Pope Benedict's Burial Shoes -or- "Where's The Kiwi Polish?"

The Vatican has released the first pictures of Pope Benedict XVI's body laying in state in a chapel, but he's dressed just a little differently than previous dead Pontiffs who were always laid out literally dressed fit to be buried. Noticeably missing are the full vestments of a sitting Pope, presumably withheld since he officially abandoned the throne of St. Peter when he resigned. It's kinda' like Buckingham Palace who -just to make a point- wouldn't allow Prince Harry to wear his military uniform at QEII"s funeral. And, I can at least grasp that kind of logic.

But what about Benedict's SHOES? Traditionally dead Pontiffs are shod in brand-new, bright red [and custom-made] Ferragamo slippers to denote the "shoes of the fisherman" even though there is no historical record that tells us what color shoes the angler-apostle Peter wore. And not to be too picky, but we do know that they certainly wouldn't have been shiny slippers at all but rather crude, unpolished sandals just like everyone else wore. So, there's that.

In fact, as a lay preacher Peter would've restricted his wardrobe to muted humble garments and left the bling to the high temple Priests... where every nomad knew it rightfully belonged!

And speaking of bling, most of that flashy stitching and incredibly intricate embroidery [no doubt created by Nuns who sewed themselves blind] -and those red slippers- were largely products of the opulent Italian renaissance when Gold ruled even more than it does today. I've seen 12th, 13th and 14th-century Papal crowns and vestments and let me tell you, they would've given Liberace a serious run for his money... come to think of it, Lee was also a devout Catholic so now we may know where he got his own fashion sense!

Instead, on Benedict's feet are a pair of scuffed dark brown loafers that have certainly seen better days, right down to the large non-skid pads on the soles. Of course, the devout will spin it by claiming those ratty shoes personify the late Pope's humility [even though that was not one of his more obvious traits]... but I'm not buying it.

But regardless of the reason, it all seems in pretty poor taste to me since those brown shoes look like they could use a good coat of wax.

But then, I'm just a cynical heathen who notices little things like a man's shoes.

Even those of a fisherman.

Last Edited by GSB/LTD on 01/02/2023 09:50 AM