“What’s the difference between the Pope and your boss?”/“The Pope only makes you kiss his ring.”

A popular workplace joke is:
 
Q: What’s the difference between the Pope and your boss?
A: The Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
 
That is, your boss wants you to kiss his ass. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1997.
 
     
Google Groups: soc.culture.bangladesh
Kids Quotes(Amusingly Authentic)
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
4/30/97
(...)
What’s the difference between the Pope and your Boss ?
The Pope only expects ya to kiss his ring.
 
Google Groups: alt.penpals.forty-plus-yrs
JOKE: Quick Takes
Isle of Skye
11/22/99
(...)
What’s the difference between the Pope and your boss?
The Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
 
Google Groups: alt.tasteless.jokes
What’s the difference between the Pope and your boss?
G - P
4/30/01
The Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
 
Google Books
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Health Fair
By Fred Neil
College Station, TX: Virtualbookworm Publishing Inc. (Virtualbookworm.com)
2002
Pg. 168:
What’s the difference between the Pope and your boss?
The Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
 
Google Groups: alt.tv.sopranos
Great Line from Sunday’s Repeat
Rocinante
7/13/05
Froggy faccia de gatz.
—
What’s the difference between the Pope and your boss? The Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
   
Twitter
Carlos iggy Shelton
‏@iggyinMontana
The difference between the Pope and your boss,  the Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
6:41 PM - 8 Jan 2009
 
Twitter
Randy Ark
‏@randyark
What’s the difference between the pope and your boss? The pope only expects you to kiss his RING!
7:31 AM - 21 Feb 2009
 
Twitter
Derrickrulz
‏@Derrickrulz
Q. Wats the diff. between the pope and ur boss? A. The pope only makes u kiss his ring…
3:35 PM - 29 Mar 2009
 
Googel Books
The Mammoth Book of One-Liners
By Geoff Tibballs
London: Constable & Robinson Ltd
2012
Pg. ?:
What’s the difference between the Pope and your boss?
The Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
 
Google Books
Roadmap into a Twisted Mind
By Bruno Gagnon
Victoria, BC: FriesenPress
2014
Pg. 158:
The difference between the Pope and your boss: The Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
 
Twitter
Bob Kostic
‏@causticbob
The difference between the Pope and your boss. The Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.
6:31 AM - 26 Mar 2016