is created by the pope at a consistory of cardinals. The pope consecrates the cardinal when he places the ring on the cardinal's finger. This is a gift from the pope to the new cardinal. Most cardinals keep only this ring, obtaining no other. The style of this ring is the pope's decision and he may choose any design he wishes. The solid gold cardinal's ring chosen by JPII is the oblong crucifixion scene. These continue to be worn, but the design was approved by JPII; any future pope may choose another design.
Pope Pius IX, in a rather controversial move, chose to wear as his papal ring a cameo of himself. Whilst considered in poor taste, no one dared argue with him.
Higher episcopal and other clerical rings
Besides bishops, certain other ecclesiastics are privileged to wear rings. It must be understood that the privilege to wear a ring indicates the papal recognition and granting of authority to wear such a ring.Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
s' rings tend to be as large and flashy as a pope's ring. Prior to the reign of Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
, a cardinal was not required to be a bishop, but he would wear a ring even if he had not been consecrated to the episcopate. The cardinal's ring is conferred by the pope himself in the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
, in which the new cardinal is named to a particular "title", which is to say, in the title of a particular saint and at the level of either a cardinal priest or cardinal bishop. In the past, a cardinal's ring was usually set with a sapphire
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
, while it bore on the inner side of the bezel
Bezel
Bezel may refer to:* Bezel setting, or bezel, the rim which encompasses and fastens a jewel, watch crystal, lens or other object* The sloping facets of the crown of a cut gem such as in diamond cutting...
the arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the pope conferring it. Modern cardinals' rings are gold with a scene of the crucifixion of Jesus worked in metal, and without a jewel, at the instigation of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. Cardinals may prefer to wear a ring of their choice as they are privileged to do so. The privilege of wearing a ring has belonged to cardinal-priests at least since the time of Innocent III
Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
s (monastical prelates) in the earlier Middle Ages were permitted to wear rings only by special privilege. A letter of Peter of Blois
Peter of Blois
Peter of Blois or Petrus Blesensis was a French poet and diplomat who wrote in Latin. Peter studied law in Bologna and theology in Paris...
from the twelfth century shows that at that date the wearing of a ring by an abbot was apt to be considered ostentatious. However, in the later Pontificals, the blessing and delivery of a ring formed part of the ordinary ritual for the blessing
Blessing
A blessing, is the infusion of something with holiness, spiritual redemption, divine will, or one's hope or approval.- Etymology and Germanic paganism :...
of an abbot, and this is still the case. Certain abbesses have received and assumed the privilege of wearing a ring of office.
The ring is also regularly worn by certain other minor prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
s, for example protonotaries apostolic
Protonotary apostolic
In the Roman Catholic Church, protonotary apostolic is the title for a member of the highest non-episcopal college of prelates in the Roman Curia or, outside of Rome, an honorary prelate on whom the pope has conferred this title and its special privileges.-History:In later antiquity there were in...
, but the privilege cannot be said to belong to canons
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
without special indult
Indult
An indult in Catholic canon law is a permission, or privilege, granted by the competent church authority – the Holy See or the diocesan bishop, as the case may be – for an exception from a particular norm of church law in an individual case, for example, members of the consecrated life seeking to...
(papal favor).
Such rings cannot ordinarily be worn by these minor prelates during the celebration of Mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
. The only exception to this rule is applied to the order of Clerks Regular of St. Viator. They are permitted, by Papal Indult, to wear the ring of investiture even during the celebratio of Mass. The same restriction applies to the ring which is conferred as part of the insignia of the doctor of theology
Doctor of Theology
Doctor of Theology is a terminal academic degree in theology. It is a research degree that is considered by the U.S. National Science Foundation to be the equivalent of a Doctor of Philosophy....
or of canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
, but the priest wearing such a ring will normally wear it on the left hand ring finger.
In the Order of Preachers, commonly known as the Dominican Order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, the honorary title of Master of Sacred Theology
Master of Sacred Theology
The Master of Sacred Theology is a second-level graduate degree for those who wish to pursue a year of more advanced coursework focusing on a particular discipline....
, roughly equal to an honorary doctorate in theology, includes the privilege of wearing, in non-liturgical ceremonies, a ring, which may be set with an Amethyst
Amethyst
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀ a- and μέθυστος methustos , a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief...
. It is not unusual for the ring to be inscribed inside the band with the initials of the previous Masters of Sacred Theology of the province.
The plain wedding bands worn by certain orders
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
of nuns and conferred upon them in the course of their solemn profession
Religious vows
Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices and views.In the Buddhist tradition, in particular within the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition, many different kinds of religious vows are taken by the lay community as well as by...
, according to the ritual provided in the Roman Pontifical
Pontifical
Pontifical may refer to the Roman Pontifical, a Roman Catholic liturgical book used by a bishop.When used as an adjective, Pontifical may be used to describe things related to the office of a bishop, such as the following:*Solemn Pontifical Mass...
find some justification in ancient tradition. Saint Ambrose of Milan speaks as though it were a received custom for virgins consecrated to God
Consecrated virgin
In the Catholic Church a consecrated virgin is a woman who has been conscrated by the church to a life of perpetual virginity in the service of God. Consecrated virgins are to spend their time in works of penance and mercy, in apostolic activity and in prayer, according to their state of life and...
to wear a ring in memory of their betrothal to their heavenly Spouse. This delivery of a ring to professed nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s is also mentioned by several medieval Pontificals, from the twelfth century onwards.
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May....
For the year of his office the Moderator (chairman of the General Assembly) wears an amethyst and gold ring. The stone has incised on it the crest of the Church of Scotland - a burning bush
Burning bush
The burning bush is an object described by the Book of Exodus as being located on Mount Sinai; according to the narrative, the bush was on fire, but was not consumed by the flames, hence the name...
- and around it the words "Nec Tamen Consumebatur" ("Burning but not being consumed"). The words refer to Moses' encounter with the burning bush in the desert. Each year as the retiring Moderator installs his successor in office, he places the ring on the new Moderator's finger.
Construction
Modern episcopal rings have a special sliding-band inner mechanism that allows them to be sized and locked into place, eliminating the need to have rings sized or resized. Most Reverend Ludovic Taurin-Cahagne, Bishop of Adramythe in Ethiopia, Apostolic Vicar of the Gallas, ca. 1875, had a unique, lovely ring that locked/unlocked, apparently an early form of adjustability (and perhaps a security mechanism).For example: "[Cardinal O'Malley said] the [cardinalatial] ring [in the design approved by Pope John Paul II] was open in the back [by a clever sliding-band mechanism], and could be resized at home. That was a bit of a relief, he said, recalling the time he [removed his] bishop's ring during Mass to wash his hands, gave it to a seminarian, and the seminarian decided to see what it felt like to wear a bishop's ring, and the ring got stuck on the seminarian's finger!"
There are times when a bishop may be awarded an episcopal ring with a form of a coat of arms or specific Catholic symbol, such as the ring given to Bp. Henessy of Boston.
Other Christian rings
Wedding ringWedding ring
A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married. Depending on the local culture, it is worn on the base of the right or the left ring finger. The custom of wearing such a ring has spread widely beyond its origin in Europe...
s, or more strictly, rings given in the betrothal ceremony, were common among Christians under the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
from an early period. The use of such rings was of older date than Christianity, and there is not much to suggest that the giving of the ring was at first incorporated in any ritual for laypeople, or invested with any precise religious significance. It is known from archeological finds that the betrothal/wedding ring was adorned with Christian emblems. Certain specimens prove this today, such as a gold ring found near Arles
Arles
Arles is a city and commune in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence....
, from circa the fourth or fifth century A.D., and bearing the inscription Tecla vivat Deo cum marito seo [suo].
In the coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
ceremony too, it has long been the custom to deliver both to the Sovereign
Sovereign
A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.Sovereign may also refer to:*Monarch, the sovereign of a monarchy*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign...
and to the queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
a ring previously blessed. Perhaps the earliest example of the use of such a ring is in the case of Judith, the stepmother of king Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
, but it is unclear whether that ring was bestowed upon the queen in virtue of her dignity as queen consort or of her nuptials to King Æthelwulf of Wessex.
Other religious rings:
- At an early date the small keys which contained filings from the chains of St. Peter were welded to a band of metal and worn upon the finger as reliquariesReliquaryA reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
. The relics of other saintSaintA saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s or of the True CrossTrue CrossThe True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.According to post-Nicene historians, Socrates Scholasticus and others, the Empress Helena The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a...
have also been incorporated into rings. The reliquary practice was known only to the rich and to prelates. An ancient custom to this day at the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount SinaiMount SinaiMount Sinai , also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa , Jabal Musa meaning "Moses' Mountain", is a mountain near Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. A mountain called Mount Sinai is mentioned many times in the Book of Exodus in the Torah and the Bible as well as the Quran...
, is to place a ring on the finger of St. Catherine of AlexandriaCatherine of AlexandriaSaint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, who was martyred in the early 4th century at the hands of the pagan emperor Maxentius...
and then wear it as a eulogiaEulogiaThe term eulogia , Greek for "a blessing", has been applied in ecclesiastical usage to the object blessed.-History:It was occasionally used in early times to signify the Holy Eucharist, and in this sense is especially frequent in the writings of St. Cyril of Alexandria. The origin of this use is...
(blessing). - In modern times, rings with ten small knobs or protuberances are common. These are used for saying the rosaryRosaryThe rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
(called a "rosary ring"). - Also in the present day, Orthodox Christians have komboskini ("prayer rope") rings with ten knots; these are used for fewer repetitions of "The Jesus Prayer".
- The little-known but once common memorial ring may be bequeathed to beneficiaries by a deceased loved one. It is usually a plain band of some type, meant to remind the wearers of the deceased. This custom has generally come to an end, but something like it survives today among closely knit, religious families.
- Religious medals are commonly shaped and formed into rings for daily wear and even for devotions. Most common among these is a ring made from a medal of the Archangel Michael, known as "the ring of St. Michael".
- Late in the Roman Christian Era, cameos of saints were often worn by wealthy Christians. Early in the era, simple iron bands were worn by all the faithful, though the wealthy of Rome would often cover their gold rings with charcoal, in order to appear more pious.
- The Claddagh ringCladdagh RingThe Claddagh ring is a traditional Irish ring given as a token of friendship, love and/or as a wedding ring. The design and customs associated with it originated in the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, located just outside the city of Galway...
is viewed as a religious ring in Ireland, though it symbolises civil status, whether single, engaged or married.
External links
- Baciamano kissing the episcopal ring (commentary and photos)