Rota (papal signature)

The rota is a special kind of stamp that the pope uses to sign official documents. It's kind of like a "seal of approval" that shows that the document is important and has been approved by the pope.

The rota is made up of two parts: the outer circle and the inner circle. The outer circle has the pope's name written in Latin, and the inner circle has a picture of two keys, which represent the keys to heaven that Jesus gave to the apostle Peter.

When the pope wants to sign a document with the rota, he dips the stamp into ink and then presses it onto the paper. This leaves an imprint of the rota on the document, which shows that the pope has approved it.

It's important to remember that not all of the pope's signatures are done with the rota. Sometimes he will sign a document by hand, instead. But when the papal signature has the rota, you know it's extra special and important.