Pope slips out of Vatican to get new glasses

[gilliam]

Pope Francis slipped out of the Vatican Thursday for a personal — and very normal — errand: New glasses.

Francis arrived at dusk at the Ottica Spiezia on swank Via del Babuino in his Ford Focus, accompanied by his bodyguard and some plainclothes police, witness Daniel Soehe said.

Shop owner Alessandro Spiezia told The Associated Press he put new lenses in the pope’s existing frames. He said he had made the pope new glasses last year, and that the pope had liked them so much that he asked him to fill a new prescription.

“I was supposed to go to the Vatican yesterday to bring them, but the pope told his secretary, ‘No, I don’t want Spiezia to come here, I’ll go to Via del Babuino,’” a clearly emotional Spiezia said moments after the pope left with his new prescription filled.

Video obtained by AP showed the pope trying on the new glasses and being fitted by Spiezia and an assistant — a completely normal event rendered completely remarkable because Francis is the pope.

The pope, who spent less than an hour in the tiny shop, was mobbed by an enormous crowd that had gathered outside, grabbing onto his arm as he got into the car for the quick trip back to the Vatican.

cruxnow.com/life/2015/09/03/pope-pops-out-of-vatican-stop-to-get-new-glasses/

 

[pianistclare]

poor man. Must we scrutinize even his personal choice of eyewear?
God bless the Pope. As it’s not a tough enough job, he has no privacy.

 

[meltzerboy]

poor man. Must we scrutinize even his personal choice of eyewear?
God bless the Pope. As it’s not a tough enough job, he has no privacy.

True, but it appears the Pope likes to meet and greet people, and, if not for security reasons, I imagine he might have stayed longer conversing with the crowd.

 

[pianistclare]

True, but it appears the Pope likes to meet and greet people, and, if not for security reasons, I imagine he might have stayed longer conversing with the crowd.

Sure, I get that. I just don’t see why we have to have a news article about every single thing…
Fishbowls. I’m not really for them…

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

I think it’s news because the Pope actually went to the optometrist. The optometrist was going to bring them to the Vatican, but the Pope didn’t want to inconvenience him.

We just went to the optometrist a few days ago to pick up my daughter’s new glasses. I told her this story, and she thought it would have been cool if the Holy Father had been there at the same time she was.

 

[CaptFun]

They make him look a little like … John Paul II !

Personally I go to an optimist. He tells me I’ll soon see better. And I FEEL like he’s right!

 

[christofirst]

Maybe that’s why the Holy Father was always making those impromptu statements that got people all worked up. He wasn’t able to read the prepared statements. Things should be different now, and just in time for his U.S. trip, too (we’ll just see about that ).

 

[ProVobis]

Personally I go to an optimist.

I would too. Generally there is more styles of glasses to select from, and the equipment in place is better to work from. But if he’s just going to pick them up, perhaps the doctor might have been more flattered had he been invited to bring them to the Pope. Just sayin…

 

[CaptFun]

Bracing myself for a new round of strange non-Catholic questions and what I will say.

If your Pope can slip, why do you says he’s in-fall-able?

 

[SWolf]

Looks like the:

(•_•)

( •_•)>⌐□-□

(⌐□_□)

Holy See.

YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!

 

[CaptFun]

Looks like the:

(•_•)

( •_•)>⌐□-□

(⌐□_□)

Holy See.

YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!

Yes they do.