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Saturday, September 24, 2011

Which tiara would Jesus wear?


- Benedict's tiara

I didn't realize until today that the pope has a tiara. Why am I surprised - he has his own country, why not a crown? I find this so repugnant :( but let's push on. Here's a bit about the papal tiara from Wikipedia ...

The Papal Tiara ... is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown, supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin, that is a prominent symbol of the papacy ... Papal tiaras were worn by the popes of Rome and Avignon from Pope Clement V (d. 1314) to Pope Paul VI, who was crowned in 1963 ..... At the end of the second session of the Second Vatican Council in 1963, Paul VI descended the steps of the papal throne in St. Peter's Basilica and ascended to the altar, on which he laid the tiara in a dramatic gesture of humility and as a sign of the renunciation of human glory and power in keeping with the renewed spirit of the Council. Since then, none of his successors has worn a tiara. It was announced that the tiara would be sold and the money obtained would be given to charity ....


- tiara of Paul VI

However, Benedict chose to wear the tiara when meeting with the Lutherans in Germany (The Pope and his tiara, The Tablet). So much for the renunciation of human glory and power, not to mention ecumenism :(

Anyway, Wikipedia tells us that there's not just one papal tiara, but a number of them (List of Papal Tiaras in existence) from which the pope can choose, many of them kept in the Vatican Sacristy/Treasury. Here's JPII's unworn tiara ......



I find it hard to look at all this stuff and not wonder why it isn't sold and the money given to charity, as Paul VI chose to do with his tiara.


6 Comments:

Blogger Matthew said...

It reminds me of the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Why is it called a tiara and not, say, a crown?

8:28 AM  
Blogger crystal said...

Yeah - the cups! Maybe I shouls send a DVD to the Vatican.

Good question - I thought only princesses wore tiaras :)

1:17 PM  
Anonymous Victor said...

(((((I find it hard to look at all this stuff and not wonder why it isn't sold and the money given to charity, as Paul VI chose to do with his tiara.)))))

That's a good question crystal and maybe "IT" has something to do with WORDS found in "The Good Book" which says in so many words that at the end days, those who have not will have even less and those who have will have even more?

Hey maybe the end has already come and gone and God forgot to tell the rest of U>S (usual sinners).

You think Victor?

Sometimes!:)

6:03 AM  
Blogger crystal said...

Hi Victor :)

12:51 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

you are thinking of such adornments in temporal terms. Coronations act as a consecration from God upon the conferred. The kings of Israel were crowned. I see nothing wrong with it.

10:14 AM  
Blogger crystal said...

But Jesus seemed to turn the hierarchy thing on its head - the first shall be last, those that lead must serve. It's one thing for temporal kings to be crowned, but the representatives of the kingdom of God?

1:57 PM  

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