Pope critiques ‘rigid’ dress sense and mentality of conservative prelates

[Michie]

The Pope has taken conservative bishops and cardinals to task for the way they dress, suggesting their adherence to ostentatious styles reveals a “rigidity” of mind that in some cases may even reach a level of “mental instability” and “emotional deviation”.

The Pope made his criticism of the sartorial preferences of traditional-leaning prelates – some of whom have opposed his more liberal efforts at reform in the Church – in his autobiography titled Hope, which was published on 14 January, reports The Times.

Their “rigidity”, he writes, “is often accompanied by elegant and costly tailoring, lace, fancy trimmings, rochets”, which he described as amounting to “clerical ostentation”.

The Pope then adds: “These ways of dressing up sometimes conceal mental imbalance, emotional deviation, behavioural difficulties, a personal problem that may be exploited.”

Continued below.

Pope critiques ‘rigid’ dress sense and mentality of conservative prelates - Catholic Herald

The Pope has taken conservative bishops and cardinals to task for the way they dress, suggesting their adherence to ostentatious styles reveals a “rigidity” of mind that in some cases may even reach a level of "mental instability" and "emotional deviation". The Pope made his criticism of the...

catholicherald.co.uk

 

[Wolseley]

While I think that the long train and lace doo-dads on clerical robes should be reserved for extremely formal services, I also think that saying that a cleric who uses such garb is "rigid", "mentally instable", or "emotionally deviant" is going way overboard.

I'm afraid I'll just have to politely (now, notice that I said *politely*!) disagree with the Holy Father on this one. I'd say more, but I don't want Jim to send me to hell for offering an opinion.

 

[RileyG]

While I think that the long train and lace doo-dads on clerical robes should be reserved for extremely formal services, I also think that saying that a cleric who uses such garb is "rigid", "mentally instable", or "emotionally deviant" is going way overboard.

I'm afraid I'll just have to politely (now, notice that I said *politely*!) disagree with the Holy Father on this one. I'd say more, but I don't want Jim to send me to hell for offering an opinion.

Agreed, and I LOVE high liturgy

 

[concretecamper]

I'll stick with Pope Pious XII

"Taking, therefore, the words of Christ and of the Apostle [Paul] as the strict rule, should not one say that the Church of today is rather inclined more to indulgence than to severity? It so happens that the accusation of oppressive rigidity made against the Church by the ‘new morality,’ in reality, attacks, in the first place, the adorable Person of Christ Himself."

 

[Michie]

My critics are unstable, says Pope — just look at their robes

The pontiff does not hold back on his conservative rivals or their sense of dress in his autobiography, Hope

www.thetimes.com