Columnist implies hypocrisy by Pope

[Riley259]

A column today by Globe writer Joan Vennochi implies that Pope Benedict is hypocritical when it comes to material spending. She cited the Pope’s recent Christmas message criticizing excess consumerism and then cited a Newsweek article that said that the pope favors Prada loafers, Gucci sunglasses and that he wants to revamp the traditional papal tailors because they “produced a cassock too short for his debut”. She called the Pope a “high end fashionista”. Does anyone know if any of this is true and if so, if it was taken completely out of context like the secular media loves to do. The article is linked below:

boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/12/18/unwrapping_meaning_amid_material_frenzy/

 

[Della]

I can’t find anything solid about this issue. I would say, though, that Benedict, if he is wearing such high end things probably was given them as gifts. I really rather doubt he has a limitless income to spend on things like shoes and sunglasses. BMW gave him a sports-car, too. Considering that both these products (Gucci and Prada) are Italian, he may have wanted to accept these gifts and wear them to show he is truly an Italian bishop, as the Bishop of Rome. When it is all sorted out (if it ever really is), that would be my guess. The Vatican may feel it’s not the world’s business, but whether that’s how they feel or not, I can’t see this pope preaching one thing and practicing another.

 

[WanderAimlessly]

I do not know why anyone bothers with the Boston Globe. They seem to be one of the most anti-Catholic papers out there.

PF

 

[ReginaNova]

And would this columnist also favor the Pope selling the Vatican art collection to feed the poor? :banghead:

 

[jman507]

I don’t think that the Pope meant not to buy anything ever again and if you do only the grain for food, cloth for clothes, and wood to build a home. It seems sometimes people want to take a point and run with it to the extreme.

The problem is more a problem of the heart and must be answered by the person himself or herself, and should not be made on the basis of superficial observations. Perhaps I could throw back the favorit verse, “Get the log out of your own eye first.” It might be good to remember the verse with the rich young man. The problem seemed for the rich man not so much that he had many things, but that when he was asked to leave them he could not. One may not be called to leave all things and follow, but one needs to be detached enough from those things if that calling does come.

Is the Pope a hypocrite? I would give him the benifit of the doubt, but he could be. He’s got some expensive clothes and such, but I haven’t heard that he has half things from the catologe of Sharper Image in his apartment. I don’t know what his attachment to those goods that he has really is.

The problem I see and especially this time of the year, is that people can get the idea that we give presents just to give presents. We should not look at this as a time to give presents cause we want to influence or just cause eveyone is doing it. It is not bad to give presents in-itself. We need to remember when we give presents we must give them out of the love and care for the other. And also remember that sometimes the best presents can be our time and in a friendly manner. When we give we must give for the love of the other, not for the love of ourselves.

 

[manualman]

How is he a hypocrite for having a high quality pair of shoes and clothes that fit? Especially if these things are produced locally by people who earn a living wage? Does the author imply that church teaching requires we buy cheap disposable shoes made by near slave labor in China?

Might be different if he had a closet full of 35 pair of such shoes. Anybody think so???

 

[Dorothy]

Certain newspapers always slant things to make the Church look bad. I am so tired of reading things like this that I just laugh it off and pay no attention to it.

 

[TableServant]

I’m sorry, but aside from the Prada loafers and the Gucci sunglasses (which, I’d tend to think, are quality items. I like to buy quality items that last a while, too, rather than keep buying the $5.00 items every couple of weeks), I just don’t understand: He wants clothes that fit, so he’s a hypocrite!?!?! I’m glad it isn’t making me question my decision to buy a new alb that fits better than my old one!