A sealing element that provides a fluid tight seal between pipe end flanges of adjoining pipes in a flange sealing system is disclosed. The sealing system also uses a centering ring surrounding and locating the sealing element relative to the pipe end flanges which is discontinuous in a circumferential direction of the centering ring between two ends of the centering ring which are disconnected from one another in a mounted position between the pipe end flanges so that the centering ring can be flexed to replace the sealing element therein upon removal from the pipe end flanges. The centering ring has an inner circumference in the form of a concave wedge-shaped edge and the sealing element has a wedge-shaped cross-section in the form of a convex wedge-shaped edge arranged to be received in the concave wedge-shaped edge of the centering ring.