What will happen to Pope Francis' unique papal ring now that he’s no longer alive

After the death of Pope Francis, there has been question about his papal ring, and now we have an answer.

It has only been one day since the pope passed away at the Vatican, with the Catholic Church releasing a statement to the public confirming the death of Pope Francis, 88, on Monday morning (21 April).

Cardinal Kevin Farrell of the Vatican took to the people and expressed his condolences to the late-pope, expressing his admiration and respect for a man who had taken on such a significant role for Catholics around the globe.

He said: "At 7.35 this morning, the bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his church."

Pope Francis passed away 21 April (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

Farrell added: "He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalised."

With that, Catholics entered a nine-day period of official mourning, which will see mass grieving until after his funeral has been held.

The papal conclave will begin now, which is the official process to choose a new pope, held between 15 and 20 days after the pope's death.

This is where College of Cardinals will gather in Rome to choose a replacement of Pope Francis, and the Sistine Chapel will either display black smoke to signify an inconclusive vote, or white smoke to confirm a new pope has been selected.

The details surrounding what happens now that the pope has passed are a little confusing for the layman, but one thing that has been talked more about is what will happen to his unique and revered papal ring.

The Papal ring is a ring that generally features the image of the first Pope, Saint Peter and is given to the Catholic church leader at his papal inauguration.

The Papal ring, or the Fisherman's ring, is worn on the right hand's ring finger and is something that shows his role to the world.

Pope Francis received his ring in 2013 when he was elected Pope, but while you might think that it’s passed down to the next Pope, that’s not what tradition dictates.

Instead, it’ll be destroyed.

Papal rings generally have Saint Peter and the reigning Pope's name inscribed above it and is made of gold.

His papal ring will be processed accordingly (Antonio Cotrim - Pool/Getty Images)

But Pope Francis’s was gold-plated silver, making it unique.

Traditionally, it was used as a seal for the Pope to use for his letters and papal briefs, but that is no longer common practice.

It’s also something that people used to kiss when meeting the Pope, though Pope Benedict XVI actually abolished the tradition.

The ring, which is with the Pope for as long as he lives, is subsequently destroyed with a special hammer by the Cardinal Camerlengo.

This is a senior Vatican official who conducts key rituals such as wax sealing the papal apartments and announcing the death of the Pope.

Destroying the ring is something that is used to signify the end of the Pope's authority and also stops it from being stolen or used to commit fraud.

The Papal ring will be officially destroyed after the confirmation of the Pope's death in the presence of the College of Cardinals, and right before the cardinals begin, the papal conclave to elect the next leader.