Many viral moments are circulating online after Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration Mass yesterday, but one that is especially striking is the new Pope’s reaction when receiving the Fisherman’s Ring. 

Occurring just moments before the new Pontiff delivered his homily as the Vicar of Christ, Pope Leo XIV is emotional; he seems to be holding back tears as the symbol of the Petrine office is placed on his finger. 

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, presented the ring, and the two prelates spoke briefly, but most viewers noticed the utter catharsis that Pope Leo had upon accepting it. 

Father Harrison Ayre, of Nanaimo, British Columbia, said the exchange showcased the humanity of the new Pope. 

“I think what is quickly winning everyone over to Pope Leo is his humanity is visible for all to see,” the priest wrote on X. “The office is embraced by a man who knows its meaning and weight and understands the privilege he has. What a gift.”

The Holy Father also commented in his homily on being the successor of Peter and the qualities that are expected of the Roman Pontiff: 

“If the rock is Christ, Peter must shepherd the flock without ever yielding to the temptation to be an autocrat, lording it over those entrusted to him.”

Pope Leo had been wearing his episcopal ring during his days serving as cardinal, but Sunday, he received the gold Fisherman’s Ring, a part of the papal insignia since the first millennium. Adorned with the image of St. Peter with the keys and fisherman’s net, it is a symbol of authority and the duty entrusted to St. Peter by Jesus to be “a fisher of men.”

Katie Prejean McGrady, Catholic radio host, also noted how profound the moment was, recalling another pontiff: 

Prominent Dutch philosopher and recent Catholic convert Eva Vlaardingerbroek noticed the moving moment as well, noting on X, “The way Pope Leo XIV looked at the Fisherman’s Ring and got visibly emotional for a moment was truly moving.”

The moment also led many Catholics to remember the importance of praying for the Holy Father, especially in these first days of his papacy. 

The Fisherman’s Ring is one of several rings typically worn by the Roman pontiff. The ring takes its name from its image of St. Peter as a fisherman, which became the standard design around the mid-15th century.

The first record of the ring’s use was on two letters of Clement IV in 1265 and 1266. It was used as a wax seal in private letters in place of the official lead seal used for solemn papal documents.

In 1842, the use of the ring and wax seal was replaced by a stamp, but each pope still receives a unique Ring of the Fisherman at the start of his papacy. Outside of papal ceremonies, Pope Francis typically wore only his episcopal ring.

The Fisherman’s Ring is destroyed after a pope dies. The destruction of the ring and seal is part of several security measures overseen by the camerlengo (who oversees Vatican affairs until the election of a new pope) after a pontiff's death, including the sealing of the papal apartments) until the election of a new Vicar of Christ.