When the Pope dresses like a King...

[HeWillProvide]

Someone wrote to our newspaper today and I do not know the proper rebuttal. Here is what he wrote:

*His clothing is made from the finest materials, emblazed with gold thread worth thousands of dollars. His one-of-a-kind gold ring, the size of a small egg, is worth tens of thousands. A golden shepherd’s crook, inlaid with many precious gems, handcrafted by the world’s finest jewelers, is worth millions. Being told by his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, the Vicar of Christ, to avoid materialism in one of his recent encyclicals: priceless. *

What would be your defense for the Pope?

 

[Tim_Kirchoff]

How else would you dress the visible head of the Church on Earth?

What would you do with all these clothes if not wear them? No one volunteers to be Pope.

 

[Genesis315]

Those things are not his nor are they for his personal enjoyment.

They are offerings to God used in the worship of Him and for His glory.

In that sense, they are sacrifices made by the Church–the opposite of materialism. If they were to be treated materialistically, they would be sold and used to buy a new Wii or X-Box or something like that.

 

[Johndigger]

The Pope is a King. In fact, he is the only absolute Monarch left in Europe as he is King of the Vatican City.

The Pope’s finery is a symbol of the honour bestowed on the Papacy by Jesus Christ.

Being materialistic* doesn’t refer to being rich*, it refers to how we view money. The way we need to look at wealth needs to be properly ordered.

We cannot have money as our God. When people do this it is materialism.

Someone can be poor and materialistic. Someone can be rich and non-materialistic.

JD

 

[AJV]

Someone wrote to our newspaper today and I do not know the proper rebuttal. Here is what he wrote:

*His clothing is made from the finest materials, emblazed with gold thread worth thousands of dollars. His one-of-a-kind gold ring, the size of a small egg, is worth tens of thousands. A golden shepherd’s crook, inlaid with many precious gems, handcrafted by the world’s finest jewelers, is worth millions. Being told by his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, the Vicar of Christ, to avoid materialism in one of his recent encyclicals: priceless. *

What would be your defense for the Pope?

In the first place he doesn’t use a gold shepherd’s crook. Clearly either the author has not seen or is using some wonderfully inappropriate exaggeration

In the second, most of his finer vesture is during the liturgical service when such vesture is appropriate to use in honour of God. Especially for the Sacrifice of the Mass.

For his day-to-day vesture it is the white cassock.Don’t know how much gold is there.

And lastly it is not as if the Vatican sits on *all *its money.

 

[mschrank]

Say those exquisite robes and fancy jewels are supposed to lift our minds away from the common and profane towards the splendor of heaven where Jesus Christ is seated in glory. The Pope is His Vicar.

 

[benedictgal]

Someone wrote to our newspaper today and I do not know the proper rebuttal. Here is what he wrote:

His clothing is made from the finest materials, emblazed with gold thread worth thousands of dollars. His one-of-a-kind gold ring, the size of a small egg, is worth tens of thousands. A golden shepherd’s crook, inlaid with many precious gems, handcrafted by the world’s finest jewelers, is worth millions. Being told by his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, the Vicar of Christ, to avoid materialism in one of his recent encyclicals: priceless.

What would be your defense for the Pope?

As we say in Texas, them words is fighting words to me.

The gorgeous and ornate vestments (chasuble, cope, etc) are used by the Holy Father in the liturgical service of the Church. These vestments are about the Lord, not about the Pope. The Fisherman’s Ring is symbolic of the office of the Successor of St. Peter. It is the Pope’s wedding band, if you will, that he receives from the Bride of Christ, the Church.

Furthermore, the vestments that the Holy Father has worn of late were not made specifically for him. They have been worn by his successors. In fact, the last time the cope that Pope Benedict used on Monday was worn was when Pope John XIII used it.

The crossier that he uses is made of silver and is not ornate. He carries the crucifix because, as Christ’s Vicar, he, too, is called, in a unique and particular way, to share in the sufferings of His Lord. Being Pope is not easy. Just as the Lord was rejected, so, too, are the words of the Pope, in many circles.

When a man becomes Pope, he enters with nothing but his heart and a spirit to serve. When he dies as Pope, he takes nothing with him, except his profound love for Christ and the Church to which he was called to shepherd. JPII left very little in the way of personal belongings. Just ask Cardinal Dwiwicz, his personal secretary. But, he left a profound and lasting legacy that is far more precious than gold. A big chunk of that legacy resides in the person of Joseph Ratzinger, who is now our Pope.

 

[Just_1_hr_a_wk]

In the first place he doesn’t use a gold shepherd’s crook. Clearly either the author has not seen or is using some wonderfully inappropriate exaggeration

In the second, most of his finer vesture is during the liturgical service when such vesture is appropriate to use in honour of God. Especially for the Sacrifice of the Mass.

For his day-to-day vesture it is the white cassock.Don’t know how much gold is there.

And lastly it is not as if the Vatican sits on *all *its money.

But isn’t his day to day wear also extremely costly for something deceptively simple and plain?

 

[Lepanto]

The President of the USA should sell AirForce One and take the Greyhound bus, too.

 

[ALLGIRLS]

You know, I don’t give a thought to how much the Pope’s clothes are worth. How did this guy find out that his clothes are sewn w/ gold thread (if that’s even true, and I doubt it is)? Where does one go to find out how much his shephard’s ring and crossier are worth (and how do you know the figure is accurant?)?

When someone has that much time on his hands he’s obviously not tending to his own spiritual “house”, and is likely caught up in some sin he’s feeling guilty about, and rather than repent he’ll lash out at the Pope for being a materialistic hypocrite. It usually goes something like: "Birth control isn’t wrong. That Pope has no right to tell me what to do, look at all his expensive things, he can’t tell me I have to have kids, he’s not going to sell that solid gold crossier and support them for me :dts: ". Just ignore it, and add him to your list of people to pray for.

In Christ,

Ellen

 

[HeWillProvide]

How else would you dress the visible head of the Church on Earth?
It sounds like the writer is saying he should dress more modestly, which doesn’t sound too terrible. Like,would Jesus wear this stuff if he were on earth? I’m just wondering.
What would you do with all these clothes if not wear them? No one volunteers to be Pope.

He doesn’t HAVE to wear them (does he?) - I mean, I know all other Popes have but what if he were to “make a statement” about all this refinery and jewels and gems and just dress like a normal priest… I’m not saying he should, I’m just picturing the response of the original writer.

 

[HeWillProvide]

The President of the USA should sell AirForce One and take the Greyhound bus, too.

Well, the President isn’t telling us to reduce our spending and reduce our materialism… though he did tell us that we are addicted to gas!

 

[AJV]

But isn’t his day to day wear also extremely costly for something deceptively simple and plain?

How much do you think it is?
And how much would be saved if he wore jeans and a t-shirt (white of course)

 

[Just_1_hr_a_wk]

How much do you think it is? And how much would be saved if he wore jeans and a t-shirt (white of course)

The shoes alone would be a big savings.

There were multiple articles on the costs involved in dressing this pope.

I also have been involved in getting vestments for friends who did not have funds for their parish ministries so I have assorted catalogs on basics and have seen the cost for yard goods if one wants to sew their own. The savings by making simple changes is not insignificant and would be more in the practice what you preach way of thinking.

 

[Lepanto]

Well, the President isn’t telling us to reduce our spending and reduce our materialism… though he did tell us that we are addicted to gas!

Maybe, but the US has a budget deficit, whereas the Holy See does not.

Moreover, the Pres is spending money which we were compelled to pay by force of law, whereas we donate to the Chuch whatever we desire.

 

[Mannyfit75]

Someone wrote to our newspaper today and I do not know the proper rebuttal. Here is what he wrote:

*His clothing is made from the finest materials, emblazed with gold thread worth thousands of dollars. His one-of-a-kind gold ring, the size of a small egg, is worth tens of thousands. A golden shepherd’s crook, inlaid with many precious gems, handcrafted by the world’s finest jewelers, is worth millions. Being told by his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, the Vicar of Christ, to avoid materialism in one of his recent encyclicals: priceless. *

What would be your defense for the Pope?

Do you prefer the Pope preach with no clothing at all?

 

[Windmill]

If all the fine art and vestments in the Vatican were to be sold for cash and the money given to the poor for food, every poor person in the world could eat…one meal. Then, they’d still be starving.

Most of the art in the Vatican (and I include the vestments that are “hand-me-downs”) was created by artists who wanted to inspire Christians to contemplate eternal things. They realized that, as corporate beings, our bodies as well as our souls, needed to be prompted during sacred worship. The paintings of biblical scenes, the ornate architecture, the elaborate vestments are not there for the benefit of the celebrant, but of the worshippers. When you see a beautiful chasuble whose beauty (and price) are incalculable, you are reminded of the unquantifiable glory of Almighty God. When you hear beautiful music that the Vatican choir director has been paid an arm and a leg to organize and perform, your thoughts are raised to heavenly things.

We Americans tend to fall into the Calvinistic error of “Total Depravity” whereby all matter and human thought is completely incapable of enriching worship, theology, sanctification, etc… Don’t fall into the trap of feeling embarrassed about regality. Those Catholics who made those vestments, buildings, pieces of art, etc… did it to inspire. They’d be horrified if their works were reduced to a dollar amount and sold off to museums. Then, their purpose would be completely eliminated.

 

[Digitonomy]

Furthermore, the vestments that the Holy Father has worn of late were not made specifically for him. They have been worn by his successors.

 

[Mannyfit75]

The Pope’s vestment are Vatican property. They don’t actually belong to the Pope, nor are they consider his personal clothing. These are loan much like the Papal Jet.

 

[Lepanto]

Furthermore, the vestments that the Holy Father has worn of late were not made specifically for him. They have been worn by his successors. In fact, the last time the cope that Pope Benedict used on Monday was worn was when Pope John XIII used it.

Hand-me-downs.