Kissing a bishops ring in stained glass, Interior of Hereford cathedral - 5 College Cloisters, Cathedral Close, HR1 2NG

An ecclesiastical ring is a finger ring worn by clergy, such as a bishop's ring. As pontifical accoutrements "Council ring" given by Pope Paul VI in 1965 to those bishops who had participated in the Second Vatican Council In Western Christianity, rings are worn by bishops as well as other clerics who are given the privilege of wearing pontifical vestments. Bishops A bishop is given a ring at his consecration by his consecrator. He is also free to subsequently obtain and wear his own episcopal rings. The style of the episcopal ring has almost always been very large, gold, stone-set ring. Roman Catholic bishops traditionally have their episcopal ring set with an amethyst. Aside from the rings a bishop purchases or is given by others, his rings belong to the Church; he will have inherited the previous bishop's ring collection, which is held in trust. While all hierarchs are accorded the honor of being buried wearing a ring, all rings belonging to the Church will be returned to the Church upon the retirement or death of any hierarch Custom prescribed that a layman or a cleric of inferior grade on being presented to a bishop should kiss his hand (called baciamano in Italian), which is to say, an obligation to kiss the episcopal ring. Before the promulgation of the 1967 Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, an indulgence of 50 days resulted from this act. It is still arguable that an indulgence may be received if the ring is considered an object of piety, as kissing an object of piety carries a partial indulgence.