After he was made a cardinal, Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, revealed that he has yet to take off the ring the pope slipped on his finger because it is stuck -- and it could be because of all the Italian food he ate.
"It's a little too small," he told the New York Post, referring to the gold ring Pope Benedict XVI gave him during Saturday's elevation ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica. "I have to get it loosened a bit."
Dolan, 62, said he planned to get the ring fixed once he returned to New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral on Monday afternoon.
The 18-karat ring -- designed by the pope and made by the Savi Brothers jewelry shop near the Vatican -- is highlighted by the images of Saints Peter and Paul. The ring also features a star on the front, symbolizing the Virgin Mary, and an engraved depiction of the pope's coat of arms on the inside.
Dolan admitted he had not seen the inside design yet -- saying the mystery behind why the ring may be a tad tight is that he plumped up during his stay in Rome.
"I'll let Lent take care of that," he quipped, vowing to give up large portions of pasta for the 40 days that precede Easter, beginning Wednesday.
During his Italian sojourn, Dolan broke his diet on several occasions. Although the cardinal had shed 25 pounds over the last year, he indulged in some of his favorite pasta dishes in the days leading up to the consistory ceremony.
In an effort to lose weight, he said, he hit the stationary bike Saturday night before going to bed -- adding that he needed to burn off some calories and the "positive energy" that came with the excitement of the day.
"I was all worked up," he said.
He did not mention his tight-fitting ring to the pope when he and the other new cardinals helped celebrate Mass with the pontiff at the Vatican the next morning.
With the scent of incense wafting through the air in St. Peter's, Dolan and the 21 other new cardinals, wearing white robes, sat in a semicircle around the ornate altar as the pope delivered his Sunday homily.
The pope, addressing the crowd in Italian under the soaring dome designed by Michelangelo, said being in the presence of the 22 new cardinals was a "joy" and "a happy occasion" for him.