For centuries, supplicants bowed & kissed the pope's ring to show the pope's authority from heaven on earth. (vatican.com/articles/popes/the_popes_ring-a79)
Supplicant: A person who humbly asks favor from a god or someone in a position of power. (dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/supplicant)
Who is the pope a supplicant to? Who is the godfather of the holy father?