Pius VII's slippers

AS HAS been widely reported, Pope Francis has rejected some of the traditional pomp of the papacy, including the red papal stole, the papal limousine and scarlet shoes, such as those worn by other popes for the last two centuries. Francis chose his well-worn black shoes instead for his first public appearance before journalists.

Pope Francis has made no statement on these choices, and we cannot know why he has made them.

I would like to comment, however, on the widely-held view that these gestures are deferential to the poor. It is a modern conceit that the poor are offended by majesty. Pomp and ceremony are not primarily for the rich. They are for the poor. Kings don’t need silk garments. They have everything. But the poor, who have nothing, benefit from outward displays of grandeur and magnificence, unless they are envious, in which case luxury reveals their own failings. Anyone can see a royal crown or a pair of papal shoes in a photo. The sight of such things costs nothing. They feed the craving for perfection. They satisfy the natural delight in beauty, constantly stymied in the flat and unvaried world of modern poverty.

For a person who has never seen anything beyond T-shirts, sneakers and denim, a pair of scarlet slippers may be a revelation, an invitation to a higher, invisible reality.

—– Comments —-

Sally writes:

I was intrigued to read your comments about the choices Pope Francis has made concerning his vestments and mode of transportation. I am not Roman Catholic and have no opinion as to whether or not these are wise decisions. However, I liked your conclusion of the reasons why one might choose to dress in special ceremonial clothing.

This reminded me of Brooke Astor’s obituary. She always made an effort to dress very richly. Her motivation was not vanity or to inflate her own self worth but to spread encouragement and joy by setting an example. I believe she felt the recipients of her largesse demanded it!

“For her forays around the city, she dressed as she did when she joined the ladies who lunch at East Side bistros: a finely tailored suit or a designer dress, a hat in any weather, a cashmere coat when it was cool and, in her last years, an elegant cane, her one apparent concession to age. “If I go up to Harlem or down to Sixth Street, and I’m not dressed up or I’m not wearing my jewelry, then the people feel I’m talking down to them,” she said. “People expect to see Mrs. Astor, not some dowdy old lady, and I don’t intend to disappoint them.”

My mother was a nurse and I have worked at a major medical institution as a Computed Tomography Technologist for almost 30 years albeit just one day a week for the past few years. My mother once told me that some of the nicest and most thoughtful people she cared for were those with “old money” and some of the most difficult and unpleasant the newly rich. I have observed this myself. I think that if God has granted you the privilege of a high position in business, society, or His church then you have extra duties and responsibilities and, surely, as you have remarked many times there is a plenitude of ugliness and a scarcity of beauty in today’s society.

Brooke Astor

Laura writes:

Thank you. That’s an interesting observation by Astor.

“If I go up to Harlem or down to Sixth Street, and I’m not dressed up or I’m not wearing my jewelry, then the people feel I’m talking down to them.”

The same is true of a president who wears a baseball cap. He is talking down to the public. It’s a gesture of condescension, not respect.

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