New Pope saves money on symbol of papal authority

At the request of the new Pope, one of the main symbols of papal authority - "The Ring of the Fisherman" - will be made of silver, rather than gold, for economy reasons, news agencies report.

The ring, which will be presented to the pontiff on Tuesday, during the enthronement ceremony, symbolizes that the Pope is the successor of Apostle Peter, who was a fisherman. Usually, this ring is cast in gold, but the new pope, who took the church name in honor of ascetic monk Francis of Assisi, requested the ring be made of silver.

When choosing between the sketches, the Pope chose the ring with the image of St. Peter with keys, by famous Italian master Enrico Manfrini (1917-2004), who was also known as "the Pope sculptor."

Manfrini was considered the best disciple of Francesco Messina, a famous sculptor, a winner of the Lenin Prize. He later became a professor, a member of the Roman academy of arts of St. Luke and Clementina in Bologna. He is the author of sculptural portraits of popes Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II.