Upon a papal death, the ring is ceremonially crushed in the presence of other cardinals by the Camerlengo, in order to prevent the sealing of backdated, forged documents during the interregnum, or sede vacante.
To show respect for the Papacy.
Frodo destroys the ring along with Smeagol, which causes an overflow of the volcano, Mount Doom. This destroys the vast army of Mordor and Mordor itself.
Popes do not elect popes. Popes are elected by the cardinal electors.
The vast majority of popes have been Italian. As of February of 2013 there have been only 18 popes from other countries.
There have been 17 popes from France, the second behind Italian popes.
The star on the Pope's ring, known as the Papal Ring or the Fisherman's Ring, symbolizes the Pope's role as the successor of Saint Peter, who was a fisherman by trade. The star represents divine guidance and the light of Christ, reflecting the Pope's spiritual authority and mission to lead the Catholic Church. The ring is traditionally used to seal documents and is a symbol of the Pope's office and authority.
the popes had more power over the kings
Not a lot the pope's ring is made out of gold and has an engraving on it. Somewhere in the range of $375-$450 dollars now the actual engraving may cost more to make. Also the pope's rings are destroyed after they die or abdicate.
Papaphobia is the fear of popes.
No, it is not true that popes can marry.
There have been 217 Italian popes and only 49 non-Italian popes.
I am sure there are many popes in Heaven but am equally sure that there are a number of popes burning in hell.