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Vatican City – The Mass "for the inauguration of the Petrine Ministry of the Bishop of Rome" officially marks the beginning of the pontificate of the newly elected Pope. This solemn celebration, rich in liturgical signs and theological significance, underlines the unique role of the Pontiff in the Church, placing special emphasis on two episcopal insignia: the Pallium and the Fisherman's Ring. Beyond their symbolic value as attributes of the episcopal ministry, both evoke for the Successor of Peter the mission entrusted by the Risen Lord, as the Gospel of St. John recalls: "Feed my sheep" (Jn 21:15-17).
The date of the celebration is personally chosen by the Pontiff. Pope Leo XIV set the Mass for the inauguration of his pontificate for Sunday, May 18, ten days after his election. His predecessor, Pope Francis, celebrated it on March 19, 2013, the Feast of St. Joseph, a saint very dear to the Argentine Pope, a week after the end of the Conclave; Benedict XVI, celebrated it on April 24, 2005, the Sunday immediately following his election; and Saint John Paul II, on October 22, 1978.
During the liturgy, all the signs, texts, and rites refer to Christ, the cornerstone of the Church: "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone" (Eph 2:20), and to Peter, the "rock" upon which the Lord built his Church (cf. Mt 16:18).
The celebration begins at the tomb of the Apostle Peter, to underline the close bond between the Apostle and his successor.
In front of the Trophæum, the Pallium, the Fisherman's Ring, and the Book of the Gospels are placed on a platter. Two deacons take them and carry them in procession to the altar in the parvis of the Vatican Basilica. On this occasion, Pope Leo XIV also wanted the image of Our Lady of Good Counsel, venerated at the Marian shrine of Genazzano, to be placed next to the altar. He went there to pray in silence after being elected.
The Imposition of the Pallium and the Ring
After the proclamation of the Gospel, in Latin and Greek, three Cardinals, representatives of each of the three Orders of the College of Cardinals (Bishops, Priests, and Deacons) and from different continents, approach the new Pontiff for the imposition of the Pallium and the presentation of the Fisherman's Ring.
The Pallium, made of lamb's wool, is an ancient episcopal insignia that expresses the Pope's pastoral closeness to the People of God. As Simeon of Thessalonica recalls in his work "De sacris ordinationibus," "the Pallium refers to the Savior who, finding us as the lost sheep, carried us on his shoulders, and, taking on our human nature in the Incarnation, divinized us; with his death on the cross, he offered us to the Father, and with his resurrection, he exalted us."
The Pallium imposed on the new Pope evokes the Good Shepherd (see Jn 10:11), who carries the lost sheep on his shoulders (see Lk 15:4-7), as well as Peter's triple profession of love before the risen Christ, who entrusts him with the mission "Feed my sheep" (Jn 21:15-17).
In its current form, the Pallium is a narrow, white wool sash, curved in the center to fit the shoulders and draped over the chasuble, from which two rectangular black strips hang in front of the chest and down the back, forming the shape of a "Y." It is decorated with six black silk crosses embroidered on its ends, shoulders, chest, and back, and adorned on the front and back with three pins (called acicula) that represent the three nails of Christ's cross.
The imposition of the Pallium, performed by a Cardinal of the Order of Deacons, is accompanied by a liturgical formula that recalls Christ as "the great shepherd of the sheep" (Heb 13:20), whom God raised from the dead. The text refers to the Confession of Peter and emphasizes the continuity of the new Pope's ministry with the mission entrusted to the Apostle.
After the imposition of the Pallium, a Cardinal of the Order of Priests invokes a special prayer to the Holy Spirit. The presentation of the Fisherman's Ring, which has been the bishop's insignia since the first millennium, then takes place.
The ring the new Pope receives has particular value as a signet ring, a symbol of the authority conferred on Peter to confirm his brothers in the faith: "And you, once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:32). Traditionally called the "Fisherman's Ring," it refers to the figure of the Apostle Peter, the fisherman from Galilee, whom Jesus called from his daily work to make him a "fisher of men" (cf. Mt 4:18-19; Mk 1:16-17). Peter, obeying the word of the Lord, cast his nets and witnessed the miraculous catch (cf. Lk 5:5) which were filled abundantly (cf. Jn 21:3-14).
The presentation of the Ring is carried out by a Cardinal of the Order of Bishops. The text that accompanies this liturgical gesture underlines the unwavering hope that animated Peter when, at Jesus' command, set out to sea, and cast his nets. It also recalls that Christ entrusted the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven to him. In highlighting that the new Pontiff succeeds Peter in the pastoral leadership of the Church of Rome, the exhortation of the Apostle Paul is evoked, who points out that charity is the "fulfillment of the law" (Rom 13:8-10).
The explicit reference to the Letter to the Romans ("Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us", Rom 5:5) recalls the teaching addressed by Paul to the Christian community of Rome. Likewise, the famous expression with which Saint Ignatius of Antioch addressed that same Church is cited, recognizing it as the one that "presides in charity."
The rite concludes with an invocation to the Holy Spirit, asking him to grant the new Successor of Peter the strength and gentleness necessary to safeguard unity and communion among Christ's disciples. (FB) (Agenzia Fides, 17/5/2025)
