With the Eucharistic celebration taking place on 18 May at 10:00 AM (CET) in St. Peter’s Basilica and Square, the Bishop of Rome, Leo XIV, solemnly begins his Petrine Ministry as the successor of the Apostle Peter and, therefore, as Pastor of the Catholic Church. As explained by the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, the rite features several moments of profound symbolic meaning, including those regarding the ancient episcopal insignia associated with Peter: the Pallium and the Ring of the Fisherman.
The Pallium
The Pallium is a liturgical vestment made from the wool of lambs. It evokes the image of the Good Shepherd who lays the lost sheep on his shoulders, and recalls Peter’s threefold response to the Risen Lord’s call to tend His lambs and sheep. As Simeon of Thessalonica writes in De sacris ordinationibus, the Pallium “represents the Savior who, encountering us like the lost sheep, lifts us onto His shoulders; by assuming our human nature in the Incarnation, He divinized it, offered us to the Father through His death on the Cross, and exalted us through the Resurrection.” It is a narrow band worn over the chasuble, draped around the shoulders. It features two black pendants (front and back), six black silk crosses—one on each pendant and four on the circular band over the shoulders—and is adorned on the front and on the back with three pins (aciculae), symbolising the three nails of Christ’s crucifixion.
The Ring of the Fisherman
The Ring of the Fisherman has the specific significance of a signet ring, representing the seal of faith entrusted to Peter to strengthen his brethren. It is called the “Ring of the Fisherman” because Peter, having believed in Jesus’ word, drew the nets ashore from the boat in the miraculous catch of fish.
At the tomb of Saint Peter
The liturgy begins inside St. Peter’s Basilica. Accompanied by the Patriarchs of the Eastern Churches, the new Roman Pontiff descends to the chapel of the Tomb of Saint Peter, where he pauses in prayer and then incenses the site. This moment underscores the deep connection between the Bishop of Rome and the Apostle Peter, who, together with many other Christians, bore witness to the faith with his blood close to that very place.
Two deacons then take the Pallium, the Ring of the Fisherman, and the Book of the Gospels and proceed in procession toward the altar set up on the area in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, in the Square.
On the parvis of St. Peter’s Basilica
Pope Leo XIV joins the procession while the Laudes Regiae—a litany hymn—are sung, invoking the intercession of holy Pontiffs, martyrs, and saints of the Roman Church. Hanging from the central gate of the Basilica is a tapestry depicting the miraculous catch of fish, portraying the dialogue between Jesus and Peter—a central theme in the Liturgy of the Word and throughout the celebration. It is a reproduction of the Flemish tapestry originally made for the Sistine Chapel based on a cartoon by Raphael, now housed in the Vatican Museums.
Near the altar is the image of Our Lady of Good Counsel from the Marian Shrine of Genazzano.
The rite continues with the blessing and sprinkling of holy water, as it is a Sunday in the Easter season. This is followed by the singing of the Gloria and the Collect, which recalls the Father’s plan to build His Church upon Peter, Vatican News writes.
Photo: Turismo di Roma
