I was raised Catholic by an Irish mother and an Italian father. I am a descendent of Canon Patrick Augustine Sheehan. I am no longer a practicing Catholic for many reasons, but I consider it still to be part of my background. I remain embarrassed by how the Church conducts itself in public and still no one seems at all shocked. I mean, what’s the deal with the Pope’s Prada shoes? And, why was it so symbolic for him to give them up? According to SkyNews, since he’s not the Pope he has replaced his Prada shoes with “brown shoes made in Leon, Mexico.”
I’m pretty sure it is supposed to be the other way around. When you become Pope, you give up the Prada and wear the loafers made in Mexico.
Best of all, I find the making of three different size vestments – small, medium and large – no only excessive, but ridiculous. They are robes. Big robes. Make one and alter. Who’s paying for this? Not the starving Catholics on the streets of the U.S. or in Latin America or Europe. Forget the fact that the Church doesn’t let women in, they are standing before the world and poking their fingers in the eyes of their faithful. Where is the common sense? Where is the compassion? Where is the vow of poverty?
“Silence is Consent.” – Pope Boniface VII (1235-1303)