Pope Francis ring-kissing controversy draws confusion over the longstanding tradition
Pope Francis blesses worshipers outside the Loreto basilica during a visit to the Sanctuary of Loreto, near Ancona in the Marche region of Italy, on March 25. By Christopher White March 26 at 3:09 PM Some called it “disturbing” — while others view it as an act of “demystifying” the papacy — but every member of the royal court of Catholic Twitter seems to have an opinion on the video of Pope Francis expressing visceral annoyance at Catholics seeking to kiss his ring.
In his 1996 book “The Church Visible: The Ceremonial Life and Protocol of the Roman Catholic Church,” James-Charles Noonan Jr. wrote that “for centuries, the Church has granted an indulgence to Catholics who reverence the ring of the pope, cardinals, and other prelates.” Francis’s reaction, he believes, is one further step to demystify one of the world’s most secretive institutions, and after the Second Vatican Council , popes have made gradual efforts to bring the office into the modern era.
For Allen, the lesson from Monday is that the Vatican’s master of ceremonies for papal events should reconsider how it communicates with those attending a papal audience and explain to them that Francis would prefer for his guests not kiss the papal ring.
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