The Red Shoes of the Fishermen
VATICAN CITY - The devil may wear Prada -- but the pope does not.
According to the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, the bright red loafers that Pope Benedict XVI wears are not designed by the Milanese fashion house, as has long been rumored.
"Obviously the attribution was false," the Vatican newspaper said in its Thursday's editions.
"Such rumors are inconsistent with the simple and somber man who, on the day of his election to the papacy, showed to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square and to the whole world the sleeves of a modest black sweater," it said.
Fashion scrutiny
Still, Benedict's fashion sense has often drawn media attention.
Three years ago around Christmas, he showed up for his weekly public audience in St. Peter's Square wearing a fur-trimmed stocking cap that could have passed for a Santa Claus hat. The hat, as it turned out, is a "camauro," which dates back to the Middle Ages and figures in many papal portraits.
On a separate occasion, Benedict sported a sumptuous red velvet cape trimmed in ermine -- another piece of traditional papal attire that had long been abandoned.
L'Osservatore Romano said the pope's interest in clothes has nothing to do with fashion and everything to do with liturgy -- what symbolism traditional garments can bring to the Christian liturgy.
"The pope, therefore, does not wear Prada, but Christ," L'Osservatore said.
Now that is an awesome closing sentence to a silly subject. It is good to get confirmation of what I had read before, though I also doubt this will shunt the media's fascination with linking the Pope to Prada.
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Oh my ... so it is the Devil that only wears Prada! .... this is good news for many people ... too funny
I am fascinated by the traditional garb that the Pope wears. I grew up without seeing a lot of traditional Catholic garb other than my teachers' habits and Monsignor K who still wore a cassock.
Just last year I started attending morning Mass with several Filipina ladies who wear chapel veils. I had always thought veils were like the kerchiefs that older women wore over their curlers on "bad hair days".
What makes the claims of vanity worse, sort of, is that Benedict looks so good in the traditional vestements!
"The pope, therefore, does not wear Prada, but Christ," L'Osservatore said.
Touche. :)
I love it that Papa Benedict has brought back some of the 'older' papal garb! He looks good in them!
Double touche, joanne....great closing words from L'Osservatore Romano!
I truly loved that last line to the article. Such a silly subject, indeed. It is a matter-of-fact statement, which I knew deserved a post. Thanks for covering it, Jeff. Hah!
Bring back the traditional garments; Pope Benedict looks good in them. That line almost deserves a promiment placing somewhere, methinks. :-)