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How did I miss this? Red shoes are a papal tradition that originated with the early Roman Republic. And never mind the Devil Wears Prada…did you know the Pope was rumored to wear it, too? The Vatican has denied it, claiming his shoes are made by a cobbler in Rome’s Borgo Pio neighborhood. It doesn’t bother me if he wears Prada, but I guess some people think it’s inappropriate. (Wink, wink.)
With his resignation, the Pope sacrifices his right to wear red shoes. I guess. (I don’t understand this, but whatever.) Ditto for his Twitter account. That would be a tough one for me—the former, not the latter. It sounds like heaven to retire in a nice quiet place to write, pray, play the piano, and read from a vast personal collection of books. Can you imagine how much more time one might have without the worry of Twitter, Facebook –not to mention the souls of 1.3 billion people? Lots more, I’ll wager.
No wonder the Pope is ready for retirement. I feel sorry for him because he’s an introvert who is expected to be “on” all the time. Rumor has it they’re looking for someone with a little more “pizzazz” to replace him. It seems that he’s too bookish for this brave new world where we’re all measured by how many people “like” us.
Pope Benedict has also been betrayed by some of his closest allies. I like the way he forgave them. The ability to love people who don’t love you back is haute terre. Not that I’m a good example of that, but I’m working on it—and I have been to Terre Haute, Indiana.
Earlier this week, a good friend and I agreed that the number one obstacle in our prayer life is that we are never still. We shouldn’t have to retire to a monastery to achieve that.
Will you take some time today and be still? There might be a message you need to send or receive, but it’ll never happen if the line is already busy. I’ll try if you will! What do you most admire about the Pope?
Life is short. Wear the good stuff.
6 comments
LoriL said:
February 28, 2013 at 3:01 pm
We must return…fantastico!
cjhammon said:
February 28, 2013 at 8:21 pm
I’m afraid you’ll get there before I will, dearie! I almost posted a cute picture of you in front of Duomo, but I didn’t dare without your permission!
trina said:
March 1, 2013 at 5:12 pm
Very thought provoking and inspiring post. I would say that I admire anyone who is willing to give their whole souls to the well being of others is to be admired and that is excatly what this sweet Pope has done.
Thank you for the quiet reminder of the importance of being ‘still’ for without this the voice of reason, and the spirit cannot be heard. Now you’ve got me singing one of my favorite hymns, “Be Still My Soul”.
Maybe we can all chip in and send Him a new pair of red shoes.
cjhammon said:
March 6, 2013 at 1:22 pm
Oh, Trina–you’re cracking me up! I’m with you–you have to admire anyone who commits to such a sacrificial lifestyle. As for stillness, it’s hard to come by these days, unless we really resist the impulse to stay busy, busy, busy, isn’t it? Thanks for commenting–I so enjoy hearing from you.
Just Verte Style said:
March 2, 2013 at 8:39 am
The reason the Pope wears red shoes is because they match the red carpet. Italians are VERY style conscious! BTW, I understand Gucci has reintroduced their horse bit loafers.
I’ve never been to Rome, only to Florence. Saw so many paintings the size of my house, I was dizzy with eye fatigue!
April
cjhammon said:
March 6, 2013 at 1:17 pm
So that’s it! The red carpet blend-eh? Ditto on the art tours…I wish I could stay in Florence for a month and just take it all in an hour a day. I love dragging things out.