Ammon News - The Papal ring, which often features an image of the first Pope, Saint Peter, is presented to the leader of the Catholic church at his papal inauguration.

Also known as the Fisherman's ring, it represents the Pope's authority and role within the Catholic church and is typically worn on the right hand's ring finger.

Pope Francis's signet ring was bestowed to him in 2013 when he was elected Pope, but will now be destroyed as per tradition following his death on Easter Monday.

The standard design of the papal ring shows an image of Saint Peter, one of Jesus Christ's apostles, and has the reigning Pope's name inscribed above it.

Although the signet rings of some Popes have featured Peter, who was a fisherman, casting his nets from a boat, others have depicted the saint holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven - believed to have been given by Christ to Peter as the first bishop of Rome.

Therefore, when a new Pope is inaugurated, the bestowal of the ring symbolises the duty being handed down to him as one of Peter's successors and leader of the church.

The ring was formerly used as a seal for the Pope's private letters and papal briefs, but although it is no longer used in this way, the newly elected Pope receives his own ring as a symbol of his priestly authority.

The Fisherman's Ring is typically made of gold, but the ring that was presented to Pope Francis in 2013 was made of gold-plated silver.

What happens to the Papal ring when the Pope dies?

Upon the death of the Pope, his ring is destroyed with a special hammer by the cardinal camerlengo - a senior Vatican official responsible for key rituals like sealing the papal apartments, destroying the Pope's Fisherman's Ring, and announcing the death.

The practice not only symbolises the end of the Pope's authority, but also safeguards against its misuse such as as the ring being used to forge documents.

The ceremony of destroying the Papal ring takes place after official confirmation of the Pope's death.

The cardinal camerlengo announces the death before taking possession of the ring and destroys it in the presence of the College of Cardinals.

This event occurs before the cardinals formally begin the papal conclave to elect the next Pope.

The custom of destroying a Pope's ring was altered, however, when Pope Benedict XVI resigned from the papacy in 2013, having served as Pope since 2005.

Rather than smashing the ring, the cardinal camerlengo marked a deep cross on the upper part of the ring using a chisel. Daily Mail