Here's why Pope Francis's ring will be destroyed by a hammer
As Cardinals from across the globe will meet this morning for the first time since Pope Francis died, other traditions after a papal death are underway.
The world will be watching Vatican City after the death of the 88-year-old pontiff on Easter Monday, but behind closed doors, centuries-old ceremonies are being carried out.
One of those is the destruction of the Pope's famous ring, kissed by pilgrims and used to seal official documents.
Ahead of his funeral on Saturday morning, the camerlengo – appointed by the late Pope before his death – will arrange the destruction of the pontiff's ring.
The camerlengo has been named as Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, a boy from a working-class Irish family who has risen to become one of the most powerful men in the Vatican.
A hammer will be used to destroy Pope Francis's ring, and for a very important reason.
Referred to as the Fisherman's Ring, the papal ring is unique to each Pope and cannot be replicated.
The rings are designed and crafted in Rome by artisans who are members of the Roman Guild of Goldsmiths.
The piece of jewellery is traditionally worn on the pontiff's right hand, on the ring finger, and is often kissed by pilgrims who meet the Pope.
But upon the pontiff's death, the ring is destroyed within the Vatican with a hammer and placed in the coffin of the deceased, along with a rosary.
The destruction is done because traditionally, the ring was used to seal letters with wax and mark the official seal of the Pope on documents, so its destruction ensures no forgeries can be made.
A new ring is cast for the new Pope after the conclave commences.
Popes are normally buried in not one, but three coffins – wood, lead and another wooden one.
But a humble man, Pope Francis specified that Popes should only be buried in a wooden coffin, lined in zinc and sealed by several Vatican officials.
Before the coffin is closed, the Pope's face will be draped in a white cloth, and a bag of minted coins and a page about his time as Pope are placed in with the body.
After the coffin is sealed, Psalm 42, which reads 'Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul in longing for you, my God,' is sung.
Before 120 cardinals, senior members of the Catholic Church, convene in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave – the secret meeting at which a new pope will be elected – the Church enters a period called 'the vacant see'.
Following the funeral, there are nine days of official mourning, with the conclave required to begin 15 to 20 days after the sede vacante is declared, although it can start sooner if the cardinals agree.
Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols is among those travelling to Rome.
There are currently five cardinals across the UK and Ireland, although only three – Cardinal Nichols, Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe and Rome-based Cardinal Arthur Roche – are younger than 80 and therefore of voting age.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the conclave is that the cardinals and employees, priests, secretaries, doctors and more can't speak to anyone until a new Pope is chosen. More Trending
Those who work in the Vatican are sworn to secrecy, and security checks are taken in the Vatican to sweep for wire taps and other information which could derail the secret meetings.
For each day of the conclave, if a Pope is not chosen, black smoke is released from the roof of the Sistine Chapel.
When a new pontiff is agreed upon, white smoke is released, and the official announcement is made after.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: What will happen to the £380,000 Popemobile?
MORE: How Pope Francis helped Arsenal complete £16m transfer deal with Manchester United
MORE: Virgin Mary statue 'sheds tears' days before Pope's death
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Belfast Telegraph
31 minutes ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Family left traumatised after ‘racially motivated' arson attack on car outside home
Police said they were investigating a number of hate crimes in the area A man whose family was targeted in a racially motivated arson attack on Thursday night has said the incident has left them in fear. Police have said they are also reviewing a number of recent incidents in the Rathcoole area to establish whether they are linked. Police also said local patrols in the area following the attack 'will be increased'. The vehicles sustained significant damage during the attack, footage of which was captured on the victim's CCTV camera. Two individuals can be seen approaching the car, before setting it alight and making off down an adjacent street. The victim – a black man – and his partner, who is from the Republic of Ireland, have a young child. "It is ridiculous. It is traumatic. We have an 18-month-old baby and we can't live like this,' he told the Belfast Telegraph. Cars damaged in racially motivated arson attacks in Rathcoole or something along those lines "Both of the cars were burned. I am black and my partner is Irish. This is the fourth time, but I've never seen it like this. This was the biggest attack. "It is embarrassing too. I pay my rent here, nobody has given me this free. I'm not on any benefits or anything. "I don't have any other choice than to be here. I am scared – where am I going to go to?' A PSNI spokesperson said they were investigating a number of reports of criminal damage in the area which they believe to be racially motivated. Chief Inspector Mullan said: 'My officers are investigating two arson incidents which occurred on Thursday evening, June 5. "There have been several other hate crimes in this area in recent weeks and we will be reviewing all of the incidents to try to establish if they are linked. "Enquiries into both incidents, which are being treated as hate crimes, are ongoing, and we are appealing to anyone with any information which might assist us to come forward. "The number to call is 101, quoting reference number 1825 05/06/25. 'These kind of attacks are completely unacceptable, and I want to make it clear that Police will do everything in their power to identify the offenders and bring them before the courts. 'We will be conducting a thorough investigation, and local patrols will be increased in this area as we work to bring this criminality, which has no place in our society, to an end. 'The police cannot prevent and detect this behaviour alone and I would ask for the support of elected representatives, partner agencies, community leaders and local residents to work with us and help us to end these attacks. "These attacks are impacting on families living in the area, some of whom have young families.'
Scottish Sun
41 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Terrifying message sent by ‘Chinese hackers' to M&S boss after crippling cyber attack on British retailer is revealed
The blackmail message is believed to have included a racist term RANSOM DEMAND Terrifying message sent by 'Chinese hackers' to M&S boss after crippling cyber attack on British retailer is revealed Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) 'CHINESE hackers' allegedly sent a terrifying message to the boss of Marks & Spencer following a crippling cyber-attack on the British retailer. Fraudsters, believed to be from the hacking group DragonForce, are said to have emailed the company's chief executive Stuart Machin and seven other key executives. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 High street retailer Marks & Spencer was hit by a cyber attack over the Easter holiday Credit: Alamy 2 M&S boss Stuart Machin, pictured, along with seven other company executives were emailed by the hackers, believed to be DragonForce Credit: PA The message, written in broken English, was sent on April 23, indicated that M&S was hacked by the ransomware group, although the retailer has not acknowledged this. 'We have marched the ways from China all the way to the UK and have mercilessly raped your company and encrypted all the servers,' the hackers wrote, according to the BBC. 'The dragon wants to speak to you so please head over to [our darknet website].' The link to the darknet shared in the email led to a portal for victims of DragonForce to negotiate a ransom fee. The hackers added: 'Let's get the party started. Message us, we will make this fast and easy for us.' DragonForce's attack during the Easter holiday has been hugely damaging for one of Britain's best-known retailer and is thought to have cost the firm an estimated £300million. After six weeks on from the attack, the retailer is still unable to process online orders. The email was sent to Mr Machin along with seven other top executives, according to the corporation. A racist term is also said to have been included in the blackmail message and also ended with an image of a fire-breathing dragon. Along with installing ransomware in order to cripple M&S's IT system the hackers are also believed to have stolen private data from millions of customers. The £3.50 M&S buy that'll make your whole house smell like a 'boujee candle' Three weeks on from the attack, M&S informed customers that contact details and dates of birth from some shoppers had been obtained by a suspected cyber cartel. M&S also admitted other personal details, including customers' order histories, had also been pilfered by online criminals. Bosses though have stressed that no data relating to shoppers' payment, card details or account passwords had been obtained. It is unclear how many customers have been affected by the data breach. According to the company's full-year results, it had 9.4million active online customers in the year up to March 30. The email apparently sent by DragonForce is thought to have bene sent using the account of an employee from IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which has provided IT services to the retailer for more than a decade. The Indian IT worker, who is based in London, had an M&S email address but is paid employee of TCS. Timeline of the attack Saturday, April 19: Initial reports emerge on social media of problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect services at M&S stores across the UK. Customers experience difficulties collecting online purchases and returning items due to system issues. Initial reports emerge on social media of problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect services at M&S stores across the UK. Customers experience difficulties collecting online purchases and returning items due to system issues. Monday, April 21: Problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect persist. M&S officially acknowledges the "cyber incident" in a statement to the London Stock Exchange. CEO Stuart Machin apologises for the disruption and confirms "minor, temporary changes" to store operations. M&S notifies the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and engages external cybersecurity experts. Problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect persist. M&S officially acknowledges the "cyber incident" in a statement to the London Stock Exchange. CEO Stuart Machin apologises for the disruption and confirms "minor, temporary changes" to store operations. M&S notifies the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and engages external cybersecurity experts. Tuesday, April 22: Disruptions continue. M&S takes further systems offline as part of "proactive management". Disruptions continue. M&S takes further systems offline as part of "proactive management". Wednesday, April 23: Despite earlier claims of customer-facing systems returning to normal, M&S continues to adjust operations to maintain security. Contactless payments are initially restored, but other services, including click-and-collect, remain affected. Despite earlier claims of customer-facing systems returning to normal, M&S continues to adjust operations to maintain security. Contactless payments are initially restored, but other services, including click-and-collect, remain affected. Thursday, April 24: Contactless payments and click-and-collect services are still unavailable. Reports surface suggesting the attackers possibly gained access to data in February. Contactless payments and click-and-collect services are still unavailable. Reports surface suggesting the attackers possibly gained access to data in February. Friday, April 25: M&S suspends all online and app orders in the UK and Ireland for clothing and food, although customers can still browse products. This decision leads to a 5% drop in M&S's share price. M&S suspends all online and app orders in the UK and Ireland for clothing and food, although customers can still browse products. This decision leads to a 5% drop in M&S's share price. Monday, April 28: M&S is still unable to process online orders. Around 200 agency workers at the main distribution centre are told to stay home. M&S is still unable to process online orders. Around 200 agency workers at the main distribution centre are told to stay home. Tuesday, April 29: Information suggests that the hacker group Scattered Spider is likely behind the attack. Shoppers spot empty shelves in selected stores. Information suggests that the hacker group Scattered Spider is likely behind the attack. Shoppers spot empty shelves in selected stores. Tuesday, May 13: M&S revealed that some customer information has been stolen. M&S revealed that some customer information has been stolen. Wednesday, May 21: The retailer said disruption from the attack is expected to continue through to July. The retailer said disruption from the attack is expected to continue through to July. It's thought the worker was among the victims hacked. The company had previously said it is investigating if it was a gateway for the cyber attack. It has since informed the BBC the email was not sent from its system and had nothing to do with the security breach. M&S has declined to comment on the latest revelations. A spokesperson for the company told The Sun Online: 'We cannot comment on details of or speculation on the cyber incident, and we have been advised not to.'
The Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Sun
Terrifying message sent by ‘Chinese hackers' to M&S boss after crippling cyber attack on British retailer is revealed
'CHINESE hackers' allegedly sent a terrifying message to the boss of Marks & Spencer following a crippling cyber-attack on the British retailer. Fraudsters, believed to be from the hacking group DragonForce, are said to have emailed the company's chief executive Stuart Machin and seven other key executives. 2 2 The message, written in broken English, was sent on April 23, indicated that M&S was hacked by the ransomware group, although the retailer has not acknowledged this. 'We have marched the ways from China all the way to the UK and have mercilessly raped your company and encrypted all the servers,' the hackers wrote, according to the BBC. 'The dragon wants to speak to you so please head over to [our darknet website].' The link to the darknet shared in the email led to a portal for victims of DragonForce to negotiate a ransom fee. The hackers added: 'Let's get the party started. Message us, we will make this fast and easy for us.' DragonForce's attack during the Easter holiday has been hugely damaging for one of Britain's best-known retailer and is thought to have cost the firm an estimated £300million. After six weeks on from the attack, the retailer is still unable to process online orders. The email was sent to Mr Machin along with seven other top executives, according to the corporation. A racist term is also said to have been included in the blackmail message and also ended with an image of a fire-breathing dragon. Along with installing ransomware in order to cripple M&S's IT system the hackers are also believed to have stolen private data from millions of customers. Three weeks on from the attack, M&S informed customers that contact details and dates of birth from some shoppers had been obtained by a suspected cyber cartel. M&S also admitted other personal details, including customers' order histories, had also been pilfered by online criminals. Bosses though have stressed that no data relating to shoppers' payment, card details or account passwords had been obtained. It is unclear how many customers have been affected by the data breach. According to the company's full-year results, it had 9.4million active online customers in the year up to March 30. The email apparently sent by DragonForce is thought to have bene sent using the account of an employee from IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), which has provided IT services to the retailer for more than a decade. The Indian IT worker, who is based in London, had an M&S email address but is paid employee of TCS. Timeline of the attack Saturday, April 19: Initial reports emerge on social media of problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect services at M&S stores across the UK. Customers experience difficulties collecting online purchases and returning items due to system issues. Monday, April 21: Problems with contactless payments and click-and-collect persist. M&S officially acknowledges the "cyber incident" in a statement to the London Stock Exchange. CEO Stuart Machin apologises for the disruption and confirms "minor, temporary changes" to store operations. M&S notifies the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and engages external cybersecurity experts. Tuesday, April 22: Disruptions continue. M&S takes further systems offline as part of "proactive management". Wednesday, April 23: Despite earlier claims of customer-facing systems returning to normal, M&S continues to adjust operations to maintain security. Contactless payments are initially restored, but other services, including click-and-collect, remain affected. Thursday, April 24: Contactless payments and click-and-collect services are still unavailable. Reports surface suggesting the attackers possibly gained access to data in February. Friday, April 25: M&S suspends all online and app orders in the UK and Ireland for clothing and food, although customers can still browse products. This decision leads to a 5% drop in M&S's share price. Monday, April 28: M&S is still unable to process online orders. Around 200 agency workers at the main distribution centre are told to stay home. Tuesday, April 29: Information suggests that the hacker group Scattered Spider is likely behind the attack. Shoppers spot empty shelves in selected stores. Tuesday, May 13: M&S revealed that some customer information has been stolen. Wednesday, May 21: The retailer said disruption from the attack is expected to continue through to July. It's thought the worker was among the victims hacked. The company had previously said it is investigating if it was a gateway for the cyber attack. It has since informed the BBC the email was not sent from its system and had nothing to do with the security breach. M&S has declined to comment on the latest revelations.
