An
ecclesiastical ring is a finger ring worn by a clergyman, such as a Bishop's ring.
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
dovePigeons and doves constitute the family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerine birds. In general parlance the terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
for the
Holy SpiritIn Christianity, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. In mainstream Christian beliefs he is the third person of the Trinity. As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son....
, a fish (
ichthysIchthys or Ikhthus is the ancient and classical Greek word for "fish." In English it refers to a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs, the ends of the right side extending beyond the meeting point so as to resemble the profile of a fish, said to have been used by early Christians as a secret...
) for Christ or an
anchorAn anchor is an object, often made out of metal, that is used to attach a ship to the bottom of a body of water at a specific point. There are two primary classes of anchors—temporary and permanent. A permanent anchor is often called a mooring, and is rarely moved; it is quite possible the vessel...
. In any case the
ActsActa may refer to:* Acta , early outliner software* Manny Acta, current manager of the Washington Nationals in Major League Baseball* ActA Protein, a protein used by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes to propel itself through a host cell...
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.
Episcopal rings
In
Western ChristianityWestern Christianity is a term used to include the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, the Churches of the Anglican Communion and Protestant Churches, which share common attributes that can be traced back to their medieval heritage. The term is used in contrast to Eastern Christianity...
, rings are worn by
bishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Roman Catholic, 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.
St. Augustine of Hippo indeed speaks of his sealing a letter with a ring, However, in a
DecreeDecretals 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) we hear of monks raised to the episcopal dignity as
anulo pontificali subarrhatis, while at the
Fourth Council of ToledoThe 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, we are told that if a bishop has been deposed from his office and afterwards reinstated, he is to receive back
stoleThe stole is a liturgical vestment of various Christian denominations. It consists of a band of colored cloth, formerly usually of silk, about seven and a half to nine feet long and three to four inches wide, whose ends may be straight or may broaden out...
, ring and
crosierA 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
crosierA 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
SacramentaryThe Sacramentary is a book of the Middle Ages containing the words spoken by the priest celebrating a Mass and other church services. The books were usually in fact written for bishops or other higher clegy such as abbots, and many lavishly decorated illuminated manuscript sacramentaries have...
and in a few early
PontificalPontifical 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 YorkEcgbert or Ecgberht or Ecgbeorht was an eighth century Archbishop of York and correspondent of Bede and Saint 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 seal (signet ring), indicative of discretion and of 'conjugal' fidelity, dominate the symbolism attaching to the ring in nearly all its liturgical uses. The latter idea was pressed so far in the case of bishops that we find ecclesiastical decrees enacting that "a bishop deserting the Church to which he was consecrated and transferring himself to another is to be held guilty of
adulteryAdultery is referred to as extramarital sex, philandery, or infidelity, but does not include fornication. The term "adultery" for many people carries a moral or religious association, while the term "extramarital sex" is morally or judgmentally neutral....
, 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.
As the pontifical ring had to be worn on occasion over the pontifical glove, it is a common thing to find medieval specimens large in size and proportionately heavy in execution. The inconvenience of the looseness thus resulting was often met by placing another smaller ring just above it as a keeper. As the pictures of the medieval and
RenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
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 handHand-kissing is a ritual of greeting and respect. It is initiated by the person receiving the greeting by holding out her/his hand with the palm facing downward. The person kissing bows towards the offered hand and touches the knuckles with his lips, while lightly holding the offered hand. Note...
(called
baciamano in Italian), that is to say his episcopal ring, and it was a popular misapprehension to suppose that an
indulgenceAn indulgence, in Catholic Theology, is the full or partial remission of temporal punishment due for sins which have already been forgiven. The indulgence is granted by the church after the sinner has confessed and received absolution. The belief is that indulgences draw on the storehouse of merit...
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
relicA relic is an object or a personal item of religious significance, carefully preserved with an air of veneration as a tangible memorial. Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Shamanism, and many other religions....
s. St.
Hugh of LincolnHugh 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
investitureInvestiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent in public office, especially by taking possession of its insignia...
by ring and staff, see Conflict of Investitures.) Traditionally, three rings were bestowed: the pontifical, the gemmed, and the ordinary. However, in recent years, most bishops have only received one ring for the sake of modesty in costs.
Modern rings for bishops have tended to be far simpler than those of earlier periods: most bishops today choose or are given as gifts wide gold bands with a Christian symbol (a cross, chi-rho, or crucifiction scene, for example), rather than a jeweled ring.
Other clerical rings
Besides bishops, many other ecclesiastics are privileged to wear rings. The
popeThe pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church...
of course is the first of Roman Catholic bishops, but he does not habitually wear the signet ring distinctive of the papacy and known as "the
Ring of the FishermanThe 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 described by the Catholic Church as the successor of Saint Peter, who was a fisherman by trade...
", but usually a simple cameo, while his more magnificent pontifical rings are reserved for solemn ecclesiastical functions.
CardinalA cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, 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 making themselves available...
s also wear rings. Prior to the reign of
Pope John XXIIIBlessed Pope John XXIII , born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli , known as Blessed John XXIII since his beatification, was elected as the 261st Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City on October 28, 1958.He called the Second Vatican Council but did not live to see it to completion,...
, 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 ring belonging to the cardinalitial dignity is conferred by the pope himself in the
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". It was formerly set with a
sapphireSapphire refers to gemstone varieties of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red, in which case the gem would instead be a ruby. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give corundum blue, yellow, pink, purple, orange, or...
, while it bore on the inner side of the
bezelBezel might refer to:*The rim which encompasses and fastens a jewel, watch crystal, lens or other object in a bezel setting. *A rotatable rim on a clock or watch indicating data such as elapsed time. *The sloping facets of the crown of a cut gem...
the
armsA coat of arms, more properly called an armorial achievement, armorial bearings or often just arms for short, in European tradition, is a design belonging to a particular person and used by them in a wide variety of ways. Historically, they were used by knights to identify them apart from enemy...
of the pope conferring it. Modern cardinalatial rings are gold with a scene of the crucifiction of Jesus worked in metal, and without a jewel. The privilege of wearing a ring has belonged to cardinal-priests since the time of Innocent III or earlier,
AbbotThe 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 BloisPeter of Blois or Petrus Blesensis was a French poet and diplomat who wrote in Latin. Peter studied law in Bologna and theology in Paris...
in the twelfth century shows that at that date the wearing of a ring by an abbot was apt to be looked upon as a piece of ostentation. Yet in the later Pontificals the blessing and delivery of a ring formed part of the ordinary ritual for the
blessingA blessing, is the infusion of something with holiness, divine will, or one's hope or approval.- Etymology and Germanic paganism :...
of an abbot, and this is still the case at the present day. On the other hand, there is no such ceremony indicated in the blessing of an
abbessAn abbess is the female superior, or Mother Superior, of an abbey of nuns.In Roman Catholic and Anglican abbeys, the mode of election, position, rights, and authority of an abbess correspond generally with those of an abbot. The office is elective, the choice being by the secret votes of the...
, though certain abbesses have received, or assumed, the privilege of wearing a ring of office.
The ring is also regularly worn by certain other minor
prelateA prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who either is an ordinary or ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, literally, "carry before," or "to be set above, or over," or "to prefer," hence a prelate is one set over...
s, for example
prothonotaries apostolicIn 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
canonsA canon is a priest who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
as such without special
indultAn 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). In any case such rings cannot ordinarily be worn by these minor prelates during the celebration of
MassIn physics, mass commonly refers to any of three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent: inertial mass, active gravitational mass and passive gravitational mass...
. The same restriction applies to the ring which is conferred as part of the insignia of the
doctor of theologyDoctor of Theology is a terminal academic degree in theology. It is a research degree, involving the publication of an original contribution to scholarship in the form of a dissertation, that is for most purposes the equivalent of a Doctor of Philosophy in Theology or a similar discipline...
or of
canon lawCanon law is the body of laws and regulations made by or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
.
Other Christian rings
The plain rings worn by certain
ordersA 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 professionReligious vows are the public vows made by the members of the religious life – cenobitic and eremitic – of the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox Churches, whereby they confirm their public profession of the Evangelical Counsels or Benedictine equivalent...
, according to the ritual provided in the Roman
PontificalPontifical 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...
appear to find some justification in ancient tradition. Saint Ambrose of Milan speaks as though it were a received custom for
virgins consecrated to GodIn the Catholic Church a consecrated virgin is a woman who has dedicated herself to a life of virginity or perpetual chastity in the service of God and the Church in a form that is recognised by the Church. Men who have dedicated their virginity or perpetual chastity to God in this way tend to be...
to wear a ring in memory of their
betrothalBetrothal is a formal state of engagement to be married.Historically betrothal was a formal contract, blessed or officiated by a religious authority. Betrothal was binding as marriage and a divorce was necessary to terminate a betrothal...
to their heavenly Spouse. This delivery of a ring to professed
nunA Nun, or also known as a Sister in some cases, is a woman who has taken special vows committing her to a religious 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.
Wedding ringA wedding ring or wedding band consists of a metal ring. In certain countries it is worn on the base of the left ring finger. In other parts of the world, it is worn on the right ring finger ....
s, or more strictly, rings given in the
betrothalBetrothal is a formal state of engagement to be married.Historically betrothal was a formal contract, blessed or officiated by a religious authority. Betrothal was binding as marriage and a divorce was necessary to terminate a betrothal...
ceremony, seem to have been tolerated among Christians under the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
from a quite early period. The use of such rings was of course 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 or invested with any precise religious significance. But it is highly probable that, if the acceptance and the wearing of a betrothal ring was tolerated among Christians, such rings would have been adorned with Christian emblems. Certain extant specimens, more particularly a gold ring found near
ArlesArles is a city in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence.-Geography:...
, belonging apparently to the fourth or fifth century and bearing the inscription
Tecla vivat Deo cum marito seo [suo], may almost certainly be assumed to be Christian espousal rings.
In the
coronationA coronation is a ceremony marking the investiture of a monarch or their consort with regal power, specifically involving the placement of a crown upon his or her head, and the presentation of other items of regalia...
ceremony too, it has long been the custom to deliver both to the
SovereignSovereign may refer to:*Sovereignty, a philosophical concept or state*Sovereign *Sovereign Hill, Victoria, Australia*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign wealth fund, type of investment funds...
and to the
queen consortA 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...
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 GreatAlfred the Great , was king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom 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 king to be given the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to...
, 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 Ethelwulf.
Rings have also occasionally been used for other religious purposes.
- At an early date the small keys which contained filings from the chains of St. Peter seem to have been welded to a band of metal and worn upon the finger as reliquaries
A 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 saintSaints, individuals of exceptional holiness, are significant in many religions, particularly Christianity.-General characteristics :Though the term is mostly used for Christians considered holy or virtuous, many religions use similar concepts to elevate people worthy of respect, e.g. see Hindu...
s or of the True CrossThe True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the actual 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,...
have also been incorporated into rings. An ancient custom to this day at the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount SinaiMount Sinai , also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa , Jabal Musa by the Bedouin, is the name of a mountain in Saint Katherine city, in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt...
, is to place a ring on the finger of St. Catherine of AlexandriaSaint Catherine of Alexandria, also known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine is a Christian saint and martyr who is claimed to have been a noted scholar in the early 4th century. In the beginning of the fifteenth century, it was rumored that she had spoken to...
and then wear it as an eulogiaThe 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 more modern times, rings have been constructed with ten small knobs or protuberances, and used for saying the rosary
The Rosary or "garland of roses" is a popular and traditional Roman Catholic devotion. The term denotes both a set of prayer beads and the devotional prayer itself, which combines vocal prayer and meditation...
(called a "finger rosary" or "rosary ring").
- Also in the present day Orthodox Christians have designed komboskini rings, smaller prayer ropes that can be worn on the finger.
External links
- Baciamano kissing the episcopal ring (commentary and photos)